What is UX writing vs copywriting, what type of writer do I need for what I am selling, and can one person do the work of both?
This article is for you if you’re a start-up or small business owner needing someone to write copy for a SaaS product, app, or web experience and are confused by the term UX writing.
Knowing the key differences between the roles will ensure you don’t hire the wrong person for the job.
What Do UX Writers Do?
The job of a UX writer or user experience writer is to write copy that helps guide users through the interface of a product or web experience while staying true to the brand’s voice.
An example of an interface is the onboarding process of a mobile app like Airbnb or Tinder that captures key information about you without you wanting to quit the process because it is too troublesome, intrusive, or annoying.
Other examples of UX writing include:
- SaaS copy
- Download instructions for digital products
- Website navigation menus
- Website error messages
- Form field copy
- Button text and other calls to action
What Do Copywriters Do?
Copywriter is a broad term that includes everything from writing website copy, e-commerce funnel copy, product descriptions, emails, and newsletters. Content writers are also a type of copywriter.
The main goal of copywriting is to drive the reader toward an end goal or specific action such as registering for a newsletter or a product purchase.
Moving the reader toward an end goal can be subtle. For example, a blog post about the top three modular sofas on an interior designer’s website indirectly promotes their design solutions without any calls to action.
Other examples of copywriting include:
- Landing pages
- Emails
- Sales pages
- Blog posts
- Long-form content writing
- Newsletters
- White papers
- Case studies
- Social media posts
- Video scripts
- Ads
Like UX writers, copywriters factor in brand voice and target audience. Unlike most UX writers, copywriters work closely with marketing departments.
UX Writing vs Copywriting: Which One Do I Need?
If your product is a SaaS product, mobile app, or web app, you need a UX writer. If not, you are better off hiring a freelance UX copywriter. In other words, hire a generalist copywriter who has the transferable skills needed to be good at UX copywriting.
The problem is, even if your immediate need is a UX writer, chances are you need a copywriter for everything else.
Do you have enough work and budget to fill two roles?
If not, you are better off hiring a freelance copywriter who doubles as a UX writer. Here’s how to make sure you hire the right one.
By the way, if you are confused about the different roles in the world of copywriting and UX writing, here are some quick definitions:
- Content designer – An umbrella term that includes the UX writer
- UX designer – Sometimes called a content designer; produces wireframes or low-fidelity designs
- UI designer – The person who puts a graphical ‘face’ on a UX design; UI designers work with the wireframes produced by a UX designer; sometimes the role of a UX and UI designer is combined
- Content strategist – Plans the creation and release of content; content strategists use information from usability testing, analytics tools, surveys, etc.; a content strategist and UX researcher have similar responsibilities
Can I Hire a Copywriter to Do Both Jobs?
Yes, one person can do both jobs well.
Hiring one person skilled at UX writing and copywriting instead of two will save you a bundle. If you run an agency, for example, and can’t predict what type of writer you need, it is convenient to have a writer on staff with strong skills who can flip back and forth depending on the demand.
Skills a Copywriter Needs To Be a Good UX Writer
UX writers may disagree but copywriting can be considered an umbrella term that includes UX writing since there are many overlapping skills and a good copywriter will be able to close any skillset gaps.
If you want one person to fill the role of UX writer and copywriter, look for evidence of these skills in a generalist copywriter.
Technical Product Knowledge
UX writer writing for a product needs to understand the features and inner workings of that product. This means hands-on experience using the product and knowing the user manual inside and out.
Copywriters who write promotional copy like product pages, promo emails, and social media ads can get away without knowing the product except at a high level. Copywriters who write white papers are an exception since they need in-depth domain knowledge and often have years of experience writing on the subject.
Questions to ask a copywriter to understand their technical aptitude:
- What is your research process when working as a UX writer for a SaaS product, mobile app, or web app experience?
- How does in-depth product knowledge feed into UX writing?
UX Design Sensibilities
UX writers work closely with UX designers, and many have sharp UX design sensibilities meaning they understand how humans interact with a user interface. Some UX writers write by filling in the blanks created by UX designers. Unless you have a highly experienced UX designer, you’ll want the UX writer with design sensibilities to either work with the design team or provide input after the fact. It’s better to have two experienced professionals fighting for the best solution.
Copywriters don’t have design sense as a requirement and if you find a good copywriter candidate, these questions will help clarify.
Assuming they have a portfolio to demonstrate UX writing experience, ask them:
- Did they work with a UX designer and if so, what was the process?
- If not, ask them to walk you through the design considerations of a project in their portfolio. It’s an open-ended question by design.
Measuring Results
Copywriters who write ad copy and emails benefit by tracking the results of their writing. Depending on the organization, performance measurement and optimization may not be part of their job. They may not be privy to that data, which is a shame. How else will they be able to iterate on disappointing metrics to improve the open or click-through rates?
Experienced UX writers understand A/B testing and are keen to get their hands on analytics to understand drop-off points.
UX writers follow best practices when writing copy for form labels, error messaging, and menus. After all, why mess with what works? Trying to be too clever or witty may backfire if the user gets confused or annoyed.
Sometimes it makes sense to risk straying from the norm. Conducting user testing and measuring results are ways to understand whether the change paid off.
To see whether a copywriting has working knowledge or understands the value of measuring results, ask:
- What areas in this SaaS, mobile app, or web experience are important to track and measure?
- What is an example of UX copy changes you would make as a result of analytics data?
Writing for Accessibility
An important part of user experience is accessibility to reduce barriers and allow as many people as possible to access the content of your website or app, comfortably.
Usually, when we think of accessibility, we think about accommodating the hearing or sight impaired as an example. Common accessibility considerations for the web include font size and legibility, designing pages to be screen-reader friendly, writing descriptive copy for images, and keeping navigational copy simple.
Accessibility also includes designing for devices—mobile, desktop, tablets—and bandwidth.
Web copywriters factor in accessibility by using headlines, subheads, images, and font faces to accommodate visitors who prefer to quickly skim the website content versus reading every word. If a reader who prefers to skim through a website is hit with a dense wall of copy with no way to easily and quickly digest high-level information, they will leave.
But copywriters usually leave the other accessibility considerations to website designers and developers so it is worth asking these questions to understand their experience:
- How do UX writers approach accessibility for devices, bandwidth, and for the hearing and vision impaired?
- What are some accessibility best practices for SaaS/mobile apps/web apps?
Summary
When it comes to UX writing vs copywriting, each type of writing has a specialized skillset as well as an overlapping skillset.
As a small business or start-up owner, you may not have the budget or the need to hire a UX writer and a copywriter. Instead, understand the major differences between a UX writer vs copywriter, know what transferable skills to look for, and hire a copywriter who has the core UX writing skills and can help you meet your business goals.
