Valuable content that meets the needs of users and encourages them to take advantage of the offer – such texts are the basis of activities on the Internet. Their quality largely determines the behavior of the consumer and the extent to which they contribute to generating profits for the brand. That is why it is so important to focus on effective copywriting. However, often the content itself is not enough to be able to reach a much wider group of users. This is where content marketing comes in.

Copywriting – what is it?

Copywriting is nothing but writing texts. However, it is not only about creating “art for art” content, but providing valuable content – one that will convince the recipient, e.g. to perform a specific action.

Effective copywriting should be directed to the needs of modern users – taking into account their behavior. Therefore, the creation of texts should be based on the principles of verbal persuasion. At the same time, the content should be original and inventive – so that it stays in your memory for a long time and does not constitute intrusive advertising. It is worth being aware that consumers are more and more often distancing themselves from standard forms of advertising – those which, in a way, encourage them to take advantage of the offer.

Copywriting includes creating, among others:
– texts for advertising materials, e.g. leaflets,
– advertising slogans, e.g. for flags,
– texts for radio and TV spots,
– texts for company websites,
– thematic articles,
– including blog articles,
– sales (persuasive) texts,
– e-books,
– content for e-mail marketing,
– content for online stores.

All texts – regardless of their purpose – should meet several important features. Among them, the following are mentioned:
– uniqueness and ingenuity,
– reliance on persuasion techniques, e.g. the AIDA model
– application of a call to action (CTA),
– targeting the needs of a potential customer,
– correctness in terms of language, spelling, etc.

SEO copywriting deserves special attention – writing texts that are attractive to the user, and at the same time meet the expectations of Google robots. A skillful combination of both guidelines allows you to get engaging content that helps you achieve higher positions in search results. This is important because Internet users are much more likely to click on links appearing on the first pages of the search engine, completely rejecting the content of links in distant positions.

Texts created in accordance with the principles of SEO copywriting should:
– carry high quality – be substantive and valuable,
– take into account the needs and expectations of recipients,
– be 100% unique – which allows you to avoid the phenomenon of duplicate content,
– be length-optimized,
– contain relevant keywords – maintaining naturalness,
– be properly formatted (headings, bullets) – for better readability and clarity.

The application of the above principles helps to gain higher positions in the Google search engine (however, it is worth being aware that the activities related to positioning have a much wider scope).

What else to remember? Both in the case of classic copywriting and SEO copywriting, there is no room for duplicating content. Copying texts from other websites is not only unethical, but also adversely affects your position in the Google search engine. That is why it is so important to provide original content – tailored to the needs of a specific target group.

Content marketing – what is it?

Content marketing is a wide-ranging activity based on delivering valuable content through various channels. It is an alternative to traditional forms of advertising, which do not fully meet the expectations of a modern consumer. Content marketing activities are in a way a response to the needs of a customer who does not like to be persuaded to buy, but prefers to make an informed and (in his opinion) decision.

The great advantage of content marketing over other forms of advertising is the variety of tools used. This allows for carrying out activities that meet the needs of specific consumer groups very well.

Below we present some of the most popular elements of content marketing.

Articles for external publication
Articles published on external websites help build greater reach. They allow you to reach even more potential customers. The advantage of thematic articles, e.g. sponsored ones, is also the possibility of enhancing the image of an expert.

Company blog
Running a company blog fits perfectly into the content marketing strategy. It helps in generating more traffic to the website and also helps to increase brand awareness.

Infographics
Sometimes images can convey more than words and are remembered more easily. Therefore, as part of content marketing activities, you can also publish infographics, which are also a powerful viral marketing tool.

Webinars
Webinars are nothing more than online conferences and seminars – the perfect solution for modern times. It allows not only to provide relevant information, but also to conduct a dialogue with a potential client.

E-books / Trendbooks etc.
Publication of e-books – available for download, e.g. after logging in or leaving your data – supports content marketing activities and at the same time helps in obtaining leads.

