5 Types of Copywriting Explained

Copywriting is increasing in popularity online. This growth makes sense due to the increasing shift to online marketing. Great copywriting helps convey your message to the world and achieve your marketing objectives.

Copywriting is a broad term. In this article, we’ll explain the key differences between 5 types of copywriting.

What is copywriting?

Copywriting is the process of writing persuasive copy aimed at promoting and motivating people to take action (e.g., buy a product or download a white paper). Some types of copywriting are more salesy, while others are more informational but still persuasive.

Overall, the goal of copywriting, regardless of the type and format, is the same — to persuade people to take action and help achieve various marketing objectives.

Types of copywriting

The lines can blur between different styles of copywriting, but overall, there are 5 distinct types of copywriting we can categorize.

1. Technical copywriting

Technical copywriting is any form of copywriting that’s about a subject that requires specialized expertise. Simply put, copywriting becomes technical copywriting when it’s about a technical topic. 

Technical subjects include medicine, consumer electronics, robotics, finance, biotechnology, and many more. Technical copy could be in the form of blog posts, press releases, landing page copy, or any other form of copy.

Copywriters who write on these subjects will typically require advanced qualifications to write on the topic with authority and factual accuracy.

2. Brand copywriting

Brand copywriting is copy that reflects your brand’s way of communication. The copywriting found on your homepage or the copy written for your social media posts are good examples of what one might define as brand copywriting. 

In some ways, every form of copywriting you publish is a reflection of your brand in one way or another. Still, those most visually related to your brand’s “identity,” such as posts on social media, are where your brand’s “soul” is expressed.

Brand copywriting reflects the language, tone, and style of your brand. Some brands have a light-hearted kind of copy, while others are more serious and rigid. The type of brand copy you create depends on your company, goals, and of course, your target audience.

3. SEO copywriting

SEO copywriting is the process of planning and writing copy to rank at the top of search engines for relevant queries people are searching for. 

The difference between “normal” copy and “SEO” copy is that SEO copy is written in a way that search engines can understand and index. 

Copywriting becomes SEO copywriting when one writes with specific keywords in mind and structures content in a format accessible for search engines. This could include using HTML headings, adding internal links with anchor text, writing meta titles and meta descriptions.

4. Direct response copywriting

Direct response copywriting is a form of copywriting that communicates directly to customers and makes them take action. 

An example of direct response copy could be on an email just before a call to action to download a white paper or an ebook. It could be the copy before a contact form on a B2B service landing page.

What differentiates direct response copywriting from other types of copywriting is that it has a clear focus on inciting action. Other forms of copywriting may be more focused on explaining the benefits of a product or educating people in an informative blog post.

5. PR copywriting

PR copywriting is copy that’s for a press release, company statements, and media-related matters. 

The purpose of PR copywriting is to increase publicity for your company, excite your client base, and target an audience on updates about your company.

PR copywriitng is particularly effective once you have an established business. At this stage, you have consistent news and updates to share. PR copywriting can also help with initial publicity for new companies through press release distribution.

The bottom line

Each type of copywriting has its own specific purpose. That’s why it’s important to understand the differences, especially when you’re hiring a copywriter or working with a copywriting service.

Hopefully, this article provided some clarity on how copywriting can differ.