What’s the difference between a freelance writer vs copywriter?
Note: These answers are meant to be short / simplified, just to give you a basic idea. In reality, there’s a lot more to cover about these topics.
Freelance writers and copywriters are both professionals who write for a living, but their roles and responsibilities differ.
Freelance writers are normally generalists who write about a wide range of topics, such as news, features, and opinion pieces. They may work for newspapers, magazines, websites, or other media outlets.
Freelance writers are often hired to produce content that is informative, engaging, and valuable to the reader. They may also be responsible for conducting research, interviewing sources, and fact-checking their work.
However, many freelance writers also focus on a specific niche as opposed to writing about anything under the sun. This helps them stand out and be considered experts in their field. For example, a freelance writer may choose to write only about sports and nothing else.
Copywriters, on the other hand, specialize in writing persuasive content that is designed to sell a product or service. They may work for advertising agencies, marketing firms, or directly for businesses.
Copywriters are responsible for creating headlines, taglines, slogans, and other marketing materials that are intended to grab the reader’s attention and persuade them to take action. They may also be responsible for writing product descriptions, sales letters, and other promotional materials.
While there is some overlap between the two professions, freelance writing tends to be more focused on producing informative content that educates or entertains the reader, while copywriting is more focused on producing persuasive content that drives sales or conversions.
And that’s mainly the difference between a freelance writer vs copywriter, at least the short version of it.
Ready to find a copywriting job or work as a general freelance writer? Sign up to Listiller to access hundreds of writing and editing opportunities.