Copywriting and content marketing – the most important difference

Knowing the definition of copywriting and knowing what content marketing is related to, it is easy to identify the differences between them. Generally speaking: writing texts is the basis of conducted activities in the field of content marketing. It can therefore be said that copywriting is a tool that provides valuable content. And content marketing is activities related to the distribution, collection and formation of existing content, but also the generation of new ideas related to content (including graphics).

Important synergy of activities

Effective content marketing cannot exist without good copywriting, which is why synergy of activities plays a key role. Even the best developed strategy will not bring the expected results if it does not take into account the provision of good-quality content – regardless of its form, type and purpose.

A well-written text – perfectly matching the needs and expectations of potential customers, and at the same time meeting the SEO principles – is the foundation of modern marketing activities on the Internet. Skillful selection of words that create unobtrusive advertising messages and their proper distribution – it is worth taking care of if you want to reach a wider group of users and achieve your business goals step by step.

Why is it worth to bet on content marketing?

Although copywriting can “live its own life”, it is not worth giving up content marketing. A properly planned strategy helps to achieve huge benefits.

Reaching a wider group of potential customers
By limiting yourself to publishing valuable content on your own website, you are narrowing your reach. Meanwhile, content marketing activities help you reach a much wider audience who may be interested in your offer.

The ability to increase conversion
The systematic publishing of articles on the blog helps to increase the conversion, but not as much as the conducted marketing activities. By distributing content in various channels, you have great chances not only for increased website traffic, but also a real improvement in sales or generating leads.

Increasing customer engagement
A more engaged recipient is a loyal and faithful customer who will keep coming back. Content marketing helps you achieve this goal – by constantly delivering valuable content posted on various channels.

Strengthening brand awareness
Properly conducted content marketing activities make more people know about your company. Their brand associated with specific products or services appears more and more often in their minds. This, in turn, increases the chances of acquiring new customers.

Building the image of an expert
Thanks to content marketing, you strengthen brand awareness and at the same time build the image of an expert. A variety of high-quality content helps in this – blog articles, articles on external industry websites, giving expert statements, organizing webinars, etc. By becoming an expert in the eyes of customers, you increase trust in the company. Thanks to this, more people will want to use your offer.

SEO activities support
Good-quality texts – regardless of their form – are welcomed by Google. Thanks to them, you can reach higher positions in the search results. Therefore, the content distributed as part of content marketing can be used to support SEO activities – especially positioning. The texts are an additional place to insert keywords, they help build a link profile of the domain, etc.

As statistics show, up to 95% of buyers gain trust in the brand thanks to content. Good-quality copywriting combined with content marketing activities help achieve the set goal.

Do you want to take advantage of the possibilities of content marketing? Bet on cooperation with an experienced agency that will develop a strategy that translates into advertising success.

Why do we use borrowings that we can replace with a home synonym? Explanations come to mind without a second thought:
– they are fashionable,
– they sound attractive,
– they seem professional.

These intuitive answers, unfortunately, are quite superficial. I have serious doubts whether, for example, the optimal word, commonly used for years, can be considered fashionable. Does it sound attractive? This is a matter of taste, but I would say that it is rather a clamshell that usually does not attract attention.

The third argument is the hardest to refute, because we often succumb to the illusion that thanks to the complex vocabulary we give the impression of being professional and intelligent. These efforts, however, have the opposite effect. Research says that if we want to be perceived as intelligent people, we should be clear and simple. What you say or write will seem more sensible to others if they understand more.

So, since these three reasons can not withstand critical criticism, why do optimal or comprehensive words work well, and their native synonyms only sometimes take their place in a tentative way? What stands in the way? Wont? Ignorance? Obstinacy? Or maybe there is another reason why we choose these words?

Yes, there is, but about that in a moment.

