You might be thinking ‘does it really matter?’, you want someone that can write something for you, who cares if they are a copywriter or a content writer. This is a dangerous thought! Don’t you want the best, most effective, and efficient person for the job?
Copywriters and content writers offer different skills that put to the right task will have fantastic results for your business. That’s not to say one person can’t be both a copywriter and a content writer. My writing journey started as a content writer before I trained and skilled myself to be a copywriter.
A copywriter uses persuasive language to spark action. Their goal is short-term and to generate sales and action that has big returns for a business. A copywriter will write compelling copy for the purpose of advertising and marketing. Their job is to grab your audience’s attention, generate their interest, build desire in your product and brand, and lead them into action- this could be to buy or sign-up, for example.
A good copywriter will do more than just talk about your product. Their job is to extract the benefits for your audience and put your audience’s needs and the forefront of the copy. The copy will usually be short-form, to the point, and action-driven. You should quickly be able to see the benefits and results from hiring a copywriter.
What should you hire a copywriter for? Any marketing material that is selling to your customer. This will include your website copy, landing pages, email marketing, case studies, and advertising. When you want the end results to be an action, speak to a copywriter.
A content writer produces content that is in it for the long haul. Their job is to produce content that informs, educates, entertains, or instructs your readers. Content is there to tell a story, build your brand, and develop trust with your audience, it’s not salesy, it’s there to be informative and helpful, and place your brand as an expert in your field … that’s not to say a good call to action isn’t essential, but it should be a subtle ‘can we help/learn more’ approach.
A good content writer will most likely have some experience in your topic, so they can write from experience and knowledge. It’s not essential they are an expert but it helps if they have some knowledge, unlike a copywriter where you’re hiring them for their specific skill so a fresh pair of eyes is often a bonus!
What should you hire a content writer for? You want them for their skills to write long-form and engaging content. This should contribute to your long-term strategy. A content writer can link wider topics to your brand. For example, blog posts that answer questions are a great way to build trust in your brand and get you seen on Google for relevant searches. Social media is also a form of content writing that aims to build engagement and knowledge of your brand and what you do, it shouldn’t just be a tool for sales!
The job of a content writer can often be done in-house, by you or team members who can produce content such as blogs, however, hiring a content writer could save you time as content writing can be time-consuming! A good content writer should also be knowledgeable of SEO, so the content performs well in search engines.
Of course, Google can help, but places like LinkedIn are full of professional copywriters and content writers. There are also several sites that give you access to a huge pool of copy and content writers, such as Copify and Upwork- just be careful, although there are many skilled writers on these platforms what you save on cost could be detrimental to the quality you get! When it comes to copywriting especially, choose wisely and you’ll benefit no end from the results.
