Different Types of Copywriting Explained (And How To Learn Them)

Copywriting is an interesting and fulfilling career field that’s ideal for creative people who have strong writing skills. Roles in copywriting can be amongst the highest paying creative jobs out there and can be a varied career type for those who are looking to try out many different writing styles.  

But what are the main types of copywriting, and how can you get into copywriting in the UK and begin a career?

B2C, or “business to customer” copywriting is an umbrella term for any copywriting that aims to connect customers with a business. This could be through emails, blog content or social media content or any other available channel. Email copywriting overlaps with B2C copywriting, as email marketing is a popular way used by marketers to reach out to potential customers. 

Typically, this is the most common type of copywriting, as it has the largest audience. Essentially, B2C writing can be used to reach out to any audience a business sees as potential customers. Content may include a CTA (call to action) and direct users towards sales pages or product pages as part of a revenue-focused marketing strategy. Good copy or a great piece of content in the B2C space should help business owners or marketing agencies drive up traffic and engagement.

If you’re keen to get the skills you need to work in this field of copywriting, taking courses in Marketing and Digital Marketing can give you the understanding you need to connect with audiences and adapt your writing style to appeal to consumers. If you’re keen to connect with users via social media, taking on a Social Media Marketing course can give you the skills you need to succeed in that area.

B2B, or “business to business”, is copy that is written on behalf of a business that is intended to be read by those working in a similar business or industry. What makes it different from B2C is that the intention is not to sell a product or service, but to allow you to be noticed by other businesses in your field. This can be helpful when looking to attract talent, or to establish yourself as a major player in a crowded field. 

Those who are keen to move into this field should have a solid knowledge of the business they are writing on behalf of, as well as their competitors and industry at large. Professional copywriters in this area will often be tasked with writing thought leadership content, which is content that seeks to discuss points or put forward innovative ideas in a totally unique and forward-thinking way.

The mark of great copywriting in a B2B space should ensure that your business gets the attention it deserves from others working within your industry.

The main skills used in B2B writing are similar to those of B2C writing, so taking courses in Marketing and Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing will give you the skills needed to succeed as a B2B writer. Many B2B marketing happens through social media platforms like LinkedIn, so spending some time getting to know sites like this is a good idea. 

If you’re keen to find out more about how you can become a B2B writer, online guides can give you a greater insight into the ins-and-outs of working in this field.

SEO, short for search engine optimisation, copywriting is writing that is designed to be highly visible on search engines like Google. SEO writers will use tools such as Ahrefs and SEMrush to find highly searched keywords that they can build content around, or optimise their current content to include those specific keywords. 

SEO copywriting is different from standard copywriting, as the motivation and strategy around the content you write is based on keywords, as opposed to simply being based on ideas that a writer thinks will be popular. Any business that has a digital presence value SEO copywriters, as they can use their skills to outrank their competitors and be the first result for a specific topic relevant to their products or services on Google.

If you’re a content writer who wants to be on the cutting-edge of content marketing and attain the most valuable copywriting skills, becoming qualified in SEO copywriting can be one of the best ways to do that. Being able to offer SEO copywriting services means that you can find great copywriting jobs in London and other cities in the UK, or even find remote copywriting jobs that allow you to work from anywhere in the world.

You’ll want to learn the basics of good copywriting through Marketing courses, but Digital Marketing courses may be especially useful if you’re looking to move into SEO. As an SEO, you’ll be expected to compile reports on keywords, as well as site traffic, so taking courses in Data can be helpful. 

Furthermore, if you want to move into tech SEO, taking courses in Digital Skills can be a great help. This is because you can get an understanding of how sites and content management systems work from the inside out, giving you the chance to spot opportunities for SEO management or improvements.

Product copywriting is a form of writing that is dedicated to listing information about products on an e-commerce site which is intended to be read by a user looking to purchase a product. 

Although it’s a relatively straightforward form of copywriting, it’s an essential part of how e-commerce sites function, and provides customers with vital information, such as ingredients, washing instructions or information about the size and style of clothing. 

You’ll be writing website copy and may engage with other departments to work on changes to the homepage and other areas of a site to line up with marketing campaigns, with an aim to increase conversion rates and visits to your web page.

Marketing and Digital Marketing courses can come in handy when looking to get the skills you need to move into this field. Product copywriting roles are ideal for those looking to begin a career in copywriting, and can be used as a springboard towards more in-depth and lucrative forms of copywriting.

Working as an advertising copywriter means that you’ll collaborate with brands to come up with the copy for ad campaigns. That could be writing copy for billboards, social media posts, or magazines.

The main difference between advertising copywriting and other forms of copywriting is that you tend to focus on one campaign at a time and will follow consistent messaging across different channels. 

As with any other field of copywriting, Marketing and Digital Marketing courses are useful when looking to get the skills you need to move into this field. As you’ll likely be working across many different channels, having a qualification in Social Media Marketing can allow you to be the jack of all trades you need to be in order to run a successful ad campaign. 

Social Media copywriting is a form of copywriting that has many crossovers with the other styles of copywriting mentioned above. The newest of them all, social media copywriting focuses on delivering short messages to consumers, often in a friendly and playful manner. 

Social media copywriting can vary depending on the platform, but most copywriters tend to find that a short, sharp and eye-catching version of their copywriting they use elsewhere tends to work best.

As well as becoming qualified in Digital Marketing and Marketing, having a qualification in Social Media Marketing is ideal. This is because you can learn the latest engagement techniques used by talented social media marketers that generate high-value copy that gets results.