Modern Copywriting: How it Has Changed Over the Years
The way we reach out to our target market has changed over the years. With most people constantly online, digital marketing has become an important part of our lives.
And copywriting is a huge part of a successful digital marketing campaign—just ask Julia McCoy, the CEO of a content creation company that serves thousands of customers.
In a recent conversation, we discussed how copywriting has changed over the years and how people can take advantage of those changes.
How Copywriting Has Come Full Circle Since Its Beginning
Julia had the opportunity to interview Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute. He told her how copywriting got its start over a hundred years ago, with Benjamin Franklin no less!
Mr. Franklin wrote copy for the
Poor Richard's Almanac, and the way he did it was through storytelling.
When people first started writing content for the internet, they focused their efforts on trying to get a high Google ranking. They did this by stuffing their content with keywords they thought would rank well. The result was copy that was, at times, barely readable.
Thankfully, those times have changed, and we’re back into storytelling mode. Back in 2012, Google changed its algorithm. Overnight, keyword-stuffed content went from page one of Google to being lost past page five.
The new algorithm forces copywriters to create high-quality content that is meant for humans, not search engines. If someone writes copy solely focusing on SEO tactics, Google’s advanced algorithm will figure it out and penalize the site.
Conversely, content that is helpful, useful, and relevant is rewarded with better rankings.
How can you write content that helps you improve your rankings? Julia had some suggestions.
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Get really clear about who your ideal client is and then create content specifically with them in mind.
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Constantly think about what kind of questions your ideal client has, what their goals, concerns, and desires are. Doing so will help you write content that is relevant to them.
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Switch up your content format occasionally. If you notice that your customers (or people you wish were your customers) are regularly re-posting video content, start creating content for videos.
A Key to Successful Copywriting: Continue to Educate Yourself
Even though we’ve come full circle when it comes to moving away from keyword stuffing and becoming better storytellers, that doesn’t mean things won’t change.
Search engine algorithms change regularly, and writers/business owners have to keep up to date on the latest information. Doing so could mean the difference between being listed on page one of Google and being lost on page 20.
Take the time to educate yourself regularly. Follow the experts and implement their suggestions. They know the latest trends, why they work, and how to use them. They share these tips on their podcasts, in webinars and training courses, and their blogs.
It takes just a little bit of time out of your day to do it, but it will definitely be worth it.
Are you ready to start a blog or take your current blog to the next level? Then, invest in Julia’s copywriting manual So You Think You Can Write
Follow her suggestions and watch your blog take off!
David Reimherr
David brings 20 years of sales, marketing, strategy & branding experience to the table. He is the founder of Magnificent Marketing which specializes in content marketing, video marketing & social media advertising (e-commerce, lead-gen, strategic content distribution) and is a lover of marketing, dogs and life!