Great Content is The Best Copy
There’s been a barrage of LinkedIn polls on my feed lately talking about the difference between copy and content. Listen, I get it, I too like words when they provide specificity. And while there is indeed a difference between copy and content that is very evident in the world around us now, I want to argue that there shouldn’t be.
Let’s break down the basics before I rip it all to shreds with my somewhat rage-filled manifesto on empathy.
Simply put, copy is writing that sells while content is writing that says. Copy is every call to action, email subscribe button, or product listing you’ve ever read. If it includes any lines such as “Great for your posture!” or “Now with 300% more sheets per roll!” then it’s copy.
Content is just stuff people make. There’s no reason to make this complicated. When a Youtuber makes an explainer video or an artist shares a portfolio piece on Instagram, they’re sharing their stuff with you. They made something and they want to share the creation with the world. In a way, we’re all content creators every time we post a comment on social media (better go brush up your resume!)
Content writing is just one way people create. You’re reading content right now.
Copy is Dead
No One is Listening
The problem with conventional copy is that no one is listening. This is especially true in younger generations. The younger you are, the more immersed you are in the rhetoric of capitalism from birth. My daughter knew about the elitism of iPhones over Androids when she was 6. An average child watches 40,000 commercials a year If we assume every commercial is a measly 30 seconds, that converts to just under 14 days a year we plug our kids in to be sold something.
The result of being blitzed with this type of “sell sell sell” rhetoric since our youth? We simply do not listen to it. It becomes white noise to our lives. Ads are a necessary evil you have to skip through to get to the next Youtube clip. They’re the TikTok you swipe past. They’re the Instagram posts that you don’t linger on. It’s Charlie Brown’s teacher yelling project descriptions at us while all we hear is the meaningless “waaa waa waaaa”.
Even if we purchase, it isn’t because of a product description
And if we do decide to buy something, it’s not because we actually read and ingest this copy they keep throwing at us. It’s merely an accident of exposure that causes us to associate these meaningless trinkets and gadgets as something that feels good. I haven’t seen one compelling reason why buying Coke products can make my life better in any way, I just know people who drink them seem real damn happy and polar bears are cute.
Think of the last time you opened up an Amazon tab to look up a product. If you’re like me and countless others, you’re searching for reviews more than you’re looking at what the seller is saying about their own product. We trust other people- who haven’t made the product, analyzed the product, or who even care about the product- to give us information more than the sellers themselves. Amazon themselves shares that even to rank highly on their site that user reviews are a key to their algorithm.
The Content Craze
Perhaps the most persuasive way to know that copy is dead is that content even exists at all. The term content in digital marketing originated in 1996 by a team of journalists. This is the heyday of the new beast that would become online shopping. Blogs were now able to be written by anyone about anything. The internet blew the doors of copywriting wide open and now anyone with a phone line and an AOL CD could put their 2 cents out there for all to see.
With the rise of social media, content has just become more varied and widely disseminated. Now we don’t have just blogs, we have video clips, Instagram feeds, and even memes. Our new marketplace of content is so saturated that it’s a competition even to get people’s eyes on your work. The tricky part about that is that because this line between copy and content can be so fuzzy, we need more high-quality empathetic content in the world for people to even pay attention again. As the documentary, The Social Dilemma shares, the scarcest resource of all is human attention. The more time an advertiser can simply captivate your attention per day, the better for their bottom line.
How to Succeed at Content Marketing
When the scarcest resource is attention, we need to make dramatic shifts to capture the trust we lost. Copywriting has lost its luster, and with it, the ability to capture anyone’s attention.
On the other hand, high-quality content marketing is a craft. There are artists, creators, and visionaries out there right now putting some premium content on these social channels. There are genuine human beings sharing their authentic lives, stories, and experiences out there. These are the stories we listen to. This is what’s actually getting through everyone’s “bullshit detector”. We believe people, not businesses.
The key to great content marketing then? Do the absolute opposite thing you were taught to do as a copywriter.
Hot tips:
- Don’t lie.
If you don’t know about a product first hand, don’t write about it. Don’t make up stuff you don’t know, don’t make promises you can’t keep, and don’t outright lie and say you can fix problems you can’t.
- Share you.
If your content can’t be written in first person, then it shouldn’t be written. When you use any other perspective, you’re being dishonest. You can’t speak for everyone, don’t even bother trying. Own your own narrative and know that it alone is worthy enough to be shared.
- Work with others.
While the rise of influencers will make you think that people create great content in isolation, that’s probably not actually the case. Every great piece of content probably has a lot of different hands on the process that you don’t see. There’s graphic design, video editing, script writing, and more behind your favorite “solo” act. Be brave enough to share and connect on your craft with others.
- Tell stories.
At the end of the day, we’re all about one temper tantrum away from wanting someone to gather us on the carpet and bring out our nap mats and a read-aloud book. People love stories. Tell them a good one and not only will they trust you, but they’ll listen to what you have to say.
Empathetic Content
The best part about content is that it has the potential to genuinely connect with your audience. I hope you (yes, you) are really hearing me. More than that, I hope you care about what I’m saying. More than that- I hope you have something to share back with me! When we connect authentically with one another we use the power of empathy. And empathetic marketing works. The companies we love to connect with often are the ones we know care about us the most.
If we stop trying to sell and start trying to connect with others, not only can we share our lived experiences, but we also can make real money. Farmer’s markets are profitable because I meet the person selling me the honey and who raises the bees. This is especially true in the post-pandemic isolation world we’re creating. We all want to feel closer to one another and that even pertains to how we spend our money and receive the goods and services we need to survive.
At the end of the day, selling is morally neutral. We need merchants and makers to survive in this world. But the way we do it needs to shift and we need to lead with our humanity. Make content, not copy.
