Content marketing is a somewhat new term in the SEO and online marketing world. It’s existed for a while – we even used it casually here at Great Leap Studios before it even came an official term in the industry – but when companies contact us to market their services, they often question what a “content marketer” really is. They know about lead generation, and they know about SEO, but “content marketing” is a completely unfamiliar term for them.
Luckily, most of them know the term “content writer,” or “copywriter.” Content marketing is not that different from content writing. The main difference is overall control over the project.
What a Content Writer Does
We’re still content writers at Great Leap Studios. Even though we’re an SEO company ourselves, many of our clients are actually SEO companies as well that contact us for their content writing needs. We even have some businesses that use us for content writing, not marketing, and most of our oldest clients started working with us when we were only writers without our own business name.
Content writers are just that – writers. Content writers:
- Ask you what type of writing you need.
- Write the articles and pages you’re looking for.
- Waits until you have more writing you need completed.
We still do this all the time, because many companies only need writing completed and aren’t looking for anything else. If you have a larger company that already has someone working in marketing within the company, chances are you simply need a company to complete the writing for the blog or website. All you need is a content writer, because the marketing you’re completing yourself in house.
What a Content Marketer Does
Content marketing is when you need a company to run your content campaign. Essentially, it’s a company (like Great Leap Studios) that controls your content in its entirety to ensure that your website grows and starts to see results. While a content writer simply completes what you need, a content marketer:
- Creates an action plan to market your website.
- Creates content that is part of a larger strategy and consults with your company often.
- Adds content when needed without additional direction.
- Evaluates content to ensure that it is effectively converting.
- Creates external content that is posted on other websites.
Basically, a content marketing company controls all aspects of SEO and content development, while a content writer simply asks what you need and sends it over.
Most Businesses Blur the Line
In theory, these are two very different fields, but in practice there tends to be a considerable amount of gray area between them. For example, many companies prefer to add content to the site themselves, but need your ideas on how to create it. Many others simply need content writing, but want us to create it on a regular basis and post it ourselves. Many more consult with us for their content needs, and then simply use your recommendations and then wait for results without regular updates.
Which you prefer depends on your company’s needs. If you have an SEO expert in house and simply need someone to do the writing, you need a content writer. If you’re a company that is new to online marketing or needs to start improving their site dramatically in order to improve hits, you need a content marketer.
Or you can find both by contacting us today.
