I was chatting with another writer the other day, and something she said caught me a bit off guard.
“I’m a content writer, not a copywriter,” she said. “I don’t do copy.”
This happens a bit in the world of UX content too. They’re always vehemently NOT copywriters, they’re UX writers.
(As a quick aside, when they say they’re UX writers, they really mean they’re product content designers. They work with product managers and specialise in microcopy. The term “UX writer” bugs me because there’s UX in all forms of content, but that’s a story for another day.)
So back to this “content writer.”
What she meant was she primarily does blogs and articles. She doesn’t do “marketing”.
“Marketing” is a dirty word for some people. I get it.
But here’s the thing – all content, whether it’s UX or blog posts, emails, FAQs or websites… is marketing.
Content design (or UX) is there to help someone sign up, complete a task and keep using the platform or service.
Articles and blog posts are educational, telling people about the service or industry,.
Emails, even service emails, keep customers informed and engaged with the brand.
These projects may not be BUY BUY BUY!!! But they are marketing.
The support awareness and consideration, sales and conversion, use and engagement, reuse and loyalty. And that’s all marketing.
That may be uncomfortable for some people, but if you really want to move the needle in your writing career or business, you’re going to need to get comfortable in the uncomfortable.
