The answer is: YES. Excellent, post over, we can all go home now... just kidding. As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard people use the terms: Content Writer and Copywriter. You might be wondering what the difference is, or if there’s a difference at all. Even though I'm a professional B2B SaaS Copywriter, even I wasn't sure what the difference was when I first started.
One of the biggest mistakes well-meaning businesses can make is believing these two highly valuable specializations are interchangeable.
While some Copywriters can write content (i.e., blogs, long-form content, etc) and some Content Writers can write copy, there are several key differences that you need to know to ensure every piece of your B2B SaaS Content Marketing strategy has the best chance of success.
This post will cover:
No worries, I got you covered, because that’s exactly what this post is going to explain. XOXOXO
Is There A Difference Between A Content Writer And A Copywriter?
Yes, absolutely. Copywriting and Content writing are two different skill sets with two different purposes. They’re both very valuable to your business (critical, frankly), but they are different.
Let’s take a look now at the difference between copywriting and content writing, eh?
What Is Copywriting?
Copywriting utilizes psychology, marketing, and empathy to compel the audience to act. That could be as simple as getting someone to like your FB page, or as high-ticket as motivating someone to sign up for a $3000 course or buy their wife a car for her birthday.
A Copywriter’s goal is to have the greatest impact in as few words as possible. Some of the best copy ever just so happens to be just a few words (literally.)
Funny enough, the shorter the copy, the harder it is to write.
Copy is all around us. You’ll see it used on billboards, emails, signs, websites, landing pages, sales letters, magazines… the list goes on and on. You probably pass by hundreds of lines of copy every day without noticing (until now).
Everything you’ve ever bought most likely has a copy attached to it that grabbed your attention.
Now, don’t freak out, good Copywriters never use their knowledge to swindle or manipulate people. I’d never work with anyone who wasn’t honest or made me feel icky about what they were offering.
Psychology comes in because copy touches on a deeper benefit to the consumer. In other words, we tell you what good things will happen to you if you buy this product or service. Copywriters highlight the benefits of a product or service… not the features. Here’s an example:
Say you’re trying to sell winter boots for kids, I’m going to show what Feature vs Benefit looks like…
Features:
Durable Rubber Soles
Memory Foam Inner Soles (is it still called a sole? Idunno, I’m not a shoe expert)
Insulated With High-quality Sherpa
Available In Multiple Patterns & Designs
Benefits:
Little Feet Stay Safe And Dry In the Snow
So Comfy You’ll Wish We Made A Pair In Your Size
Your Little One’s Toes Stay Toasty No Matter The Weather
No More Fighting With Your Tot To Put Shoes On! They’ll Love Showing Off Their Favorite Patterns!
See the difference?
One just tells you ‘what’ the boots are made of, whereas the other shows you ‘how’ they’ll improve your life by buying them. Personally, I’d try to trim this copy up to be even shorter, but this is just an example, so don’t @ me.
What is Content Writing?
Content writing is an equally valuable skill, but it requires a different style of specialized knowledge. Content writing is most frequently used for blog and article writing.
Content writing is intended to inform and engage with an audience. Blogs are a powerful marketing tool meant to build trust and grow organic traffic through conversational tone and SEO (search engine optimization)- and more.
SEO is a critical aspect of content writing (and far too complicated to explain in detail), as it’s a strategy using specific keywords and phrases to help the content appear in relevant search results. This can play a huge role in whether or not a content writer’s work will get the desired results.
Content writing can usually be found in blogs, white papers, articles, and websites.
Content isn’t meant to sell you anything, it’s meant to keep you engaged and build trust. However, the trust that is built through well-written and consistent blogs will turn cold leads into fiery hot ones… which means that they’ll be much more likely to buy from you if ever you do decide to sell something to them.
Blogging can be a passive income, and you’d be… stunned at just how much a professional blog site can rake in annually. With opportunities for affiliate programs, ads, and more, it can be VERY lucrative. It’s not ‘easy’, but it’s possible.
Similar to Copywriting, Content Writers take word count into… well… account, but the difference is that content usually gleans better results with a lot of words. A standard blog can be anywhere from 500 words to 4000+. Yeah, that can be… A LOT of writing.
Understanding B2B SaaS Content Marketing: How Are Content Writers And Copywriters Similar?
No matter your industry it's crucial to understand the similarities between both content and copywriters. However, I feel this is especially important in SaaS because we're dealing with complicated technology, and great content and copy eliminates confusion.
Before you hire a B2B SaaS Copywriter of B2B SaaS Copywriter, here are a few things these two specialties have in common:
BOTH ARE MARKETING TOOLS
BOTH USE WORDS TO CREATE A DESIRED OUTCOME
BOTH CAN WRITE FOR NUMEROUS INDUSTRIES OR SPECIALIZE IN A NICHE
BOTH HAVE THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF GENERATING MORE REVENUE FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Note: A qualified SaaS copywriter will know how to write blogs, but you may not always have a content writer who knows the nuances of writing copy. Copywriters may charge higher rates for blogs than Content Writers due to the additional skills and techniques they imbue into the content.
Both Are Valuable. Both Help Your Business.
I hope this little article helped explain this common question—it was a question even I had when I first started delving deep into this career path.
If nothing else, maybe this helped if you’ve been on the fence about hiring some help with your marketing. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below, and I’ll answer them the best I can!
Lastly, if you want to save some $$ and take a crack at writing your own blogs, here’s my ALL-IN-ONE FREE Blog Template. I’ve compiled a detailed booklet with a template, checklist, and guide that’ll be more than enough to get you started writing blogs that work.