The Historical Difference Between Content Writing And Copywriting

by Michael de la Guerra in Copywriting, Marketing

Two people discussing the difference between content writing and copywriting examples.

What has a letter from your mother gotten you to do before?

26 million American women voted for the first time in the 1920 presidential election, thanks to the 19th amendment, which was certified just months prior and gave them the right to do so.

But it was a young legislator from Tennessee who cast the ratifying vote that gave the house the 36-vote majority it needed to sign that amendment into law.

His name was Harry Thomas Burn, and he had voted against the measure every single time before.

But that day he flipped, thanks to a letter from his mother.

“Hurray and vote for suffrage,” she wrote in the letter. “Don’t forget to be a good boy.”

That was enough for him to flip his vote and change the world.

History has shown us what the power of an image or letter can do many times:

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. penned a letter to the local clergy while in jail for participating in a march without a permit, after they criticized that type of direct action, saying protests weren’t the way to bring about change. The letter was published in The Atlantic and his book Why We Can’t Wait, and became a rallying cry for activists during the civil rights movement.
Nicholas II, “The Last Emperor Of Russia,” received a letter from his mystical advisor, Rasputin, in 1914 that urged the tsar to avoid catastrophe and not engage in a war; the leader didn’t listen—his army shrank, his power waned, and he held onto that letter until his execution in 1918 (a testament to what ignoring the right message can lead to).
The 1968 image of South Vietnam’s chief of national police shooting a Viet Cong operative in the head with a pistol was transmitted all over the world thanks to the reach and popularity of television— the photo became a symbol of the war’s relentless violence, and influenced anti-war sentiments in America that ultimately led to the “bitter end” of US involvement and subsequent withdrawal.

We’ve used informative means of communication to inspire change long before the internet or even the printing press.

And if you are in the business of inspiring change through marketing, by sharing some kind of story with the world, then it’s important you understand this: content has always been marketing.

But we’ve made a major shift online in the last two decades, which has spawned a new term: “content marketing.”

Tony Robbins And The $400M+ Content Marketing Strategy

Tony Robbins became a millionaire by the time he was 24, hosting seminars with his partner, John Grinder.

This was in 1984.

But in 1988, Tony released his first infomercial via Guthy Renker, which catapulted him toward what is now an estimated $400+ million business.

The simplicity of the infomercial is similar to modern-day “content marketing”:

Create a piece of valuable information that helps people get a result they want so they will trust you
Once they’re ready to get that result, they’ll come to you, since you’ve educated them about their problems and potential solutions

Today, Tony uses all sorts of digital means to get his content out to eager viewers, but it still follows the infomercial format.

So, again, content has always been marketing.

The Difference Between Content Writing And Copywriting

Content is meant to transfer new information to those who seek it. “Copy” on the other hand is a bit of an amorphous term. It’s generally used to represent words that are designed to drive a sale, or to inspire an action of some sort.

You can argue that “content marketing” is copy because its purpose is to draw someone closer to a brand, but copy in the “traditional” sense is the words that make the action happen (especially in direct response marketing, which is designed to get a “response”).

To make this easier to digest, take the infomercial example: the teaching portion of the infomercial would be described as content, while the part where the host or company tries to get you to take action and buy would be considered copy.

In modern-day terms, content is a blog post like this, a white paper/report/book, or some kind of free video, while copy is a sales page, opt-in form, or some other kind of persuasive text meant to inspire an action.

“Content” is any form of marketing meant to educate your prospects, and “copy” is what turns them into paying customers.

Do You Have A Copy Or Content Problem?

The difference between copy and content is important, because problems that arise from these two crucial elements of your business will look different.

Copy Problems

No one opting into your email list
No one clicking links in your emails
No one responding to your ad
No one purchasing product from your sales page
Etc.

Content Problems

No engagement with your content
No traffic to your website
People not understanding what you do
Etc.

But if you believe the two to be the same, you will try to find one solution.

The Goal Of Your Content Vs. The Goal Of Your Copy

By now you understand that “content” is any form of marketing meant to educate your prospects, and “copy” is what turns them into paying customers.

But in keeping with the idea that a common human connection is the #1 goal of modern marketing, my friend and mentor Jennifer Hudye sums it up nicely:

The goal of content is for people to understand.

The goal of copy is for people to feel understood.

