Writing is a strange skill. We all learn how to write at school and have at least a basic understanding of spelling, grammar and punctuation. We write every day of our lives, whether it’s reports, tweets, shopping lists, texts or letters. However, there are lots of reasons why it makes sense to employ a professional writer.
Have you ever read anything like this?
“10% of”
“We are comitted to helping you’re sales grow”
“Their are lots of reasons to use us”
“Let us look after the garden while your on your holiday’s”
Spelling mistakes, misplaced apostrophes, bad grammar and poor writing dent a company’s reputation. I don’t know to what extent, no one tells you they were going to employ you or buy from you until they decided you looked unprofessional, they just walk away.
I ♥ Grammar
One good reason for employing a writer is that they have a pretty good grasp of language. They enjoy employing its intricacies, applying grammatical rules and crafting creative copy, which to many would be like watching paint dry on a cold day.
My reputation rests on my writing and clients deserve a certain level of service and accuracy so I am extremely careful to make sure that my writing is purged of errors, as far as is humanly possible.
Copywriting & Online Writing
When we talk about ‘copy’ it means writing intended to make someone do something or buy something. Knowing how to present a topic to grab someone’s attention and make them buy it or act in the way you want them to involves skill. Of course, it can be taught and practised but this takes time.
There is a big difference between writing for print and the internet. I started out writing for magazines and print and have moved into online writing. People read web pages in a certain way, their eyes move left to right then scan down the left-hand side, which is where the most important information needs to be
Content also has to be broken up into bite-sized chunks as we all tend to have the attention span of a three year old when we’re online!
And finally…
One interesting quote I read recently in a study of successful small and medium-sized businesses makes my final point rather well:
“If I knew then what I know now, I would have delegated much sooner so I could focus on my core work. In the end, having only 24 hours in the day is your biggest restriction so you have to bring in other people to get round that”.
So, would you employ a copywriter or not? If not why not? Please feel free to comment on the post and let me know your thoughts.
Sally Mayor helps businesses and charities by writing websites, blogs and newsletters that engage with their readers and turn more of them into clients or supporters. You can find out about Sally and her company, WordNerd, by reading her blog here.
