Content Writer vs. Copywriter: 10 Main Differences

Although you often hear about them on various occasions, do you know what the actual differences are between a content writer vs. copywriter?

It cannot be denied that content writers and copywriters are two professions that are always in demand, especially in the digital communication era.

In general, both professions are suitable for those who enjoy writing. Whether a content writer or a copywriter, each plays a crucial role in maximizing the success of marketing strategies, digital campaigns, and brand communication with the audience.

Both professionals in the field of writing have special skills in content marketing to create a deep reading experience for the audience.

What differs between content writer vs. copywriter can be viewed from various perspectives.

In broad terms, a content writer is someone who can uncover data and craft it into informative and engaging content, while a copywriter is an individual who focuses more on the art of persuasion to create text that encourages conversion.

If you want to explore further the differences between a content writer and a copywriter, be sure to check out the comprehensive guide below

The differences between a content writer vs. copywriter can be seen from various perspectives.

However, in general terms, a content writer is someone who can unearth data and weave it into informative and engaging content, while a copywriter is an individual who focuses more on the art of persuasion to create text that invites conversion.

If you want to delve deeper into the differences between a content writer vs. copywriter, be sure to check out the complete guide below.

What is a Content Writer?

A content writer is a foundational profession in the content industry. To become a content writer, one needs writing skills to create various types of content, ranging from articles, blogs, news portals, and even social media content.

In the context of modern business, a content writer in the marketing field is also responsible for creating content that can help increase brand awareness and attract organic traffic to support the marketing strategy of a business.

A content writer is not only required to have writing skills but also needs to have a strong orientation towards the audience.

This profession requires individuals who can develop a writing style to capture the attention of online readers, understand the needs of the target audience based on the niche, and create relevant topics, user-generated content, and SEO-friendly content.

To broaden your understanding, here is the scope of responsibilities and content writer job description:

• Conducting research to gather accurate and relevant data or information.
• Analyzing trending topics (especially necessary if you are a journalist category content writer).
• Writing informative, factual, engaging, and relevant articles or blog content tailored to the target audience and company goals.
• Optimizing content to be easily found by search engines using SEO strategies, including strategic keyword placement and metadata management.
• Managing and creating an editorial content calendar to ensure consistency in publication and maintain relevance between keywords.
• Editing and proofreading content to ensure grammatical accuracy, spelling, and consistency in writing style.
• Collaborating with the visual team to create content visualizations that support the message.

What is a Copywriter?

Now that you understand what is a content writer, you also need to explore another category of writers that may seem similar but are actually different. Yes, the copywriter.

Many people mistakenly believe that a content writer vs. copywriter are two similar positions, when in fact, they are not.

In broad terms, a copywriter is an individual who creates written content for advertisements (copywriting), campaigns, or various other publication materials.

A copywriter is a profession whose role is always in demand with the rapid development of the creative industry.

Indeed, a professional copywriter is highly sought after because their expertise is needed in various sectors of the industry.

The tasks of a copywriter go beyond just writing. Professionals in this field must also be able to introduce and promote products/services in the creative business through words that can capture attention and present a compelling call-to-action (CTA) that motivates action to improve the conversion rate.

Some responsibilities and copywriter job description include:

• Analyzing product knowledge, target audience, and currently trending topics.
• Analyzing the client's desired brief and brainstorming to develop creative ideas ranging from campaign concepts, taglines, and visualizations.
• Writing concise, engaging, persuasive, unique, easily understandable copy that aligns with the brand.
• Editing and revising by refining copy that does not meet client expectations.
• Collaborating with the creative team in the visual domain to create integrated campaigns.
• Analyzing data and reviewing customer responses or feedback on campaigns to develop further marketing plans.

10 Main Differences Between Content Writer vs. Copywriter

Considering the above discussion, you might already be realizing the differences between these two positions.

However, to make it even more distinguishable, here are some differences between content writers vs. copywriters from various perspectives that you should understand.

1. Goals of Content Writer vs. Copywriter

One of the most obvious differences between content writers and copywriters is their goals. Although both write to capture the audience's attention, these two professions are done with different objectives.

Content writers generally write content to provide factual and high-quality information to the audience, entertain, present the latest news, and even build domain authority in a search engine niche.

Therefore, content written by content writers can be in the form of articles, blogs, or news portals designed to educate, provide new insights, or offer entertainment. 

On the other hand, copywriters aim to persuade, build urgency, and prompt actions from the target audience, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a specific email marketing campaign.

It can be said that copywriters focus on increasing conversion rates with a unique and compelling series of persuasive words.

2. The Writing Style of Content Writer vs. Copywriter

Another difference between content writers and copywriters can be seen in how their writing is presented.

