Show me it's more than just semantics: Copywriter vs Content Writer

Right. Hope you trust me I didn't want to spark a debate for the sake of the debate itself. I just noticed that quite a few people care about it. Then, I realized and admitted to myself that I'm simply not good at defining and explaining these things. My hat off to the guys who obviously know what they are doing. So, in a way it was worth it. Obviously, only copywriters provided explanations. That's understandable, of course. Yet, would like to know, if there are content writers around. Or, they are an endangered species here, lol. Thx. Appreciated.

Hellor neshaword,

All writing can be taught. Never allow yourself to believe writing a novel is in you or not. It's just plain ole hard work and putting in the time.

Honestly, as you read the old timer's books, you discover word structures and formulas the average reader takes for granted.

When I first started writing copy I had no idea what I was doing. All I know is my copy brought in sales.

Then I stumbled onto a book about copy writing. To this day I can't remember if it was a Dan Kennedy book or a Bob Bly book.

Reading through the book I learned that the style of writing I was doing was called "Direct Response".

Do note: I was a businessman long before I wrote copy. So I have a selling background.

The other area copy writers study is psychology and sociology. We want to know consumer buying habits. What writing mechanism triggers both positive and negative responses to our copy.

Just remember 23 years ago I had no clue. But studying and practicing and testing I'm getting better.

Chinchilla

Not quite my point. My point is: there's a difference; the difference has to do with desired and delivered results.

I offer a bunch of services. There are two ways to deliver such services:
determine how much I want to make, then find people who want them and are willing and able to pay me as much as I want

find people who want my services and deliver those services at whatever those people are willing to pay for.

I'll tell you a story outside of writing, so your emotions don't get in the way of you understanding.

I used to own a real estate appraising company. I knew 2 other real estate appraising companies. I and them had one client in common. And one day we met, me and those 2 other appraisers, and talked shop.

We all charged $250 for a basic appraisal and we all thought it was too low. I said, As of next week, I'll charge $300. Other appraiser number 2 said, I'll start on the first of next month. So did appraiser number 3.

So, as of the 1st of the following month, we all charged $300 (not agreed upon in advanced; it so happened).

The client complained to all of them. I said: the government's requiring additional forms with each appraisal. Providing them costs me, so I have to raise my prices.

I'll stop hiring you, the client said. It's your choice. I understand you have to keep prices low for YOUR clients, but I can't deliver more for the same.

About a month and a few appraisals at the higher price later, I get a call from appraiser #3. He wanted me to lower my prices to $275. It was a win/win, he said, I'd be getting paid more than I had used to and the client would be paying less than $300, which they really, truly and triple really and truly did not want to pay.

I said, They're paying me $300 now, so how the hell is me getting paid $275 a win for me?

You used to get $250, he said.

But now I get $300.

But you used to get $250.

That client gave me less work, but did not stop entirely. I got other clients to pay $300.

A year later, I raised my prices yet again.

A year later, I dood it again.

When we started, I had 2 appraisers working for me and was charging $250. Appraiser #3 had 1 other appraiser in his company and was charging $250.

3 years later, he had one other appraiser working for him and was getting $275.
3 years later, I had gone to 7 appraisers working for me and was charging $350 for the same work he was charging $275.

I had the option of working with people who were willing/able to pay only $250 or $275.

I had people, loan officers and homeowners, calling me to ask, who the hell I thought I was to charge $350 when so and so and so and so charged $300.

And I said: a guy who wants to be paid $350 or more per appraisal and has clients willing to pay.

So, I am saying, a lot was my attitude and desire to not work for less than a certain amount.

I am also saying: because I charged more, I could do things they could not, like hire an extra person who answered phones/did trouble shooting. It ended up like this:

You called a lot of appraisal companies and you'd get a voice message that said, among other things: One of our people will call you back within 48 hours while, at my company, a real, live, efficient human being took your call on the spot if you called between 9 to 5, called you by 9:30 the next day, if you called after hours.

But, while I was doing a measly $300/basic appraisal, there were people who did none of them. Instead, they appraised projects that started at $70,000 (that involved large teams and ended up making those appraisal companies more money in 1 week than I made in 1 month or year.

Their skills were above mine (as appraiser, as business owner, as marketer) but, in the end, all they did was look at a bunch of properties, compare them, draw a conclusion regarding value. Which is what I did too.

Back to copywriting vs writing. The label is not relevant. What's relevant is what you do and how much you're willing to accept as payment for doing it.

You will find no copywriter saying no to writing a regular blog post for $10,000, unless in the same amount of time they could write a sale letter that made them more than that.

You will find no copywriter willing to write a blog post for $20 even if they had no work right then. Because marketing for a copywriting job pays way more than that.

Edit:
At the time, I had appraisers willing to work for me for 50% (considered the going rate) of what I charged and one who didn't care what the going rate was, he wanted 65%. (I paid them what they wanted. The one who cost me 65% per appraisal made me, on average $4700 a month; the ones that costs me 50%, made me between $2200 and $2800, if memory serves.

He was better and, because of that, faster. He was better at appraising, but also at time management, scheduling his appointments... He had a day when he inspected properties, followed by 2 days when he developed the appraisal (office work). The others inspected one property in the morning, worked on it in the afternoon. They spend far more time and gas money than the one who charged 65%.

Why did I pay him more in the beginning, before I knew he'd be making me more money? Because he asked, pointing out how he is better at appraising and how he's willing to work the entire weekend if I need him to and that the review process of his work was 20 minutes per appraisal while the others required 50 or 60 minutes.

And he did not whine.

If he did not like something, he said something to me on the spot. We came to agreements, sometimes going my way, sometimes going his way. But if he agreed to move forward, he moved forward, I did not hear about it again. When things were beyond his skills, he told me upfront (the others did not; they thought they'd get started and when they got to the part where they needed help, I'd jump in or get someone else to do so (without them losing any part of their 50%).

You have no idea how much I appreciated him telling me he did not know how to appraise a particular type of property, or that the time I needed it done in was too short for him based on his skills and other commitments!

And he never, ever, complained about him giving me half of the fee I charged.