The end result of online copywriting can be very delicate.

It’s like, when you are launching a space probe, even a difference of 0.00003 degree can send your space probe millions of kilometers away from its target.

Small words can make a big difference.

The purpose of your online copywriting is to get the right people to your website or blog.

These people should convert and buy from you, become your customers or your clients.

If, instead of attracting visitors who want to become your paying customers and clients, you are constantly attracting people who want to learn so that they can do on their own what you do professionally, you are not going to get any business.

Again, if I want to attract businesses looking for premium online copywriting services but instead, I attract businesses and individuals who are looking for cheap copywriting services, my targeting is skewed.

Anyway, I’m digressing from the main topic: Difference between demand generation and lead generation and how, knowing the difference, affects your online copywriting.

What is lead generation?

You generate a lead when someone gives you his or her email ID or phone number so that you can keep in touch and preferably, make a business proposition.

Now, when I say someone giving you his or her email ID or phone number, it doesn’t mean any person and for any reason under the sun.

If you give me your email ID or your phone number knowing that I will be promoting my online copywriting services to you and in near future, you may be interested in hiring me, you are a lead for me.

Even if you don’t want to hire me in the foreseeable future but think that somewhere down the line you may need my services and hence you would like me to keep in touch with you, you are a lead.

So, someone who shows interest in your business (knows what your business is) and gives you his or her contact information so that you can keep in touch (about your business) that person is your lead.

What is demand generation?

Different sources have different meaning for demand generation, but what it basically means is, letting people know what you can do for them and what is the benefit of doing business with you.

The demand can be generated in two ways: (1) recognizing an existing gap and filling it, and making people aware of what you have to offer them; (2) making people who know that they need your services but are not aware of your existence, aware of your existence.

When Steve jobs came up with the design of the first iPhone almost everyone scoffed at the idea of a mobile phone without physical buttons.

Now we will scoff at the idea of a mobile phone with physical buttons.

He generated a demand for mobile phones that didn’t have physical buttons, even when people didn’t know that such mobile phones were possible.

Hence, to generate demand, you raise awareness about what you can do.

To promote my online copywriting services, I need to constantly educate people on why quality copywriting is necessary for their websites and blogs and what they are missing if they are not working with a professional online copywriter.

Online copywriting for generating leads

As mentioned above, generating leads means encouraging people to give you their contact information so that you can keep in touch with them and present to them your business proposition.

How do you achieve that through online copywriting?

To understand this, you need to understand why would people give the information to you?

When they trust you.

When they value your advice.

When they trust your knowledge.

I don’t believe in offering people something in lieu of their contact information.

This is why, I’m not comfortable with the idea of offering your prospective leads an e-book or another lucrative offers so that they leave their email ID or their phone number to you.

I would rather offer them valuable content through my blog and website and then leave it up to them whether they want to keep in touch or not.

But then, it depends on your audience. Just the fact that they are ready to give you their email ID to be able to download your e-book means that they value that e-book written and published by you.

Anyway, to generate leads, you need to create a positive presence on the web.

People must feel confident enough to leave their email ID and your phone number with you.

They should feel moved enough to call you or fill up your contact form.

Whether you want to achieve it through quality content writing or through one-off offer of an e-book or a white paper, depends on your marketing strategy.

Online copywriting for demand generation

To generate demand, you need to make people aware of the benefits of your product or service.

Why would you hire my online copywriting services?

You want to improve your SEO.

You want to engage your visitors in positive conversations.

You want to improve your conversion rate.

Hence you are looking for an online copywriting service you can count on.

But for that, you need to know an online copywriting service can deliver you these services.

What if you don’t know that you need these services to run a successful online business?

Then my job is to make you aware.

I need to tell you why search engine traffic is important for your business.

I need to explain to you why engagement is important.

I need to demonstrate how targeted search engine traffic coupled with engagement, can improve your conversion rate.

When I make you aware, I generate demand for my service.

So, basically, both for lead generation and demand generation, you need to make a connection.

The difference is, demand generation is an ongoing awareness campaign whereas lead generation is a consequence of that campaign.