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The Difference Between Copywriting & Content Marketing

Matthew Kaboomis Loomis | October 3rd, 2014
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brother-sister
Sister & Brother by emerille

Question: Do you have a brother or a sister that looks a lot like you do, but yet, the two of you are quite different in your personality?

As marketers, this is one way to look at Copywriting and Content Marketing. They are related, but different.

A Historical Tale of Two Persuasive Siblings

The two come from a dynamic family tree. They share genes, but not jeans. (You'll see why in a moment.)

Think of them as a brother and sister who don't necessarily look-alike at first glance. But the more you hang out with them, the more obvious it is they share the same DNA.

Copywriting and Content Marketing get along quite well together. There's more love between them than sibling rivalry.

As professional marketers, its important to understand why, so let's look at their family history from the beginning...

Meet the Parents of Copywriting and Content Marketing

Many years ago, a beautiful woman named Publicity met a handsome young fellow named Business. Their romance caught fire quickly, and the two fell in love.

They got married just a few weeks later. (Hey, when you know, you know, right?)

It was a match made in heaven. Publicity and Business have been inseparable ever since.

Not surprisingly, it wasn't long before the happy couple had their first child. They named him Copywriting.

Over the years, as Copywriting grew and matured, Mommy Publicity and Daddy Business kept a watchful eye on their child and took note of his many unique traits.

They noticed Copywriting is gifted in the following areas...

  • Persuasion
  • Creativity
  • Boldness
  • Enthusiasm

Publicity and Business were hands-on parents. Engaged. Proactive. They took great interest in helping their only son Copywriting develop and nurture his strongest traits.

Some of his traits include...

  • Advertising
  • Brochures
  • Direct Mail Letters
  • Press releases
  • Radio and tv scripts
  • Website landing pages

Their curly-haired boy displayed a curious mind. He pursued many interests and gained lots of knowledge. As he reached adolescence, people also began to notice Copywriting's laser focus and dogged determination to master one specific topic--like when he became obsessed with handball in 8th grade, eventually winning a regional championship. Or when he read 365 books in one year at age 17.

He still has these qualities today.

This pleased Business and Publicity. For a long time, the three of them were a happy family. Publicity and Business were proud of their baby boy.

Copywriting was their golden haired darling. They were living the dream.

But as we all know, life is not always predictable.

Change is inevitable.

Time for a new dream...

Unexpected Phone Call

One day, Copywriting was in his senior year at the university when the phone rang in his dorm room.

"Hi mom. Hi dad.... You have something to tell me?"

Copywriting's face went pale. He was speechless... Finally, he was able to choke out, "I'm going to have a baby sister?"

Yes, a little unexpected surprise came along...

She was named Content Marketing.

Although closer in age to the average set of grandparents, Publicity and Business embraced their second go-around with parenthood. Yes, they were older, but also wiser. They showered their daughter Content Marketing with the same doting attention that their son Copywriting received.

Only now they had more sophisticated tools to help them. Like the internet.

Along the way, Publicity and Business noticed their daughter's own unique set of gifts.

Content Marketing is...

  • Generous
  • Confident
  • Smart
  • Friendly

Her middle-aged parents were loving, but firm. She received copious amounts of quality time and attention, which helped Publicity and Business foster and encourage their daughters' own unique traits, including...

  • eBooks
  • White Papers
  • Reports
  • Blogs
  • Videos
  • Podcasts

Content Marketing has a bright future. Still young, she has lots of growing up ahead of her. From a young age, she has been taught the importance of author rank, seo, being unique, and striving for excellence.

She is also blessed to have a big brother like Copywriting. He already watches over his little sister as much as he can.

Maybe it's the age gap? Or the fact they come from the same set of parents. Whatever the reason, Copywriting and Content Marketing get along swimmingly today.

They are extremely close.

He's there for her.

And she can't help but admire her big brother. Content Marketing appreciates Copywriting's willingness to help.

But she is also her own person.

Content Marketing is more laid back than her older brother. She enjoys good conversation. She "Likes" getting to know other people. She has her own charisma, and draws in a lot of friends pretty easily.

This sometimes puzzles Copywriting. He prefers getting to the point a little quicker. He's a good leader, and more interested in accomplishing goals than making friends. Although he does appreciate the importance of a good relationship.

But sometimes Copywriting gets impatient with continuous chit-chat.

Content Marketing hasn't even reached middle school. This fair-haired girl has a lot of growing up to do yet.