First, however, I would like to draw attention to something that can easily escape because it seems obvious. Should language users be disciplined, or rather a clue to them? Is replacing a loan with a native synonym a good advice? This is certainly one of the ways that helps reduce these words in the text (yes, reduce, because I do not think that one should completely give up), but not the only one.

There are at least four of these ways. The editing of a text does not have to be limited to exchanging one word for another. It can be much more creative.

Delete the unnecessary word

This method, seemingly simple, requires looking at your own text from a distance. Let’s take the term integrated platform. Is it absolutely necessary to emphasize this integration? Or maybe it would only add the seriousness of the statement? If the word is an empty ornament, let’s deal with it bluntly. If, on the other hand, the platform has many functions, we should exchange them in the form of bullets.

Replace the word with a precise synonym

Let us assume that the comprehensive word is indispensable in our text. We refer to the dictionary in which we find the following synonyms: “comprehensive, general, cross-sectional, systemic, versatile, broad”. Seemingly, each of them is apt. The matter becomes more complicated when we try to place them in the text. We are overwhelmed by the unpleasant feeling that we did not want to express it. Why is this happening?

First, one should ask why, out of a whole lot of words that we could borrow from English, we choose just those, and not others. We return to the question I put at the beginning of the text. I then rejected three intuitive answers. She announced that there is also the fourth, the most rational one. Well, words borrowed very often contain some nuance, which is missing from their English counterparts.

So let’s not settle for the first of the synonyms. When in doubt, let’s get back to the original English-language definition, and then correctly match the equivalent. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word “complex” means “containing a lot of different but related parts.” Among the native synonyms: “comprehensive, general, cross-sectional, systemic, versatile, wide”, the most convenient, in my opinion, is the word “versatile.” Of course, its accuracy depends on the context.

Replace the general with a specific word

Let’s say we want to replace the word dedicated in the term dedicated training materials. Native synonyms intended for and specialized in, require additional definition and therefore do not concisely express the original meaning, which is “designed to be used for one specific purpose.” The English word thus contains a sense that we would have to express in a descriptive way.

But do we necessarily have to look for a synonym? After all, our text is not engraved in stone. Maybe it will be possible to replace a generic word dedicated to a precise term that says something more about materials, and additionally does not raise any doubts about correctness? For example, hand-drawn training materials or exercises based on the client’s texts. Yes, these terms are long, but they emphasize what distinguishes training materials, and this is what a dedicated word was supposed to serve.

Change the sentence structure

When we fail to find the right replacement, we can change the construction of the entire sentence. This method will work especially in the case of participles (eg realized), which can extend sentences to infinity. And so, instead of the investment implemented as part of the X project, we can write an investment that arises thanks to the X project. The implemented word has disappeared, and the sentence now rules in the verb.

It may also happen that none of the four ways will pass the exam in your text. Even if the borrowing is widely used in the industry and facilitates communication. This is the fifth, perhaps the most important reason for using it. Is it wrong that we decide on a word of marketing jargon or an official language? Not necessarily.

In his speech, Marek Walas asks the question: “What makes the word true?” According to the speaker, the author of the dictionaries does not decide about it. They have to pick up words that will survive, but they do not want to look like chasing after fashion. They make human decisions, and these are wrong.

In retrospect, some complaints about words seem ridiculous. For example, Benjamin Franklin stunned the word “colonize.“

Marek Walas notes that the same words appear in the plebiscites of forbidden words and contests for the word of the year, which means that both the first and second body notices words that take on significance but have a different attitude towards them.

And we can also choose one of these two attitudes. Do language changes interfere with us and raise our anxiety? Or maybe we treat them as a funny, interesting and worthy part of living language? “I will be honest. I do not like the word prominent, but it is irrelevant in the face of the growing popularity of the word in the general language and written prose – says Walas. – I want to say that you have to be more careful in deciding which change is bad. We need to be more cautious about imposing our beliefs about words on others. (…) If you use a word and know what it means – this is true. This word may belong to slang, it may be colloquial, you may think that the word is illogical or unnecessary, but the word used is true.”