By Maggie David Holley
When I was getting ready to start my business, I had a bit of trouble deciding what to call myself. I develop content for commercial purposes—text for brochures, flyers, corporate newsletters and the like. Sometimes I write for magazines, but only if the story’s backed by a business objective.
Still, I wasn’t sure whether to position myself as a copywriter, a content developer, or a marketing writer. So I described each position to see where I best fit. I’m sharing my (edited) descriptions with you, so that next time you’re offering a commercial writing service or looking for someone who does, you’ll have a better idea what to call it.
Copywriter
When clients ask me for “copy,” I ask them what kind, although I assume it’s a sales letter, a piece of direct mail, a script for a TV or radio ad, text for a website landing page, or a catchy slogan. I equate copy with advertising or direct sales.
Some people still use “copywriter” to describe anyone who writes for commercial purposes. Traditionally though, copywriting refers to the use of persuasive language to compel readers to take action (e.g., call this number now!). Whether you’re broadcasting to a massive audience or taking a more intimate approach by reaching out to individual prospects, you’re obviously writing to sell.
I write copy, but it doesn’t constitute the bulk of my work, so I decided not to call myself a copywriter (even though I am).
Content Developer
I toyed with the idea of calling myself a “content developer” because that would be the most accurate term. In the field in which I specialize—science and health—I write almost anything that’s used for business purposes, copy or otherwise.
But “content developer” sounds so generic. Content can be anything, so anyone can develop content. There are folks on Craigslist offering to write 500-700 words for a dollar. Also, last I heard, there’s software in development that will soon replace the likes of me (doubt it).
“Content developer” does not recognize the heuristic nature of my work. Tasks are either algorithmic or heuristic. Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, explains it like this:
“An algorithmic task is one in which you follow a set of established instructions down a single pathway to one conclusion. That is, there’s an algorithm for solving it. A heuristic task is the opposite. Precisely because no algorithm exists for it, you have to experiment with possibilities and devise a novel solution. Working as a grocery checkout clerk is mostly algorithmic. You pretty much do the same thing over and over in a certain way. Creating an ad campaign is mostly heuristic. You have to come up with something new.”
Good writing is heuristic. I say good writing because you can certainly stuff an otherwise useless article with keywords to (hopefully) fool the search engines. Someone who wants to plagiarize repurpose another writer’s words can also use an article spinner to present multiple copies as original work.
But while this kind of thing can occasionally trick the engines, they’re awful to read. You sell to people, not to search engines. Sure, you want the search engines to get you to the right people, but once you’re there, now what? It’s like sending out an impressive resume that you can’t back up.
I don’t do this kind of writing, so to avoid misinterpretation, I decided not to use “content developer” either.
Marketing Writer
The last option was “marketing writer,” and that seemed to fit. Most of what I write helps fulfill the goals of content marketing, namely to build brand awareness, generate leads, and/or strengthen customers’ affiliation with a brand. Also, not a lot of writers use “marketing writer” to describe themselves, even though there’s relatively high keyword demand. So it works from both a descriptive and an SEO perspective.
My favorite pieces—newsletter articles, blog posts, white papers, case studies, and feature articles for trade and consumer publications—do not necessarily have a call to action. But they compel readers to act anyway because they’re informative and/or educational and useful.
I like the soft sell approach of content marketing. I like that it lends itself well to storytelling. I like the generosity. And I like that it forms communities along the way. It may take longer to see results, but once you do, there’s a higher return on investment. You’ve pre-sold your prospects, and they’re more likely to do what you want not because you told them to, but because they want to.
Copywriting and content marketing can overlap, of course. I do one more than the other, but I inevitably do both. You can have a call to action at the end of your blog post, or you can write it just like an advertorial (bad idea, though). And even if you’re writing something that’s purely informative or educational, basic copywriting principles such as using a compelling headline and grabbing the reader’s attention right away still apply.
On the other hand, just because you’re writing to sell doesn’t mean you get to be “salesy.” People hate being sold to. We’ve all learned to tune out marketing messages really well. So even though you’re looking to broadcast an ad or mailing out a sales letter, you still have to be authentic, you still have to build rapport, and most of all, you still have to offer something that’s truly valuable.
The post Do You Need a Copywriter, a Marketing Writer, or a Content Developer? appeared first on Maggie Holley │ Healthcare Marketing Writer.
