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A few years ago, copywriting was the only method that was used to market and sell copy. This was before the rise of blogs. Today, if you have a blog, you have to consider whether you are writing the right type of content or copy for your target market so that you can achieve your goals.
Blogging remains a top priority for marketers across the world. According to HubSpot, 53% of marketers named blogging as their top priority to market content. Websites with blogs have a better chance of being ranked higher by search engines compared to those that don’t.
What does this mean to you? If you can write well or find a good writer, you’ll achieve your goals quickly and easily. But how is content writing different from copywriting? Which one is best for your blog? Let’s understand what these two terms mean.
Copywriting defined
Copywriting is the art of selling a brand, idea or ideology to people. Copywriting is all about fusing your products with an idea of a brand to create branding. Copywriting mainly focuses on advertising. It is a short clear goal with big returns. What are the main tools of advertising? Sales letters, advertisements, landing pages, and emails.
A copywriter is a person who knows how to use words to create compelling headlines and call to actions that prompt consumers to subscribe to a service, purchase a product, submit vital information or even schedule a tour.
Advertising tycoons do not focus on creating creative advertisements but an interesting advertisement that will prompt you to buy the product or service. Unlike content writing, copywriting is straightforward and persuasively uses emotional language to appeal to consumers so that they take the necessary action.
Copywriting improves your chances of success or failure. To become a successful copywriter, all you need to do is know the desire existing in the hearts of your target market and seeking to satisfy them instantly.
Content writing defined
Content writing is all about educating, informing and entertaining your target market about a specific topic. Content writing includes social media posts, blog posts, e-books, and white papers. A content writer aims to create a productive engagement with his or her audience so that they’ll trust his or her brand and get interested in the product or service being offered.
The best content writers are so good at storytelling that they can write several articles for your blog that will attract more people and convert prospects without mentioning your brand. This type of prose is extremely powerful because it has the potential of turning leads into prospects and long-term customers. Long-terms customers will help you get referrals which is good for any business.
A study conducted by HubSpot found out that B2B marketers find blogging to be more cost and time effective than other lead generation methods used in the past.
Plus, content writing has the advantage of positioning your brand as an authority on a specified topic. And this helps you build your reputation and improve your credibility in the market.
Why do the majority of business owners and readers love content? It’s free and easily accessible! All you need to do is understand SEO so that your target market can find and read your content easily.
Which one should you choose?
You should ensure that your blog strives to maintain the balance of both worlds. You should create valuable, organized and informative content that is backed up with a clear call to actions to persuade your readers.
Keep in mind that copywriting is all about content. But content is not all about copywriting. Content writing is creative and informative. It is effective when shared. On the other hand, copywriting is straightforward and it’s focused on generating sales. Follow these tips if you're looking to hire a great copywriter or content writer.
Tips to excel as a copywriter
1. Do things differently
Earning a living as a copywriter requires you to develop and improve your writing skills. Your ability to think creatively is also a major determinant of your success or failure. Copywriting is for people who are ready and willing to take chances.
To stand out from the competition, your work has to be valuable, original and creative. We can’t be the old same things that people have gotten used to. It has to be new and enticing every single time. You need to be open-minded and be ready to be judged by your target market. Great copywriters do not have a problem looking at something through other people’s lenses.
2. Results are everything
While being creative and well-rounded contributes to the success of a copywriter, it is important to analyze the return on investment regularly.
At the end of the day, what the most successful copywriters care about is persuading their target market to take action in some way. It could be filling a form, buying a product or service or passing some information to their loved ones. They are focused on referrals, leads, orders and repeat clients. Your creativity and results will go hand in hand most of the time.
3. Walk-in your reader’s shoes
It’s important to understand before you can be understood. And this is what successful copywriters do every time out. They always seek to understand everything they can about their target audience before attempting to be understood. Nobody likes receiving a very salesy and pushy email or page. What you want is to be subtle with your copy so you can write content or actually craft sales emails people will like.
