Copy and Content

[mjsellars]

I'm interested in starting a little discussion about the difference between copy and content. Are they essentially the same? Is one all about information and the other all about salesmanship? Should the provision of copy be seen as a 'premium service', whereas content is something you can buy for peanuts from anyone with a basic grasp of English and a list of keyphrases? It would be great if we could arrive at a definitive definition, as I think this is something of a grey area.

What do you think?

Mike.

[Mike]

hmm, to be honest I have always viewed them as one and the same, but then, on occasions i have also been known as an idiot

[Cracking Media]

Mike - I think I'm with Mike on this one. As far as I understand, they are one and the same.

Peter

[getnoticed]

The 2 are inextricably linked.
Copy = wording
Content = wording

How you arrange the words is what impacts on the bottom line

[Scott-CopyandDesign]

It really depends how you look at it. Copy is strictly text but content can be words, images, sound, video and any other form of media.

Copy can be split up into different meanings too. For example if it was text copy in an editorial for a magazine then it's editorial copy. If the text is there to sell something then it's sales copy etc.

[Peter W]

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines 'copy' as 'material for a newspaper or magazine article', but 'copywriter' as 'a person who writes the text of advertisements of publicity material'.

[Alvin]

I'm with Scott on this content and copy defo 2 different things.

Alvin

[Cracking Media]

I'm with Scott on this content and copy defo 2 different things.

Alvin

Yep, I agree. Makes a lot of sense.

Peter