Does this resonate with you: Can someone be both a content writer and a copywriter?
If yes, this post is for you.
Stumbled upon this.
While we so love Jo of Copyhackers, I beg to slightly differ.
Personally, I believe that good content writers are copywriters. So if you got copywriting skills, you’re likely a skilled content writer too.
And that’s what prompted us to write this article. We’re wondering too. 🤔 Is there a serious debate about copywriter vs content writer?
Let’s find out.
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is the art and science of persuading a user to take action after reading your written content. It’s about understanding your audience so you’ll know how to craft a message that will resonate with them.
They may be in the form of an ad, a website copy, product descriptions, or email content. A copywriter's job is to influence readers to do what you want, such as:
- Convert a free trial user to a paying customer
- Encourage the reader to buy a product
- Sign up for a service
- Check out a feature
- Or simply click through an email’s CTA.
In SaaS or any other niche, copywriting affects whether or not your marketing will be successful. If your copy isn't effective, then all of your other marketing efforts are wasted.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing is a type of writing that focuses on delivering information to a specific audience. Blogs are the most common output of content writers that aims to engage and inform readers.
It doesn’t have to be formal or follow any specific rule, ideally, it just has to be informative and easy to read. Some other content writing results include:
- articles
- e-books
- social media posts
- white papers
- newsletters
It's not like other types of writing like fiction or poetry that need rhymes and fantasy. SaaS content is meant to achieve a specific goal―explain and inform about a product or service, educating the reader about a topic.
This means content writers must be able to research their topics thoroughly so they can provide the accurate and latest info.
Copywriter vs content writer
Yes, these 2 roles are different, even our Copy Chief, Aiza can attest to this. She said,
“I rarely find someone who can write good copy and content at the same time.
I once asked our copywriter to write a blog, and she struggled! When I asked our content writer to write an email, she can rarely hit the point right away.
But it doesn’t mean that they are bad writers. In fact, they’re excellent in what they do. They just need to switch writing roles and remember the difference between the two.”
But what are the key differences between the two roles? Here are some.
- For one thing, copywriters tend to focus more on marketing and advertising materials, such as Salesletters, brochures, and website landing pages. Content writers, on the other hand, are more likely to produce educational or informative materials, such as blog posts, how-to guides, and product reviews.
- In terms of style, copywriters generally adopt a more persuasive tone in their writing, whereas content writers tend to take a more neutral approach.
But that’s it, I believe.
Good content writers are copywriters
Here’s our take on this―If you want to get better at content writing, learn the skills of a copywriter.
In reality, content writers must be able to capture their readers' attention and hold it throughout the entire piece. The first sentence a reader will see is the headline. And a catchy headline relates to the pain of its readers so you get their attention fast.
Here’s an example.
In addition, the PAS (problem-agitate-solution) framework (often used by copywriters) is helpful for blog creation, especially for introductions. Still, we prefer the AIDA (attention-interest-desire-action) as the general framework of the team’s content writers.
Another good point here is that content writers like copywriters use an ICP (ideal customer persona).
So why again use an ICP?
That’s to have a clear idea of who your target customer is―your possible reader. An ideal customer persona is a tool that can help you do this. It’s a fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on real data and research like demographics, behavioral patterns, motivations, and needs.
Should there (really)be a debate?
From the perspective of a content writer/copywriter, the short answer is No. Good content is written by copywriters. Until this date, I go back to Dave Gerhardt’s laws of copywriting.
If you’re in need of a skilled copywriter who can produce high-quality, long-form content for your SaaS blog, we’d be happy to chat with you about our services. Our team has experience writing compelling copy that drives results, and we would love the opportunity to put our skills to work for you.
In case you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Book a call today and let’s talk.