What she means is that “content marketing” is all about educating people and providing as much value as possible so they are better able to make decisions about what you can help them with.

But when you want someone to actually take action, a different approach is necessary.

You want to know what your clients, customers, patients, and students desire most—what their wants, needs, and pain points are.

And you want to know what those are beneath the surface.

In other words, copy is all about understanding someone so well that you’re able to get them to take an action they wouldn’t otherwise have taken.

Examples Of Content Marketing And When You Need Them

Here are a few instances where you would need content:

Blog posts
Books & ebooks
White papers & lead magnets
Informational videos
Infographics
Brochures
Catalogues
Case studies
Newsletters

Examples Of Copy And When You Need It

And here is when you would need copy:

Website copy
Sales & product pages
Landing pages
Opt-in forms
Video sales letters
Email copy
Facebook Ads
Direct mail campaigns
Webinars

But If Your Content & Copy Don’t Connect With Your Market On A Human Level, It Doesn’t Matter

Whether you need content or you need copy, nothing matters if you don’t connect with people.

If your market isn’t touched on a human level by your content, they won’t consume it and form a bond with you.

And if your copy doesn’t connect, they won’t take action and do business with you.

That’s the philosophical adhesive that binds these two together: the need for human connection.

The world is littered with bland content.

Hell, the world is littered with exceptional content that provides so much value it has the adverse effect—people shy away from it because it’s too dense (and if you’re still reading up until this point it means you’re different).

But what makes any piece of copy or content truly stand out is its ability to touch another person at their core.

So make sure both your content and copy are set up to connect with the people you can help the most, or they’ll get that help from someone else.

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Exploring the Poetic Voice: Michael de la Guerra's Literary Landscape

Michael de la Guerra's online portfolio presents a rich tapestry of poetry, essays, and artistic reflections that examine the complexities of modern relationships, cultural influences on romantic expression, and the psychological dimensions of love and loss.

A Distinctive Voice in Contemporary Poetry

Throughout his work, de la Guerra demonstrates a remarkable ability to blend raw emotional honesty with technical craft. His poetry collection features pieces like "HAPPY IN BED," which tackles modern dating concepts like "situationships" with a blend of dark humor and quiet dignity. The poet often acknowledges his own vulnerability while maintaining a self-aware perspective about the human condition.

His "Medical School Romance Poem" captures fleeting connections with strangers in institutional settings, pondering whether brief shared moments might someday become meaningful memories for the other person. This theme of ephemeral connections appears frequently in his work.

Cultural Exploration and Scholarly Depth

De la Guerra's scholarly side emerges in comprehensive explorations like "Romantic Poetry: Poems About Love Across Cultures," where he examines how different cultural traditions approach romantic expression. From Tang Dynasty China to Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, he traces the universal human need to capture love's complexities through poetry while highlighting how each society filters these emotions through unique cultural lenses.

His work often begins with personal anecdotes - like his inability to communicate directly with his Spanish-speaking grandmother - before expanding into broader cultural analysis. This technique creates an accessible entry point for readers into complex literary traditions.

Dark Poetry and Psychological Insight

The "Dark Love Poetry" guide demonstrates de la Guerra's understanding of how poetry serves as both artistic expression and psychological processing. He distinguishes between performative darkness and authentic shadow work, offering readers insight into how true dark poetry transforms private pain into shared understanding.

Throughout this exploration, he connects psychological concepts like attachment theory to poetic expression, showing how disorganized attachment might manifest in certain poetic tendencies, while earned security allows for different forms of creative expression.

Personal Narratives with Universal Appeal

In shorter reflective pieces like "A Ruthless Gangster's Greatest Fear," de la Guerra reveals his ability to find profound meaning in unexpected places. By juxtaposing the vulnerability of a hardened criminal experiencing a crush with his own similar feelings, he creates a meditation on how emotional authenticity connects us across seemingly vast differences.

This approach - finding universal human experiences in specific, often overlooked moments - characterizes much of his work, making even his most personal reflections resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds.

A Multi-Faceted Creative Practice

Beyond his writing, de la Guerra offers resources for fellow poets and writers, including prompt generators and workbooks. His website showcases his parallel visual art practice, including abstract, Japandi, and dark abstract wall art collections.

This integration of visual and literary arts reflects a holistic creative approach, where different expressive forms complement and enhance each other rather than existing in isolation.

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