What Copywriting is and Its Evolution

Oh, so you’re here.

If I’m right you clicked on the link because you’re curious to know what copywriting is

Or you want to know more about what the hell copywriting is.

Sorry, I know you know something about it but you just want to find out if there’s something different.

Well, anyhow you’ll learn something.

Few years ago, If you mentioned anything about copywriting near me.

Trust me, I wouldn’t even answer or reply you simply because I didn’t have an idea what the hell copywriting is or do.

And these days on the internet, here and there you tends to hear everyone saying copywriting…copywriter is the best skill (high income skill)

So…are they saying the truth or it’s just “some kind of hype”. Alright let’s find out.

On this page we’ll go on the journey of return. We’ll both look into copywriting and see clearly what it means.

If you remember, for every subject we want to learn in high school the teacher first introduces the meaning of the subject.

I remembered my Biology teacher did that and so we’ll start learning something about the subject.

Likewise copywriting.

Knowing the definition of a skill is wonderful. But that doesn’t mean you know it.

Because copywriting is more than mere English, it’s something deeper than that.

Muyiwa..enough…enough…tell what copywriting is.

Okay…this is it.

Copywriting simply means the science of using words to persuade or influence almost anyone to take a specific action.

Copywriting is also an act of carefully arrange words targeted at a specific audience to make them do your intention or bidding either to make a purchase or sign up for something.

According to copyblogger, “copywriting is the science of strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that gets people to take some form of action”.

As I told you before, copywriting is more than mere definition.

According to Dan Lok, “It means salesman in print”.

You see, see copywriting like a physical salesman who sells something but instead of this person to go and meet his prospect individually. He can simply duplicate himself through words and be able to reach thousands to millions of people at the same time without leaving his house.

That’s copywriting.

So anywhere people buy something or take specific action using words either written or spoken. It’s called copywriting.

Let’s assume I’m selling a laptop, instead of moving to different places to meet my customers or clients.

I can simply write a short or long sales letter and then run an advert to the letter telling my prospect or customer why he or she should buy my laptop. Simple.

Please note: that’s just an example.

You can use copywriting to sell any product or service. 

Now, you might be asking

Who started copywriting or name copywriting?

Well, I think copywriting is as old as human beings.

Advertising copywriting has existed since Babylonian times and the first printed materials are said to have come into the world in 1477, promoting the sale of prayer books.

The actual word “copywriting” means the act of writing words to sell products.

The job of a copywriter began by creating ads on a large poster made of paper with feather-dipped ink. These posters were fixed to walls and poles in the bugger cities of Europe.

The First Independent Copywriter

It has been suggested that the first person to work as an official independent copywriter was John Emory Powers. He lived from 1837 to 1919 and he was the first person to have this job full time, he worked for popular department stores of Lord & Taylor and Wanamaker’s.

The Internet didn’t originate copywriting. Copywriting has existed before internet. Internet only comes to amplify it, simply because buying and selling happens online and it’s via words. This demands more for copywriters.

This is the reason you hear copywriting everywhere on the internet.

You see how simple it is.

What copywriting was formally called?

One of the most prominent and influential copywriters of the past century was Robert Collier, who started the direct mail phenomenon  in thirties, utilizing emotional connecting and psychological techniques. That later became a bestselling and famous new age and self development author.

Copywriting formally was referred to as Direct Response Marketing or Copywriting.

This is why it was refer to as Direct Response

It’s because the copy or sales letter written then demands immediate response.

Copywriter don’t want you to decide tomorrow whether you’ll buy or take his intended action later, not it’s now, immediate, direct.

And this is the example of copy written then

The skill itself is called copywriting

And those who practice it are called copywriters 

Where do copywriters work or do?

A copywriter is in charge of writing promotional copies to promote a product or service

Copywriter writes short and long sales letter

Copywriter writes Facebook ads copy

Copywriter writes Email

Copywriter writes Newsletter

Copywriter writes Radio ads promotion

Copywriter writes Video Advert

Copywriter writes Tweet to get people take action

Copywriter writes Advert for Google ads

Copywriter writes product description

Copywriter writes YouTube description

Copywriter writes billboard advert

Copywriter writes Instagram caption

Copywriter writes blog post

The list is long.

But I hope you understand? You say yes, Good.

That’s what copywriters do.

Anywhere you have to carefully use words to make people take specific actions and so something either written or spoken, think of copywriting.

In today’s world more than 61% of internet users around the world head to search engine to research product they want to buy before they purchase the product. And today internet users currently conduct more than 12 billion searches each month despite this, though, the click-through rate of paid advertisements is only about 2%.

This is more reason business invests more on good advertisers to write copy or post that converts visitors to buyers.

“The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man stops the clock to save time” Thomas Jefferson

In the days ahead there will be more demand for copywriters.

Business owners only have two options.

1. Learn copywriting or
2. Hire a copywriter.

So, if you’re planning to learn copywriting or learning it or you’re a copywriter. I congratulate you.

Because in the days ahead there will be more demand for us.

To learn more on how to get your own share of this on-demand skill check here

Learn something or wanna share with me?