Copywriting and content writing may sound similar, but they’re two different forms of writing you can use as a small business to target your audience in different ways. Knowing the difference between them and understanding how and when to use each writing style helps to capture your audience’s attention, keep them interested and nudge them towards the action you want them to take.
Let’s explore how copywriting and content writing work in more detail…
Copywriting vs Content Writing
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is all about the power of persuasion. It’s writing designed to pull a specific action from your readers, encouraging them with carefully crafted words to take the step you want them to take. It’s headlines, it’s advertisements, sales pages and product descriptions. It’s often short and snappy, clear and concise, giving the reader little room to mull over their decision. The aim of the game when it comes to copywriting is to get your potential customers to take immediate action. Whether that’s clicking on your article, signing up for your newsletter or buying your product, copywriting is written with persuasion in mind.
Copywriting for Small Businesses
If you’re looking at your business and wondering where to utilise the power of copywriting, try to think of it like this. When engaging with your business, at which point do you want your audience to do something immediately?
For example, when they’re checking out a product, you want them to add it to their basket right now. Therefore, you might utilise some concise, benefit-packed copy in your product description. This will encourage them to click that ‘Add to Basket’ button.
Earlier on in your marketing funnel, you may simply want to get your audience to read your latest email newsletter. In this case, you might include a fun, eye-catching subject line. The aim of the game is to get people to click on that email using words.
In short, copywriting should be woven into every aspect of your small business. At every touch point, every decision your audience needs to make, carefully crafted copy can be the nudge they need to take the leap.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing is copywriting’s trusty wingman. It heads out to test the waters, to chat to and charm your audience, before snagging a captivated customer and introducing them to your copy. In other words, content writing acts as a foundation. By providing your audience with engaging, valuable information it brings them straight into your sphere of influence. It paints you as an expert in your industry, allows your business to show off its brand personality, and helps everything feel a bit more familiar. This is what leads to those all important customer relationships. Once your audience trusts your business, they’re far more likely to engage with it.
Where copywriting is all about immediate action, content writing plays the long game.
Content Writing for Small Businesses
Content writing comes in all shapes and sizes. Blog articles, social media posts, newsletters – anything that serves to engage with your audience and provide them with something that makes a difference counts as content. For example, if you’re a credit control expert, you might share a blog article on ways to avoid aged debt. Anyone worried about aged debt will be interested, and they’ll trust your business when you share valuable information on how to quell that concern.
Content writing serves your audience in some way. It may be information or advice, guidance or insights. Think of it like this – when your audience reads your content, they should leave with more than they came with.
Which Type of Writing Do You Need?
In short, both! While copywriting and content writing ultimately serve different purposes, they work together to form the basis of a solid marketing strategy. Content writing lays the foundations, drawing an audience in with engaging, valuable content. It helps them get to know and learn to trust your business, pinpointing you as their go-to. Copywriting works further on down the marketing funnel, helping you seal the deal with well-placed CTAs, product descriptions or ads.
Using a mixture of both types of writing gives your business a well-rounded marketing strategy that captures the attention of your audience, keeps them interested and steers them towards your desired course of action.
The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Writer
Writing is a skill that takes time in more ways than one. Firstly, honing the skills great writing requires takes years or studying, learning and trial and error to really get right. Professional writers have used this time to learn how to understand consumer psychology and write in a way that best speaks to it. They can effectively gain an in-depth understanding of your audience, their needs and desires and can write both copy and content that works for your audience specifically. By hiring a pro, you’re not only giving yourself access to an expert, but you’re also utilising the time they’ve put into perfecting their craft.
Writing is also time-consuming, full stop. Particularly if you’re doing it yourself while also juggling everything that comes with running a small business. It either eats into your hours and takes away from other aspects of your business, or it ends up being rushed an ineffective. Passing the writing baton to a professional writer means you reap the benefits of their skills while protecting your own time. A win, win situation if you ask us!
Copywriting and Content Writing with The Edwards Company
Here at The Edwards Company, our writers work with small businesses to provide them with effective, tailored copy and content designed to appeal to their specific audience. From blog articles to social media posts, sales emails to product descriptions, we do it all. For more information on how our writers can support your small business, please do not hesitate to get in touch.