But she walks the halls of her school with confidence, knowing that her big brother is just a phone call away, ready to assist when needed.

We Are Family

Sometimes, Publicity and Business sit out on their front porch and marvel at the sunset. While they enjoy the breeze, it is in these moments when their conversation quickly lands on how proud they are to witness Copywriting grow in his career and take on higher levels of leadership.

Occasionally, Content Marketing will pull up a chair alongside her mother and father to join in their conversation and watch the sun set...

She listens more than she talks.

The End (Actually, This Story is Just Beginning)

Your Business Can Adopt Two Kids And Name Them Copywriting And Content Marketing

So, did this unique story help you better understand the differences and similarities between copywriting and content marketing?

Are you using one or both of these kids to help your business grow? (Okay, technically Copywriting is a legal adult. He can vote.)

Let me know if you need additional help in understanding these two powerful forms of business writing.

Or share a comment with us. Good. Bad. Or anything in between.

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About the Author: Matthew Kaboomis Loomis

Matthew Kaboomis Loomis has been a blogger, ghostwriter and copywriter for ten years. You can find his passion for helping bloggers and online businesses succeed at Build Your Own Blog

buildyourownblog.net

10 thoughts on “The Difference Between Copywriting & Content Marketing”

  1. Shay Moser says:
    October 3, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    Matthew! I love the sibling analogy with copywriting and content marketing! It will be interesting to see who they both marry and what their children will be like in the future of social business.

    1. Matthew Kaboomis Loomis says:
      October 14, 2014 at 10:15 am

      Hi Shay! Yes, nice analogy for the future of these two…We don’t know for sure, right? That’s what makes life exciting. It will be fun to see how their lives play out.

      Publicity and Business could still have another child maybe? With the way medical technology is developing…LOL

  2. Steve Church says:
    October 3, 2014 at 11:35 pm

    Just love this article 🙂 As a relative newcomer to the world of Copywriting, I do sometimes struggle with defining its borders and its true place in the world. So many people seem perplexed when I use the term. Once I explain that it’s simply ‘writing for business’, they go ‘Oh – I see!’ Maybe, we should re-name ourselves ‘Business Writers’; it’s accurate and easy to understand, but yuk! Isn’t it horribly dry? On balance, I’ll stick to the glamour and mystery of ‘Copywriting’!

    1. Matthew Kaboomis Loomis says:
      October 14, 2014 at 10:19 am

      Thanks, Steve! Glad you found this helpful.

      I agree. The term “business writing” sounds stiff and boring. I would definitely stick with these two terms of “copywriting” and “content marketing.” Much more interesting.

  3. Paul Pruneau says:
    October 4, 2014 at 11:40 am

    As told in the baby sister, content marketing voice, this is an excellent story an great demonstration of how the blend the best qualities of both siblings. Keep up the great work Matthew!

    1. Matthew Kaboomis Loomis says:
      October 4, 2014 at 2:35 pm

      Hi Paul,

      I’m glad you found this helpful and fun together.

      This story can help small business owners and others who may not know the differences between these two. You can use this anytime to help someone you know.
      Thanks for the feedback!

  4. Justin Belmont says:
    October 9, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    This was a great read, Matthew! I liked the approach you took when writing this. By framing a story around the ideas of copywriting versus content marketing, it lead to a more interesting and engaging story.

    1. Matthew Kaboomis Loomis says:
      October 14, 2014 at 10:24 am

      Thank you, Justin! I’m glad you liked this story and found it engaging. Please share this with those who will benefit.
      Everybody loves a good story. I’m honored you think this one is interesting.

  5. Ann Smith says:
    October 9, 2014 at 7:59 pm

    Great post. I think there are a lot of good writers who think they would be good content marketers but that might not be the exact same skill set. Which of the two are the most interested in how content performs? To look at content analytics and understand if it’s getting the job done – traffic, conversions, opportunities? You might say Copywriting, but isn’t content marketing also about the end game? CMOs don’t hire content marketers to build relationships, right?

  6. Matthew Kaboomis Loomis says:
    October 14, 2014 at 10:32 am

    Hi Anne,

    I’m glad you enjoyed this and drew some good thoughts from it.

    Both forms of marketing here are interested in analytics and the “end game.” They each take different approaches, is all. And they have different goals in mind.

    Actually, I would say on your last point that content marketers ARE hired to build relationships. That’s one of the primary purposes for content marketing.

    Copywriting drops by every so often and uses his direct selling personality to close the deal with the leads his sister has nurtured.

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