You can offer the best product or service in the world and have a super idea that no one before you had thought of, but if you don't know how to communicate it effectively you will never be able to emerge and broaden your horizons.
This is where copywriting comes into play. What is Copywriting? What are its origins and how has it evolved? These are just a few questions that we will answer in this article.
What is Copywriting?
Copywriting is the art or science (if you prefer) of creating persuasive messages that promote a product, service or idea.
In other words, it's the art of persuasion.
Why is copywriting so important?
The ability to create persuasive messages is more important than ever in today's world where we are constantly bombarded with advertising messages and it is increasingly difficult to stand out.
A good copywriter knows how to capture the reader's attention and lead him to the desired action, such as filling out a contact request form or a purchase.
In short, copywriting is essential to achieving your business goals.
But let's go in order. To understand how copywriting has evolved over the years, we need to take a step back and go back to its origins and to the characters who first played the role of copywriter.
The fathers of copywriting
John Emory Powers was the first copywriter in history and is regarded as the "father of modern advertising".
He began his advertising career in 1870, working for Lord & Taylor, one of the oldest and most successful department stores in the United States. It was here that he perfected his writing techniques to the point that a real style renamed "Power's style" was born. This was characterized by simple and easy-to-understand language, with very short titles.
Alongside Powers, in the same historical period, we find another relevant character for the history of copywriting: Claude C. Hopkins, one of the leading exponents of hard selling and direct advertising.
According to Hopkins, advertising must be able to arouse the desire to consume in people by providing them with all the information necessary to make a purchase. For this reason, the message must be clear, and concise, without beating about the bush.
Last, but not least, Bill Bernbach, is still considered one of the most influential advertisers of the 20th century and is known for having given birth to the second creative revolution of advertising in the United States.
Bernbach's creative revolution was based on the combination of copy and image, as we see it today. Thanks to Bernbach's intuition, the focus has shifted to creativity and emotions, making advertising more effective and persuasive.
His style broke all the canons of advertising up to that point and for this reason he is still considered a point of reference for all copywriters.
The evolution of copywriting with the advent of the internet
Copywriting has undergone a profound evolution over the years, adapting to the needs and characteristics of different historical periods.
Today copywriters have to face a new challenge: writing for the web. The copywriter no longer deals only with writing texts for printed advertising but is much more oriented towards writing texts for websites, newsletters, and ads...
However, the basic principles have remained unchanged since their origins. Indeed, the copywriter must always be able to achieve three important objectives:
Communicate persuasively
Attract attention
Get the reader to take action
The only thing that has changed is the way these objectives are achieved, adapting to the needs of the target and the context in which the message is transmitted. Despite this, the techniques and strategies used continue to evolve rapidly.
Why is copywriting so important to your business?
Many companies, and many entrepreneurs, remain convinced of the idea that the business of copywriting is very simple.
Unfortunately, this is not the case! The copywriter is a professional, a real job that requires specific skills and knowledge.
If hiring a copywriter or contacting a Web Agency like ours may seem like an expense, we are sure that in the medium-long term, this will have more than a positive return on investment. Your site will truly become a powerful tool for getting new leads!
A good copywriter will help you:
1. Be first on Google
For your site to end up among the very first places in Google's SERP (search results page), you need SEO-optimized texts.
These, as we have already seen before, must be simple, easy to read and contain the right keywords, in the right quantity and position.
Unless you have specific skills, your texts will never be SEO-oriented but will be just… simple texts!
2. Build and "pamper" your audience
If you think that the copywriter's job is limited to creating texts that Google likes, you are wrong.
His task is also to create texts that are interesting and useful for the reader, right from the very first lines. Technology has changed our habits and our ways of doing things a lot... In a few lines of text, your reader will decide if your content is interesting to him.
We can apply the same concept to any type of content, therefore not only to texts but also to video images, and resources that you make available to your visitors.
So are you sure you can involve your audience in a short time? Remember that otherwise, users will leave your site immediately.
And every visitor who leaves your site after a short time is a potential customer that you have lost.
3. Save time
Having a copywriter or agency that supports you in copywriting can save you a lot of time.
Creating texts that are SEO-friendly and at the same time interesting to read is not easy. It requires a lot of time, patience and above all specific skills.
If you don't have these skills, it's best to leave room for someone more experienced.
Not only. Much also depends on what the user finds written on your pages. The copywriter must be able to do just that: stir emotions and convince the reader to buy your products or services.
If you are considering entrusting the copywriting part to a web agency, contact me!
I will be happy to help you grow your business. As I have done for many of our customers.
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