What is the Difference Between Content Writing and Copywriting?

Most of the people spend their lives in the digital world with the misconception that content writing and copywriting are one and the same thing. Well, it cannot be more far from the truth! Yes, the difference is not something as vast as between apples and oranges, but rather more like tangerines and oranges. Let us find out more about the same in this piece of information.

If you are aspiring to become a young dynamic writer, then it is imperative for you to gain an in-depth understanding of how these two types of services are distinct from one another. Both the forms of services have their own set of challenges to master at and require skills that can be segregated from each other.

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The following table will highlight the key differences between Content Writing and Copywriting on the grounds of certain benchmarks.

Benchmark	Content Writing	Copywriting
The Definition	Content Writing is the art of subtly telling the customers about a brand while providing valuable content.	Copywriting is the art of selling potential customers an idea, ideology or brand. It fuses ideology and products together to pitch the customers the emotions tied with the product or service.
The Purpose	It requires to have a reason behind the piece of information. In order to become a brand’s voice, it is essential to be a good read/listen/watch. It is based on the quality of editorial, irrespective of the brand or publisher. It first help the audience understand your brand, then generate interest and then switch to sales pitch.	Copywriting services are advertorial in nature and it’s purpose is to reveal what your concerned brand is all about. The only objective is selling an idea and not much emphasis is given to understanding and interest generation. It shares parity with content writing services over the fact that both are meant to generate leads/sales, and needed to be well written in order to keep the readers engaged.
Job Description	Content writers simply write content and can be anyone. Being a professional writer is not a qualifying benchmark, but someone who generates content is the more suitable job description. It can be anyone including working professionals, bloggers, executives, authors, brands, software engineers, CEO’s, etc. They can be good at writing but it is not their trade.	Copywriters simply write copy. They are specialized in producing a copy, generally in short form. Their work is to write down marketing materials for a living. A copywriter trades his or her skill set for a living. They are professionally involved in the writing business only and it is the primary means for their bread and butter.
The Length of Release	The writing length is larger as they try to strategies the content more effectively. They tend to draft long form of educational pieces like ultimate guide to__or technical know hows.	Copywriters tend to create short posts and their release length is primarily focussed on advertising the concerned brand and nothing more or less. The posts and releases are concise as they are not meant to educate but inform.
Types of Writing	Some of the common forms of writing include Articles, Newspaper pieces, Blog posts, Magazine features, White papers, Print magazines, Email newsletters, Books, E-books, Social media, Podcasts, Film, Television, Radio, etc. As you can see, it covers a wide range of mediums including news, literature, and entertainment.	Some of the most common forms of writing (but not limited to) associated with a copywriting career include Ads, online and offline, Web page content, Slogans and tag-lines, SEO content, Television or radio commercial, Email campaigns, promotional and advertising scripts, Press releases, Video scripts, White papers, Catalogues, Brochures, Billboards, Postcards, Sales letters, Jingle lyrics, Direct mail letters, Social media, etc. Here, the medium of writing is shorter and comprise of marketing and viral promotion channels.

The bifurcation of both the writing mediums in the above table highlight the fact that how content writing and copywriting are different from one another. The writing in both the medium can be online and offline and can even be adapted from one medium to another for the convenience of a specific type of audience.

Infographic showing major difference between content writing and copywriting:

If you wish to pursue a career in any of the above mentioned forms of writing then it is fully assured that there are enormous scope awaiting for you. All you are required to know before entering this field is the fact that all types of brands need content writing and copywriting in order to stay in the limelight. As of now, you are familiar with the differences between content writing and copywriting, thus simply observe your knack in it and pick up a form of writing that you wish to hone your skills in and stick to that one.