Basic differences
To understand the basic difference, first one has to know what exactly copywriting is and how it works, so let’s jump into that…
Copywriting is the process of writing persuasive marketing and promotional materials that motivate or manipulate the audiences to take some form of action, such as making a purchase, clicking on a link, donating, etc. These materials can include written forms of promotions that are printed in hard copies or published on online platforms. The text in these materials is known as “copy,” hence the name “copywriting.” The purpose of copywriting is to persuade, inform, and capture the attention of potential customers, be it a reader or a viewer. It can also be used to generate brand awareness, promote events or causes, educate customers about a product, and more. A professional employed to write marketing or promotional materials for a company is known as a copywriter. Copywriting is used extensively across various forms of media to promote products for both small businesses and large corporations.
Now with the understanding of what copywriting is, let’s differentiate between offline and online copywriting. Here are a few points,
- READERS:
Offline copies are printed on various hardcopy materials, and they’re something that some people may read in their spare time. Offline copywriting isn’t under any type of expectations, offline readers are patient and often forgiving.
Online copies, however, don’t have that luxury. Online/internet users have some particular reason for visiting a website and they definitely have expectations when it comes to reading any online copy. And since they are clear about their needs, they’re more inclined to be impatient and wouldn’t hesitate to switch to another piece of copy within a matter of seconds if the current copy that they were reading doesn’t fulfill their needs.
- COST:
Offline copywriting requires money. Writers may occasionally have to worry about the costs of printing their works in a certain format. Long paragraphs and large fonts could make the cost of publishing escalate at an alarming rate, and for this reason, forced adjustments are often made which in many cases deteriorates the quality of the work and is not always favorable to readers.
On the other hand, online copywriters gain more from their line of work. Since text weighs little in terms of bytes, formatting rarely makes any difference to online copywriting work. As a result, they can afford to make more paragraphs and keep it short – exactly the way their online readers like it. Having large fonts isn’t a problem either. They also can change the color of the text and suffer from no additional cost.
- SKIMMING:
Online readers have a habit of skimming, and it is done by them more frequently than offline readers. That’s why while copywriting in online format, copywriters have to adjust their work accordingly.
Skimming makes optional formatting techniques in offline writing necessary in online copywriting. Subheadings are one of them. Their presence ensures that online readers are still able to comprehend the gist of the copy even if they’re skimming.
Now that you’re aware of the basic differences between online and offline copywriting, you can apply this next time when you’re writing or reading something. Always remember to double-check for errors before uploading your work!
