People often use the terms ‘content writing’ and ‘content marketing’ interchangeably. These two terms are actually entirely different but can overlap. One can hardly achieve the desired goal without the other. Even so, using them as the same is a big misconception. In this article, we’ll discuss the difference between the two and which one is best for you.
Understanding Content Writing
Writing is a skill taught at the earliest age. A student will study writing at every point of their education from high school to college to university. The goal is to share their knowledge and help professors with grading, but also to learn how to craft quality content, review books, and express themselves.
Of course, writing isn’t an easy skill to master. As a matter of fact, paper writing can sometimes be counterproductive if the student is overwhelmed or too busy. Many students today need help with paper writing, so they hire a paper helper to lend them a hand. This way, they can submit a perfect research paper and get access to quality paper writing to learn from. In the meantime, they can take care of the rest of their assignments or enjoy some free time to rest.
Still, while academic writing serves to prepare the students and give them the skill they need, it differs from what we call ‘content writing’. Content writing is the act of crafting engaging content by combining research, sourcing multimedia, asking for quotes, etc.
This is done by experts called content writers. The writers optimize the content for the channel and purpose it is intended for, whether it is a website, a social platform, an eBook, or a blog. The goal of the writer is to deliver a top-notch piece that entertains, educates, and engages the reader.
Unlike academic writing, professional content writing is a process of creating a piece that supports certain marketing objectives. This content is then used in a content marketing strategy, where precision is crucial. Utilizing a reliable Grammar Checker ensures that every piece is engaging and impeccably polished, enhancing its effectiveness in conveying the intended message.
Understanding Content Marketing
Content marketing has been trending greatly in the last couple of years, used by companies trying to promote their brand and attract more leads. Since it all revolves around content that will be published, it’s hard to differentiate between this role and content writing, copywriting, or content strategists.
Simply put, content marketing is a process that includes the planning, creation, and distribution of valuable information with the goal to acquire a targeted audience. It comes after the content creation and uses the piece the writer creates to achieve its goals.
Depending on the preference of the targeted audience and the business’ nature, content marketing uses a mix of written, visual, and audio content across email, organic search, paid search, social media, etc. In addition to this, a content marketer will handle the following:
- Running newsletters
- Posting videos
- Tracking engagement and other analytics
- Publishing blog posts
The Difference between the Two
Content marketing is everything from creating a strategy to making sure that the ready content gets to the right people. Writing the actual content falls in the middle. As such, it’s a larger discipline of which content writing is just a small part.
Undoubtedly, content writing is smaller, but it is also the most vital piece of the puzzle. A content marketing strategy cannot exist without written content. Also, written content cannot achieve the goal unless a marketing strategy is put in place.
The two complement each other. Marketing involves technical things like finding customer personas, doing market research, finding keywords, analyzing the competition, publishing content, etc. Writing involves the creation of content based on the strategy and is the tool needed to achieve the goals.
Content marketing is a way to convert sales prospects into customers. If you opt for content writing without paying attention to strategies, keywords, audience data, etc., chances are your work won’t get to the right people or achieve its desired purpose.
Today, simply posting online is not enough. You cannot write a piece, post it, and expect everyone to read it. You need a strategy in place that promotes that content and gets it to the right audience. This is also what search algorithms look for. If you combine the two, the results can be amazing.
Which One to Choose?
Hiring just one person – a writer or a marketer might be cost-effective, but it is far from a smart choice. If you want to achieve your goals, you don’t just need a good writer. You also need someone to plan the process and streamline the execution of what your writer created. What’s best for you is the combination of the two.
