Creating content for your website is key to a successful digital marketing campaign. It impacts almost every aspect of your marketing efforts including SEO (search engine optimization), social media marketing, and PPC (pay-per-click) and ad campaigns. Every piece of content creates a new opportunity to attract people to your website. Good content is a combination of copywriting and content marketing. However, many business owners think that copywriting and content marketing are the same.
While it’s true that copywriting and content marketing often overlap and both rely on strong writing skills, the intent of each is different. Understanding the difference between copywriting and content marketing and the purpose each serves is crucial for effective digital marketing
Copywriting
When it comes to digital marketing, copywriting is the practice of writing content that will convince users to take action. It might be to make a purchase, schedule service, or contact your business directly. In essence, copywriting is the art of persuasion. Its purpose is to convince users that it is worth it to take the desired action.
Copywriting is straightforward and to the point. It’s used to create content that explains and advertises your business. Some examples of copywriting are:
- Website page copy
- Product descriptions
- Landing pages
- Social media ads
- PPC ads
All of the content written for these aspects of your website and digital marketing campaign is geared toward one goal – creating conversions.
Our home page is a perfect example of effective copywriting. It explains clearly and concisely explains the services we provide and how your business can benefit from them while linking to more in-depth information and including a call to action.
Content Marketing
While the ultimate goal of content marketing is also to create conversions, it takes a more subtle approach than copywriting. Content marketing focuses on connecting with users, providing value, and building authority in your industry. It should develop long-term relationships that keep users returning to your site. If copywriting is the art of persuasion, then content marketing is the art of educating.
Users come back not only to make a purchase or schedule a service but because they find your content valuable, informative and engaging. Those that have converted and continue to return to your site can result in repeat business. Some may even become advocates for your business by recommending it to friends or talking you up on social media.
Some examples of content marketing include:
Although content marketing isn’t strictly limited to the written word, it often relies heavily on it. Videos and podcasts may be visual content, but they begin with a script or an outline of talking points to ensure they are cohesive and effective.
A great example of content marketing (and one of our favorites) is our Company Culture video. It provides visitors to our website an opportunity to get the people behind the Creative Click Media brand. It helps to make that human connection that can potentially tip the scales in your favor when a consumer is making a purchasing decision.
Copywriting vs Content Marketing – Which is More Important?
Although some digital marketing experts may favor one or the other, they are equally important. You can’t create effective content marketing without strong copywriting skills. By the same token, copywriting alone won’t get the job done. To develop an effective digital marketing campaign, you will need both skillsets.
Copywriting is used to provide vital yet basic information about your business, such as product or service information, pricing, and a call to action. Copywriting is basically your sales pitch laid out across the pages of your website and encourages users to take action now.
The purpose of content marketing is to create engagement, provide value, and develop long-term relationships. It should educate users about your industry and keep them up-to-date on new trends and industry advancements.
One place where you should see content marketing in action is on your blog page. While your website pages are more about stating the facts about your business, your blogs should address issues your audience has related to your industry. They should answer questions, solve a problem or demonstrate the difference between various products or services while building authority with your audience.
Striking A Delicate Balance
While copywriting vs content marketing sounds as if they are competing, the truth is a successful content strategy incorporates both. Although they each have a different focus, they share the same end – creating conversions. They just each have their own way of achieving that goal.
Copywriting, Content Marketing, and the Blog
For example, let’s say you own a roofing business. The first question on a homeowner’s mind when considering roof replacement is: “How much is it going to cost?” So you want to write a blog that will address the question, and title it “How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Roof?”
The blog would explain why there is no single correct answer to that question. It would instead discuss all the different factors that can impact the cost of replacing a roof. Near the end of the blog, you would add a short paragraph about your business and link to a page with a roofing cost calculator, a contact page, or both.
The bulk of the blog is content marketing. It educates the consumer about the different aspects of replacing a roof and adds value to the process before providing an estimate. That last paragraph with business info and a link to the roofing cost calculator is copywriting. It would include instructions on using the calculator and a call to action. The contact page would also be a call to action to schedule an appointment for a free consultation and estimate, or on mobile it would have a click-to-call button.
The blog combines both copywriting and content marketing. However, you have to be careful to balance the two practices properly. For blog writing, it is best to follow the 80/20 rule. Content marketing that focuses on educating and engaging the consumer should make up 80% of the blog. The final paragraph would be the remaining 20% which is basically self-promotion and a call to action.
If your blog is all about your roofing business and what you offer rather than explaining the different aspects of replacing a roof, your blog will err on the side of copywriting and be too sales-oriented. Save that for your website pages such as the home, about, and service pages. These should provide facts about your business and have prominent calls to action.
Copywriting and the Landing Page
Copywriting is also used to create landing page copy for specific marketing or advertising campaigns. The landing page is a stand-alone webpage that’s only purpose is to create conversions. These pages often offer the user an ebook or discount in exchange for their contact information. Unlike a blog, it is sales-oriented and self-promoting with a strong call to action. While there isn’t any obvious content marketing at work on landing pages, they can be linked to from a blog that explains that specific service in detail.
Copywriting, Content Marketing, and SEO
To optimize your website for SEO, copywriting and content marketing should include the proper keywords. Without them, it will be all but impossible for your site to rank with Google. All the copy on your website should be high-quality, keyword-focused content. Whether a Google search presents users with a website page or a blog, it provides an opportunity to check out your website.
SEO is a vital component of copywriting and content marketing. No matter how good they are, if no one can find your site, they will provide your business with little or no benefit.
How Many Writers Do You Need?
A strong writer with digital marketing experience may be able to switch gears and tackle copywriting and content marketing. They may even be able to take on basic SEO.
However, the answer to “How Many Writers Do You Need?” is none. You just need an experienced, full-service digital marketing agency.
Creative Click Media has a team of expert writers with copywriting and content marketing skills to provide you with effective copy no matter what the purpose. They collaborate with our SEO professionals to produce effective copywriting and content marketing that gets your website to rank, engage users, and create conversions. Great copywriting and content marketing is only a click away! Contact us and schedule a consultation to learn more.