The more you understand your target market, the easier it will be to create a connection and persuade them. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done. Small budgets and tight schedules make it harder for the majority of copywriters to study the demographics. But this does not mean that you won’t figure out what excites them.
It’s important to allocate some time to listen to your prospects, customers, and stakeholders. These people will provide you credible feedback about your products and services. Another thing you need to take into consideration is at what stage your prospects are. Indeed, you need to use different copywriting techniques for each part of the sales funnel.
Thanks to the rapid advancement of technology, you can call, google or email your clients any time. Gaining important information such as their gender, age, and geographical location will help you make informed decisions which is a vital ingredient of success.
4. Improve your presentation skills
It’s one thing to master the art of writing and another to present your work with conviction and confidence. The majority of successful copywriters tend to have a good command of both spoken and written words.
People with strong presentation skills are extremely effective when it comes to selling their thoughts and ideas to their clients and colleagues. They are normally given opportunities to attend key meetings and conferences that will enable them to capture the minds and hearts of their clients.
If you are a copywriter who doesn’t feel comfortable speaking in front of a large audience, consider joining an organization that helps people develop and improve their communication, listening and leadership skills.
If you want to increase your sales, you have to communicate with lots of people. Since time is a limited resource, you can achieve your goals by improving your presentation skills.
5. Make good judgments
As a copywriter, you’ll have to conduct research, attend meetings and write copy. Sometimes, you are going to do these activities under pressure to exceed the expectations of your clients with tight deadlines.
To make a good judgment, you have to have the experience and most importantly, listen to your intuition. You have to know when you’ve done enough to share your work with others. Using your imagination and being open to possibilities without losing your sense of reality will enable you to perform remarkably well.
6. Work with a team
Most copywriters are already accustomed to working alone to meet their deadlines. While being a lone wolf has its advantages, you need to be a team player. Getting along with others is one of the characteristics that guarantee success.
You can’t do everything alone. Everyone needs someone. You’ll need to work with designers and directors to create something remarkable for your clients. You need to collaborate, communicate and brainstorm with others to realize your potential. Therefore, get out of your office when you can and socialize with your colleagues. If you show love and support for your team, they’ll likely return the favor.
Tips to excel as a content writer
1. Master different writing styles
Every form of writing has its unique style. Blogging is opinionated, friendly and personalized. News is short and formal with the chunk of the story at the top. White papers are lengthy because they used to describe problems and effective solutions. All these categories are content. As a writer, you should master all these styles to be valuable in the industry.
2. Pick your topic carefully
Ideation is a term that is used to refer to the creative process of finding a suitable title, subject and writing angle. This process always begins with analytics. Writers have to understand their audience before writing content.
If you know your readers, you’ll know what they enjoy reading. And you’ll write for them. You should also analyze your competition. What are they doing? Who is interested in their content? Once you analyze these key aspects, you’ll be ready to choose a topic and writing angle that will best suit your readers.
3. Create valuable and original content
Anything you publish will either help or hurt your reputation. Therefore, you should be focused on creating valuable, original and organized content every time out. There is no shortcut.
You are a unique writer with a unique voice. Why should you copy other writers? No one can think and write like you. Plagiarized content is not only bad for your clients but also worse on your side. Who will read your work if nobody trusts you? Do your best every time out. And let your personality shine.
4. Specialize in social media
Social media platforms will help you build your social circle and connect with the leading industry experts in your field. The more active you are on social media platforms; the more followers you’ll get. You’ll not be successful if you can’t market your work.
Our Thoughts on Content Writing and Copywriting
We’ve discussed the differences between content writing and copywriting. What have you noticed? They are not worlds apart from each other. They are like oranges and tangerines; slightly different but sharing the same origins.
We’ve also discussed what needs to be done to become a successful content writer and copywriter. The rapid advancement of technology has made it easier for us to connect with the world and share our talents. Let’s make the best out of it!
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