A content writer typically uses an informative and educational writing style, aiming to convey facts and information that educate. Furthermore, the discussions in their writing tend to be more profound and detailed, exploring various aspects related to a context.

In contrast, a copywriter's writing style is generally shorter, concise, and to the point or delivered straightforwardly. Copywriters often highlight key points using sentence structures that have a strong impact. They also engage in crafting slogans and taglines that are easily memorable for readers.

3. Quantity of Writing (Word Count/Length)

Looking at the quantity of writing, the difference between a content writer vs. copywriter lies in the amount of text produced.

A content writer tends to produce longer pieces because articles, blogs, guide content, or other educational materials often require the expansion of ideas and more detailed discussions.

On the other hand, copywriters tend to work with shorter word counts because their main focus is to deliver an effective message in a short amount of time, using impactful words.

This is why advertisements, slogans, or social media posts are often more engaging and easily digestible in a short time.

4. Target to be Achieved

The next difference between content writer vs. copywriter is not only reflected in their goals but also in the target they aim to achieve.

Content writers and copywriters have different focuses, especially in reaping the benefits from the traffic they generate.

In this regard, a content writer aims to attract organic traffic. This target includes growing brand awareness, strengthening the brand, and increasing visibility in search engines.

On the other hand, the primary target of a copywriter is to convert traffic into sales or prospects. They not only create compelling persuasive messages but also target the audience with specific goals, such as making purchases, increasing CTR, or getting customers to subscribe to the provided services.

5. Utilization of SEO Strategies

You might be aware that compared to copywriters, content writers are more closely associated with SEO.

Therefore, content writers are a profession that is often sought after by companies or brands when trying to increase their visibility to be easily found in search engines.

In practice, copywriters may not be as bound by SEO standards or strategies. Nevertheless, to maximize marketing efforts in search engines, a copywriter still needs to understand basic SEO rules by incorporating potential keywords to make their copy easily indexed.

6. The Workload of Content Writer vs. Copywriter

When reviewing the difference between a content writer vs. copywriter in terms of workload, it must be acknowledged that both face similarly challenging tasks.

As discussed earlier, content writers engage in writing long and detailed content. Therefore, every content writer needs to research data and facts that will be presented in the content.

In contrast to content writers, copywriters are tasked with creating shorter texts but require high creativity and "out-of-the-box" imagination to maintain the uniqueness of each piece.

7. Benchmark for Strategy Sustainability

Another difference between a content writer vs. copywriter can be observed in terms of the sustainability of their strategies and the timeframe for the effects of their writing.

A copywriter generally sees direct results from their work through metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), which can be a perfect indicator of the success of an advertisement.

On the other hand, the results of a content writer's work are generally more long-term, especially if they focus on the organic implementation of SEO strategies.

8. Job Prospects for Content Writers and Copywriters

Both content writers and copywriters have promising job prospects. Both professions will continue to have wide opportunities for careers in various industries. 

They are fundamentally needed in companies with technological, media, health, and other sectors that implement content marketing strategies.

9. Skills Required

Although their basic task is writing, the difference between content writers and copywriters can also be seen in the list of skills required for each profession.

For a content writer:

• Ability to present information clearly, attractively, and educatively.
• Understanding the basics of SEO, including natural keyword placement strategies.
• Ability to conduct research to gather accurate data and information.

For a copywriter:

• Ability to write persuasively, stimulate reader emotions, and generate specific actions from the audience.
• Ability to understand consumer psychology and adjust persuasive messages according to research findings.
• High level of creativity to create unique, captivating copy that builds brand identity.

10. Income

The professions of content writer and copywriter hold equal importance, especially for companies venturing into the world of digital marketing.

In Indonesia, the average income for content writers and copywriters can range from 5 to 9 million. 

However, this income will naturally vary based on factors such as specific skills, task complexity, experience, and the policies of individual companies.

Trusted and Professional Content Writing Service 

Content writers and copywriters are undoubtedly highly needed in digital marketing efforts.

However, with the increasing demand for content writing, companies often struggle to find reliable content writing services or experienced writers capable of executing content or copy as needed.

Therefore, cmlabs provides Professional Content Writing Services that can assist every business in embracing success in the digital era.

By entrusting content writing to experts, you don't need to worry about the quality of content because every article produced at cmlabs has been directly validated by experts in their respective industries according to your business niche.

cmlabs, as a Professional Article Writing Service, helps you with the implementation of SEO both On-Page and Off-Page, so that the written articles' content can appear in organic search results, making it easier to be found by readers or customers.

If you are trying to improve content visibility on Google and need assistance from a professional content writer, then it's time for you to collaborate with us. Contact cmlabs Marketing Team now!