What’s the difference between a content writer and a copywriter? A guide for web designers and developers

Content writers mainly entertain and educate

A content writer writes material to entertain, educate, inform, or persuade people on the internet. Their objectives are to cover a topic, fill a space and help the reader in a particular way. Content writers generally work online, creating website content, blogs, emails, social media material and more. Although their work is often used for promotional purposes, they are often distinguished from copywriters by the fact that marketing isn’t their only objective and is rarely even their main one. Their brief doesn’t say ‘sell this’, it says ‘cover this topic’

When they do get involved in marketing, content writers will generally focus on creating good content to build up a company’s authority and reputation for knowledge or quality entertainment in a particular area. They are also involved in creating a lot of the material for websites where marketing is not directly involved.

Copywriters mainly promote and sell

A copywriter writes material to promote, market and sell a product, service or organisation. Their objectives are to create material that achieves particular marketing goals such as sales, signups, leads and general interest. While they may create the same content as content creators, the goal is always marketing. This is the definitive difference. 

A copywriter creates strategically optimised content to promote, market and sell and a content writer creates high-quality content to entertain, educate and inform.

Of course, the two professions share plenty of characteristics too.

Which is best for a web designer – copywriters or content writers?

Broadly speaking, both. As a business that’s immersed in content and marketing, you need to cross over. Your copywriters need to know the art of content writing and your content writers need to be savvy with marketing copy. Almost all websites need great, engaging content and effective copy that sells.

Larger web design companies are advised to keep copywriters and content writers on the payroll in coordination. Smaller companies and individuals should target professionals with crossover knowledge of both fields when hiring or contracting. Where website content is concerned, one specialism without the other is severely limited.

The business websites that form the vast majority of most web designers’ projects are the perfect examples of spaces that need a mix of copy and content writing expertise. If you are making a news site, a personal website for a wedding (for example) or an internal site for use within an organisation, then you can get away without much copywriting competency, because sales and marketing aren’t particularly important. However, most sites, including charity and community sites involve at least a little selling and persuasion, to get sign-ups for newsletters, raise money, get people involved and such.

In short, nine times out of ten it’s best to go for an individual or company you can rely on to do both. If your offering involves a lot of online marketing, opt for a more copy-oriented expert, and if you work with a lot of organisations looking for description and communication over promotion, go for a content writer, but always ensure they are knowledgeable about both areas.

What are the similarities between copywriters and content writers?

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way right at the beginning: They’re both writers. In fact, in the modern world where much written messaging is done online, they will spend much of their time writing similar things. Site content, emails, blogs and almost every other kind of material a content writer might produce will also be produced by copywriters. Once again, the difference will normally be that the copywriter will be creating the content to market something, usually as part of a larger campaign. The content writer on the other hand, could be doing it for any number of reasons.

Both types of specialist will charge the same range of rates, from quite cheap to extremely expensive. I’ve seen £550 per web page before. But the more specialised and therefore expensive experts will diverge in their area of expertise. While high-level copywriters will dive deep into marketing strategy and the right font to get good conversion rates from call-to-action buttons, specialised content writers will usually offer a lot of research expertise and insight, usually in one particular area. There are also crossover specialists in some areas, include website design (hint – we happen to be that kind of specialists).

The grey area

Think of every reason for which you have ever read something. To learn, to entertain yourself, to look something up, to pass the time, to work and more. Content writers create content to do all of these things depending on what the client and their readers want and need in a particular space. Content writers do sometimes write to sell, and there is a bit of a ‘terrorists and freedom fighters’ type grey area where you could be seen as both.

Generally, the rules governing this overlap are: Content writers generally create longer-form content that does not overtly sell anything. While a company may use this content to promote itself, it will not be an advert. The company will usually use a content writer’s high-quality content to build up its authority and reputation for knowledge or entertainment in the field where it operates.

For example, we write a lot of articles on the best way to build a website in order to make it obvious that our clients know their stuff in this area. Because its main message and objective isn’t ‘Buy from us’, it’s not copy. It sometimes has a note on the end saying, ‘We can create a great site for you etc.’. That bit is copy … and so the shades of grey multiply …

As you’ve probably guessed, there is no linear distinction. A copywriter mainly aims to create strategically optimised content to promote, market and sell and a content writer mainly aims to create high-quality content to entertain, educate and inform.

Copywriters and content writers online and off

Copywriting was a well-established profession before the internet, and many copywriters do a lot of work both on and offline. Every leaflet, billboard ad and TV advertisement has involved a copywriter.

Content writing by contrast is a profession and a term that became popular more or less with the rise of the web, and the term is generally used to refer to people who work online creating content for websites, blogs, social media, emails and ebooks.

Of course, because 46% of all advertising expenditure is now focused online, and the amount is rapidly growing, copywriters and content writers increasingly find themselves working in the same space. 

Happy choosing

We hope we have been able to help you decide what type of professional you want for which projects. Of course, every professional is unique, so we can only wish you the best in choosing one that fits with you.