The changing face of copywriting

The art of copywriting has evolved from writing sales copy for marketing purposes to writing for the Internet. Today, copywriting is perceived to encompass everything ranging from marketing and product descriptions to articles for Websites. While copywriting has evolved to see demand for it outstrip supply, it has also formed new paradigms and ideas.

Working with words is nothing new. Ever since the invention - or discovery - of written language in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia), the written word has assumed new forms. At first, writing was used to record important information such as astronomy and calendars required for agricultural and irrigation purposes. With the help of writing, the ancient civilizations could record annual river flood times, the equinoxes and solstices, and the storage and management of crops and grain.

Later, with the invention of the printing press, writing assumed new proportions. People could now publicly disseminate information in the form of printed books and newspapers. Suddenly, the power of the written word increased dramatically. Later on, people realized that writing wasn’t just for conveying information. It could also be used to convey feelings and sentiments. Moreover, it could be used as a sales tool by way of persuasion. And this was the birth of copywriting.