This post was originally published in [2022] and has been fully updated for 2026 with new data and tools.
In the era of AI-driven search, a “one-size-fits-all” approach to text is dead.
Successful brands now treat copywriting vs advertising vs content writing as a three-part harmony rather than separate silos.
You need advertising to be discovered, content writing to provide value, and copywriting to convert that value into cash flow.
Copywriting is the art of persuading someone using the written word, and advertising is the art of making someone aware of something. Content writing is helpful, such as a blog.
Keep reading, and I’ll share examples of both, why copywriting is called copywriting, and 3 of my favorite ideas with it.
Copywriting vs. Advertising: Understanding the Difference in Sales Strategy
Advertising is the art of making someone aware of something.
It has been around since the creation of people. The first form was probably word-of-mouth advertising, where cavepeople advertised a special place to catch fish, for example.
Nowadays, advertising is everywhere. Wherever there is attention, someone is willing to pay money to make someone aware of something.
A great example of advertising is a SuperBowl commercial that in 2022 cost 6.5 million dollars for a 30-second ad.
You are probably seeing ads on this page, right? Other examples could be bathroom walls, checkout conveyor belts, on Nascar cars, and even on manhole covers.
The reason advertising is important is that it can drive business growth, but it can be difficult to measure.
Copywriting is the skill set of using written words to persuade someone. There are “many” great copywriters, and one example is Joseph Sugarman.
Mr. Sugarman had a direct mail agency selling products using the written word. In one example, he sold a used plane for $240,000 that was valued at $190,000 with one magazine ad.
Many people think that copywriting is used to sell products and get paid (this is true), but it’s also about drawing someone in JUST to read.
We are spoiled with SO many options; grabbing someone’s attention can be a challenge.
As more and more people communicate through the internet and less face-to-face or over the phone, copywriting can be even more valuable.
Anything where you are communicating with the written word is an opportunity to use copywriting.
- Landing pages
- Headlines
- Facebook Posts
- Blog Posts
- Youtube videos
- Websites
You could say advertising is short and copywriting is going deeper.
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The History of Copywriting: Why “Copy” Still Drives Modern Digital Marketing
Copywriting comes from the word copy meaning to be copied or reproduced for printing.
The history comes from using the printing press (ink on a page), and it costs money to do so. Something had to be good to be copied or reproduced into print.
Nowadays, we are spoiled with the internet. Instead of using ink, we use computers that have the same effects.
This reminds me of how Bitcoin and the proof-of-work system got their start.
The history of Bitcoin was modeled after a way to fight email spam. The theory is that if someone paid money to send an email, it would probably be higher quality, right?
The mining with Bitcoin is all about having skin in the game, and someone has to risk something. You can learn more about how this works by clicking on the link HERE.
The challenge is that it’s free to post something, and some people post strange stuff on social media. Maybe in the future, there will be a social media platform where someone can ONLY post 1 time a day.
How to Improve Copywriting Skills: 3 Proven Tactics for Higher Conversions
In order to persuade someone, you first have to get their attention. To get someone’s attention, I’m a big fan of the book Differentiate or Die by Jack Trout.
If you look at a crowd of people, who do you notice first? Probably the person who is different, right?
Being courageous enough to be different is a big thing with copywriting and just getting noticed.
The second way to get better at copywriting is to think of entertainment. If you say the same thing as everyone else, such as…
- The product does this and that
- It’s 50% off.
It’s boring, and it’s easier for you to be ignored. The great thing about entertainment is you don’t have to re-invent the wheel.
You can take a concept that is proven to be entertaining and turn it upside down to promote something. Name something that is entertaining?
When it comes to an escape, what comes to your mind?
I’m thinking Star Wars due to the picture above. As a headline, you could say, “May the commissions be with you.”
Do you see how you’re saying what the product can do in an interesting, fun, different way?
If you want to learn more about copywriting, I’m giving away FREE guides on how to do it with email. I share how to build a landing page, how to build a list, and how to earn money from the list.
You can view these FREE guides HERE.
Plus, they are FREE, so what do you have to lose?
The third way to get better at copywriting is to be more real and human. We like to buy from people whom we like and trust, right?
If we don’t know someone, it can be difficult to buy from them because it takes a while to gain trust. This is where branding comes into play.
A brand instantly gains trust. When you see the golden arches of McDonald’s, you already know what to expect, other than Kevin’s burger shack, right?
How can we be more real and human? We can show our faces and use our real names, right?
This is why YouTube can be a great thing. We can purchase and use the products we recommend; this is another way, right?
We can talk about areas where we made a mistake. By admitting our mistakes, people can relate to that, and you could be seen as more human.
The more people can relate to you, the more you can gain trust and thus more sales.
Content Writing vs. Copywriting: Which One Builds Long-Term Brand Authority?
Content writing is being as helpful as possible.
A classic example of this would be with a blog, but it’s WAY more than just this. There are forums where you could build trust, such as Quora or Reddit.
The problem with Forums is that they can be strict.
I’ve lost 3 Quora accounts, trying different things, and 1 subreddit with 6,000 people.
This is why owning a blog is SO valuable because you own the land you build on. Plus, you can repurpose your blog to other places such as LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, and others.
I wrote a post that shares 20 benefits of a blog and 10 easy steps to get started!
Copywriting is good after you build trust in the content. You could look at advertising as stage 1, content is stage 2, and copywriting is stage 3.
All 3 are important.
Conclusion to Copywriting vs advertising vs content writing?
“If I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my axe.”
Abraham Lincoln
Taking some time to learn the art of copywriting is very similar to sharpening an axe. It’s a very good thing to do, and if you want to learn more, I have some FREE guides HERE.
I hope this blog post on copywriting, and if it’s the same as advertising, was helpful to you. Bye for now.