Question of the Week: How Has Copywriting Evolved Over the Decades?

Early in his career, Salman Rushdie was a copywriter. It’s safe to say that if he’d stayed in advertising, he could have avoided years of hiding. Because no matter how offensive or horrible copywriting might be, it’s never been known to incite a fatwa. 

It’s also safe to say that at the time Mr. Rushdie was in advertising, the kind of copy that was getting tongues wagging and ears flapping was of a different ilk. For instance, it served to “wag tongues” and “flap ears.” Yep. It was the bee’s knees.

Back in those days, copywriters were frequently specialists in advertorial copy with a background in English or Journalism. They learned how to sell to consumers through conventional ad copy. 

Conventional Copy Does Not Cut It Any Longer 

Actually, it hasn’t for a while. 

Consumers have seen and heard it all before. The old tricks of the trade aren’t convincing to folks who’ve been “sold to” for decades. Athletes and celebrities just don’t have the selling power they once did - in spite of a certain car insurance company’s belief that Shaquille O’Neal will send people running for affordable coverage.

And over-the-top disruptive advertising copy only works when consumers don’t see right through the “look how awesome we are thinking outside the box” tactics. It can’t insist upon itself like a Wes Anderson movie. And it has to be done well.

Copywriting is in a perpetual state of evolving. But the internet has been a serious game changer.

These Days, Consumers Are Research Driven 

They’re going to go where their internet searches take them. And they want brands that have useful, relevant, actionable and entertaining content. Rather than being bamboozled and sold to, they want to be informed. Especially millennials.

That’s why the name of the game these days is inbound marketing.

Thus, copywriters need to sound distinctive. They need to have something valuable to say. Having good and relevant content is one of the biggest differentiating factors in today’s marketplace. 

Oh, and here’s another thing that’s different. Writing for a niche. In fact, there’s a verb for it - niching. A copywriter can really capitalize on writing extensively on one thing really well. Because, again, consumers want to be informed. Even if they’re being informed about clothes or cars or… platypuses. 

Some things haven’t changed though.

Copywriters Must Be Able to Tell a Compelling Story

It’s the key to effective advertising.

Copywriters still need to get into their target audience’s head. Not in a creepy Stephen King sort of way. They simply must possess the skills to craft words in a way that’s meaningful enough to inspire action. 

Another thing that hasn’t changed is the necessity of balancing logic and emotion. Like it or not, humans are emotional creatures. We are led just as effectively by an emotional leash as a rational one. Classic and modern copywriting equally play on both aspects - stirring up feelings while simultaneously giving the “why.” 

So no matter how copywriting continues to evolve, the element of human psychology and its many needs will remain the consistent thread. 

Until we start marketing to robots.