As a copywriter, you’ve probably heard the terms “normal copywriting” and “conversion copywriting” tossed around. But what do they really mean, and which one is right for your clients? 

Our outsource copywriting services team dives into the differences between these two approaches.

What is Normal Copywriting?

Normal copywriting, often referred to as traditional copywriting, is focused on creating content that is both informative and engaging. Its purpose is to craft stories, convey messages and build brand awareness. Think of it as the art of storytelling, where the goal is to educate and entertain your audience while subtly promoting a brand’s values and identity.

Let’s take a look at an example: A luxury clothing brand wants to launch a new line of eco-friendly fashion. They need copy for their website that highlights the craftsmanship, sustainable materials, and the brand’s commitment to the environment. The goal is to tell a compelling story about the brand’s values and engage customers with the ethos behind the collection.

Goals and Objectives of Traditional Copywriting

The primary objectives of traditional copywriting are to inform, engage, build brand awareness, and enhance a company’s reputation. It aims to provide valuable information and education to its audience while creating interest that captures attention. 

This type of writing strengthens brand identity and improves public perception, helping companies establish credibility in the market. This means it is purely top-of-funnel and will not have any immediate outcomes like sales, bookings, or downloads. 

Where and When It’s Applied

Traditional copywriting is widely applied in several areas, including brand storytelling, where businesses create narratives that resonate with their target audience. It’s also used in content marketing, such as blog posts, articles, and social media content.

Corporate communications rely on this approach for both internal and external messaging, and public relations use traditional copywriting for crafting press releases, media pitches, and speeches that align with a company’s image.

 

 

What is Conversion Copywriting?

In contrast, conversion copywriting focuses on driving specific actions from the audience. This form of writing is persuasive and designed to convince readers to take a desired step, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a free resource. 

The writing is sharp and goal-oriented, with the main aim of turning visitors into customers or leads. It can subtly ‘hide’ in traditional copywriting, where it presses the reader to take certain actions while still weaving a narrative into the blog, for example. 

Let’s take a look at a situational example: If an e-commerce site selling skincare products wants to run a Facebook ad campaign, the goal is to drive clicks to a landing page where customers can claim a discount on a new serum. The copy in the ad will be highly persuasive, focusing on the immediate benefits (clearer skin in just two weeks) and pushing for a quick action (click to get the discount).

Key Objectives: Driving Action and Measuring Results

The core goals of conversion copywriting include persuading readers to take specific actions, converting them into customers or leads, generating revenue and measuring the success of the writing through tracking and analysis. 

This approach emphasises performance and results, where every piece of content is evaluated on how well it drives conversions. This kind of writing is more bottom-of-funnel focused and helps to inspire sales, bookings, downloads and other revenue-oriented action. 

Where Conversion Copywriting Shines

Conversion copywriting is particularly effective in areas like e-commerce, where product descriptions, sales pages and email campaigns are crafted to influence purchasing decisions. It excels in creating landing pages that convert visitors into leads and in designing compelling calls to action (CTAs) that encourage immediate responses. 

It’s also a key element in direct response marketing, where content is used to promote products or services through direct channels such as email or targeted ads.

So Which One Should You Use?

When choosing between traditional and conversion copywriting, several factors need to be considered. 

• First, the intent: Are you aiming to inform and engage, or persuade and convert? 
• Style is another factor—do you prefer a storytelling approach or a direct, action-oriented one? 
• Structure also plays a role, as traditional copywriting tends to follow a narrative structure, while conversion copywriting is more focused and persuasive. 
• Finally, the language used can vary—traditional copywriting may adopt a subtle, indirect tone, whereas conversion copywriting often utilises urgency and persuasion.

Our outsource copywriting services team has experience with content writing and conversion writing across web, email, social media, email and more. Take a closer look at what we can do for your clients.