Writing for Marketing vs Writing for UX

What Is the Difference between UX Writing vs Marketing Writing?

Purpose

Marketing: Writing for marketing is often referred to as copywriting. Copywriting seeks to persuade, promote, and connect with a user. The goal is for the reader to take an actionable step towards purchasing a product or service. Good copywriting incites action.   

UX: UX writing, on the other hand, exists to assist a user’s interaction with a product or service already in their possession. The writing offers clear, concise instructions on how to navigate a product or service. The goal is to create a seamless user experience that keeps clients coming back time and again to the product. Good UX writing creates outstanding user experiences.  

Placement

Marketing: Marketing copy generally appears in paid advertisements, social media posts, landing pages, and other promotional materials that are designed to get a potential client’s attention.   

UX: UX writing already has a captive audience. Users are in the interface when they encounter any type of UX writing. UX copy appears as buttons, drop-down menus, labels, FAQs, forms, error messages, tooltips, and more.  

Tone and Technique

Based on the distinct desired outcome of each style of writing, the tone, word selection, and phrasing will differ.

Marketing: Marketing writing, because it’s seeking to drive an action, must be persuasive.  Associating a product or brand with a certain emotion or aspirational lifestyle are just two great ways to create action. Persuasive language and storytelling techniques are also often used to create an emotional response.   

Copywriting may use short and attention-getting slogans paired with slightly longer and more opulent descriptions, followed by a call to action. The desired action or outcome could range from leaving an email address (opening a door to more personalized contact) to making a purchase.   

UX: UX writing’s job is to guide a user through an interface as seamlessly as possible. With this in mind, writing for UX tends to be straightforward, direct, and to the point. This isn’t the place for flowery descriptions. Here, the user needs assistance getting from A to B within the interface. A UX writer's job is to provide that guidance in the simplest and quickest way possible. You could think of UX writing like a step-by-step manual on how to use the product.  

Audience 

This brings us to examine the audience our copywriting is connecting with and the audience a UX writer is engaging. 

Marketing: Copywriting targets a generally larger swath of the population with the aim of creating customers. It interacts with clients at an earlier stage in the marketing funnel than UX copy. However, that’s not to say copywriting can’t be for a very specific target audience. In fact, through the use of data and AI, it’s possible to create highly targeted marketing campaigns.   

UX: When it comes to UX writing, the audience is potentially varied; it’s the portion of the general population who has made the investment in a product and are now in the process of using it. But the type of user is perhaps less notable here, as the end goal is to be as clear as possible about how to get from A to Z. The result of good UX writing is a user who is bonded to a product because of the ease and usability of the UX.   

CTAs 

Marketing: Copywriters will use calls to action (CTAs) to incite an action that leads the user a step closer toward a purchase with the brand. This is accomplished through writing that encourages connection, engagement, and specific action.  
 

UX: UX CTAs are quick, clear actionable guides that alert users as to what will happen if they click on a certain button. The point is to help users navigate with ease. CTAs can be thought of as signs and signals along the way that lead the user where they want to go.

Overlap: Are There Any Similarities between UX and Marketing Writing Techniques? 

Despite their unique roles, a UX writer and a copywriter do have room for cooperation and there are similarities. In some instances, a copywriter might write content for a landing page and a UX writer may weigh in on style and compliance. In other cases, a copywriter may receive a structure for a landing page from a UX designer and then write copy within those guidelines.   

Push notifications are another example where there is overlap. The purpose of the notification— whether it be marketing or informative—dictates which writer would create the content.   

Copywriters and UX writers must also work together to maintain congruence in voice across a brand and product. The language used in UX cannot be strictly robotic, if a marketing campaign has worked to make an emotional connection with a user. There should be consistency in messaging and in how the customer is treated.   

Measuring Success: How is success measured in UX writing vs marketing writing?  

Marketing: How do you know if your marketing campaign has been successful? Conversion rates, click-through rates and other available data will show how successful a campaign has been in connecting with clients.   

UX: In UX writing, success is measured through usability testing, user feedback, task completion rates, and user satisfaction. If a user abandons a product quickly, chances are the UX isn’t doing its job.  

Wrapping Up  

Overall, successful digital experiences offer clients a blend of effective copywriting and clear UX writing. Together these two distinct styles should create a connection and seamless UX that leaves clients highly satisfied with each interaction and experience with a brand or product.   

Pixel506    

Pixel506 is a leading boutique agency that specializes in both creative and technology driven solutions for our clients' marketing and UX needs. Fusing cutting-edge AI technology with creative marketing campaigns and insightful UX design, Pixel506 offers results-driven business solutions. Our creativity and analytic ethos place us at the forefront of the AI-driven revolution in marketing and UX.