Every industry has its own jargon. That special lingo that explains differences, defines things and separates those in the know from those outside it. Marketing in general, and copywriting specifically, are no exception. For me one of the most common bits of jargon are ‘blog’ and ‘article’. They get used pretty much daily, and from the outside it might seem like they’re used interchangeably. But they aren’t, and that’s because they are different things – despite first appearances.
What’s The Difference?
There was a point where it was easy to tell blogs and articles apart. Blog posts were digital, and articles were printed. Job done. But as more and more blogs emerged, the quality required to stand out got higher and higher. Around the same time, newspapers and magazines started publishing their articles online in order to reach new readers, and the lines got blurred. Were those blogs, or were they articles? Soon it was difficult for consumers to tell what they were reading.
Thankfully, there are some key differences you can use to tell them apart:
Blog Posts:
- Mostly your own opinion
- No interviews, just research
- Short
- Built around SEO and keywords
- Audience forgives minor spelling or grammar errors
- No editor involved
- Self published online
Articles:
- No opinions allowed
- Interviews and research from credible experts and research firms only
- Longer than 300 words
- Keywords not important
- Spelling and grammar must be impeccable
- Edited professionally
- Published by a print magazine
But…
However, even these differences are now starting to blur. Blogs are more thoroughly researched, citing sources and acting as sources in their own right. They are also longer – 600 word posts are standard, with 1,000 word blogs being normal and even 2,000 word posts are common. And many businesses writing blogs hire editors to polish them – or copywriters to write them outright. So you see, the definition between the two types of content got squishy, and there’s a lot of confusion around it now. In fact, now the people who care most about the difference now are the writers themselves, because the word a client chooses tells us what type of content they are really looking for.
Do I Need A Copywriter For Blog Posts?
No.
That surprised you, didn’t it?
But since blogs were opinion pieces in the beginning (and really they still are), there’s no reason you can’t write your own blogs. In fact, I encourage it! But there are also a lot of reasons you shouldn’t, or might not be able to. Things like:
- Not having enough time
- Struggling with writing
- English is not your first language
- Not enjoying writing at all
- Not being very good at it
All of those are very good reasons to outsource blog writing to someone else. Content writers like me work with business owners to produce blogs for their websites, as well as articles for external publications so that you can see all of the benefits without having to put in any of the effort.
Sound good? Drop me a line and see if outsourcing your blogs is right for you.