Often confused or used interchangeably, content writing and copy writing have distinct and separate purposes but are both essential parts of a successful digital marketing strategy. In the following article we will explain the difference between content and copy as well as the ways they can grow the online presence of your business. 

How to Tell if Text Is Content or Copy 

In simple terms, the main difference between copywriting and content writing is the intent behind the text. The intended outcome of copy is to sell something to a customer by compelling them to take an action. An example of this is a short line of text beneath a social media post enticing the reader to click through to purchase. 
 
Content writing on the other hand has a non-commercial function (at least on the surface), and is intended to educate or entertain the reader. Examples of content writing can be seen on blogs, websites, social media, whitepapers, ebooks or email newsletters. 

Of Course I Need Copy for My Website, but Why Do I Need Content Too? 

If we think of copy as a sales pitch in writing, it becomes obvious that if you have a product or service to sell, you’re going to need copy. Effective copy is usually short, to the point and plays on human emotions in order to persuade the reader to do something. 

Content for Relationship Building 

What content can bring to the table may seem less obvious. 
 
To carry on the sales analogy, if copy is the sales pitch, content marketing is the relationship work that goes on long term in the background and lays the ground for a fruitful sales pitch. It is well known by salespeople that a customer is much more likely to buy what you are selling if there is an existing relationship. 
 
Informative, entertaining or inspiring content is the way to build that relationship online. 

Content Writing for SEO 

Keywords 

Just as important as building a great relationship with your customers, quality content is also essential for getting your website to the top of that search engine. 
 
Being longer in length than copy, there is plenty of room within content for keywords, the words search engines use to match your site to relevant search terms. 

Dwell Time 

Provided your content is of sufficient quality it will also increase your website’s dwell time. Dwell time is the length of time users stay on a web page, and really helps with your search engine ranking. The trick here is great content that is genuinely entertaining, informative and well-written, so that users choose to stay and read or watch. 
 
You can learn more about optimising your website for search engines (SEO) here
 
 
At Artus Digital Marketing we are a team of passionate professionals with years of expertise in content marketing and digital copy writing. 
 
To find out more about content, copy and how they can fit into a wider digital marketing strategy to grow your business online, get in touch here. 
 
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