By definition, academic writing is content writing with some set rules. Content writing, excluding academic writing, is the more creative, informal, and analytic form of writing; written on the same topic by different writers may vary a lot because it is generated through the perception and individual take of the writer. Whereas academic writing is concise and precise with the same core matter, no matter how many writers drag it through their words. If Content Writing Is The Same As Academic Writing? What Is The Difference Between Content Writing And Academic Writing?

When asking a question that is content writing is the same as academic writing, we are forced to analyze them separately. They both differ with respect to the target audience as well as the approach and flow of the content.

Content Writing

Content writing is to reach large populations; its basic function is to grab people’s attention as quickly as possible. Content writing is closely related to digital marketing; almost all the written content on the internet, whether blogs, articles, SEO writing, etc., are forms of content writing. The need for content writing is always high in today’s modern internet world. Content writing helps in keeping the audience curious about a specific thing or development. Many businesses use content writing to reach their target audience through digital and print media.

Content writing doesn’t have a set structure; it usually lacks citation and referencing or strictly formal language. It is written in a conversational style to capture the reader’s interest. Many times, contractions and slang are also used for this purpose. Such writing aims to inform, persuade and entertain the audience.

Normally, it would seem that it should be an easy task without a proper structure and lack of citations or references. But the thing is, it’s equally challenging as academic writing because it has to be creative and constantly on guard to keep the interest of the audience. Otherwise, people don’t usually sit and read through things if it makes them feel bored. It requires creativity and extensive research to make it rich with interesting facts about a specific topic.

Academic Writing

On the other hand, academic writing has to be precise with a clear structure, and full of facts. Academic writing only needs to fulfil the requirements of the topic it is being written for; it is usually structured as a description of the topic > investigation of issues/discussion > presentation of solutions/responses > and summary.

A writer needs to be very conscious of several things here,

•         Use formal language
•         Do not use slang
•         Use of citation and referencing as much as possible
•         Provide real facts
•         Follow a set structure
•         Be concise and precise

Academic writing is used in dissertations, research papers, assignments, etc. When writing for any academic purpose, the writer has to extensively research the topic and form fact-based arguments in the essay. The writing style is formal because no beating around the bush is present here; it is best not to use extra words or sentences to factually lay out the topic requirements.

Due to the nature of academic writing, one can find it difficult if they are writing it for someone else, as is the case with many freelance writers. On freelance platforms, many different types of academic writing jobs are posted, and normally they are very distinct from each other. When a freelancer with an engineering background accepts a job where the topic is related to commerce or literature, he is subjected to much more research than he would need for a topic related to engineering. It is all due to the most basic requirement of academic writing, i.e., facts and referencing to back those facts.  

Comparison Between Content Writing And Academic Writing

Let’s compare both types of writings to know if content writing is the same as academic writing. It is mentioned earlier that academic writing is content writing, so they fall under the same vast category. But when we compare them both, we have to analyze them separately from one. Content writing aims to target a vast audience and capture their attention, feeding them information that they view as a time killer or entertainment or sometimes just to get informed, like reading newspapers.

On the other hand, academic writing doesn’t necessarily have to aim at any audience. It aims to accomplish the requirements of the topic it is being written for. It might be possible that a handful of people will ever read it, or sometimes, there is no reader other than the writer.

Conclusion

Both forms of writing require an almost equal effort to put in. Content writing needs creativity and clever use of language, while academic writing needs less clutter and precision in the wording throughout the essay.