In the last few years, with the rise of the internet and digital marketing, the magnitude of written words has multiplied. However, if you are just somewhat involved doing business online, you have probably realized that people often use content writing and copywriting interchangeably.

Considering this, it is no wonder why people are often confused about whether there is a difference between content and a copy. And if you are here reading this blog post then you are probably having the same question.

Well, let me tell you that the short answer to your question is “Yes, there is”, and the long answer is the rest of this blog post.

So without further ado, let’s get rolling and find out which are the fundamental differences between content and a copy.

Content Vs. Copy: Definition

What is Content Writing? (Definition)

Content writing is writing a text with the intent to inform, provide value and establish trust between the content writer and the readers.

What is copywriting?
Copywriting is writing with the intent to persuade readers into taking a certain action. In most cases, that action is to purchase a certain product or a service.

Keep in mind, that copy often can also be considered as content, however, content, in most cases, cannot be copy as well.

Content Vs. Copy: Fundamental Differences

As you could see from the definitions, there are indeed some fundamental differences between content writing and copywriting. However, there is so much more you should know in order to be able to see the whole picture when it comes to content vs. copy battle.

Their purpose is different. 

As you have probably noticed, the biggest difference between content and copy is the purpose they hold behind. Copy’s purpose is to persuade and, ultimately, sell. Content’s purpose is to inform, educate or entertain.

In other words, content writing provides information to your audience regarding your industry. The purpose here is to inform and educate so that people could start considering your brand. In fact, this is why many brands use content writing as a vital part of their marketing strategy and marketers often say that “content is king”.

On the other hand, copywriting is the art of branding; it directly reveals the brand’s identity and directly pushes your audience into certain actions from your marketing funnel.

In most cases, brands use both, content and copywriting. In fact, the headlines of the content are often considered to be a copy as their purpose is usually to catch the reader’s attention right at the first sight.

Their typical word count usually differs. 

The content’s word count is typically higher than the copy’s word count. Articles, blog posts, ebooks, and case studies are great examples of content writing. Another fun fact is that written pieces for a movie, print magazines, and books, and radio are also considered to be content.

Copy is generally a short piece of text such as taglines, slogans, email campaigns, white papers, web content, and ads, where every single word is carefully crafted and emphasized in order to sound as persuasive as possible. Therefore, a copy is only used for advertising and marketing purposes.

Content drives organic traffic, copy turns it into leads.

Yup! When used as a part of a marketing strategy, content is usually used to drive organic traffic in the long run which is why SEO is super important when it comes to content. Copy, on the other side, represents the next stage of the marketing funnel as its task is to turn the organic traffic into leads. Thus, its effectiveness can be measured in the short term.

Moreover, while copywriters are expected to have some SEO knowledge, content writers should indeed be skilful SEO virtuosos if they are writing web content.

Bottom Line: Do You Need Content Writing or a Copywriting?

The answer to this question truly lies in the purpose you are trying to achieve.

If your purpose is to inform, educate or entertain your readers then you need content writing. If you need persuasive text for advertising and marketing purposes only, then you need copywriting.

In any case, Boho Writing Factory can provide you both so make sure to check out our services.

HINT: Despite that, this entire blog post is indeed content, the previous sentence was, without a doubt, a classic example of copywriting. 😉

Kristina Laskova

Pursuing the dream of becoming a recognized writer, Kristina decided to dive into freelancing during her student days. After gaining a Bachelors’s degree in English language and literature, she continued working towards gaining new skills in the field of content writing and digital marketing.

In 2017, she published her first poetry book, while in 2018 she started a travel blog that she named The Destinationship. After gaining enough knowledge and skills, she decided to gather “the last bona fide writers standing” and established Boho Writing Factory.

Just like many writers, Kristina likes the bohemian lifestyle and always follows her heart. Besides writing, she also loves reading, painting, and anything art-related. She appreciates genuine friendships, loves animals (has 5 cats), strives to learn more about the human psyche, and dreams of exploring the world.

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