I see this question all the time. And if you are so inclined to Google it, you’ll you’ll get approximately 960,000 answers on the topic. 🤣

While copywriting and content writing are both forms of writing they each have a different focus. 

Copywriting is the art and science of crafting long or short form copy to persuade your reader to take some sort of action. For example, to purchase a product or service, to sign up for a webinar, to opt-in to an email community, or to change a behaviour (such as to stop smoking, go for smear tests, slow your driving speed.)

Copywriting is grounded in the principles of consumer and behaviour psychology. It’s about drawing upon your brand personality and diving deep into the way that your ideal clients think and behave, so you can understand how to write with them mind. It’s about crafting marketing copy that will resonate with them, interest them, and encourage them to take action. But not in a sleazy, manipulative, or pushy way. Well, definitely not for me anyway.

Content writing is about creating content that’s interesting, informative, or entertaining for your ideal client to read. E.g. blog posts, Facebook posts, Instagram posts, eBooks, checklists and more.

Done well, content writing will help you to provide lots of added value to your audience, while also building your authority and brand story.

Both forms of writing help you to communicate your brand personality and support you to engage your ideal clients.

Both help you to engage ideal clients and turn them into fans (as one part of your overall marketing/communications mix), and both help to move your ideal clients along the pathway towards becoming a paying client, when the time is right.