Nothing screams ‘unprofessional’ like poorly written marketing material. From typoos, to confusing sentences and unnecessarily Capitalised Words, writing mistakes can be ugly. Companies need to write correctly – but they also need to write well if they want to build a valuable and trusted brand. Here are eight tips for smoother, simpler and more effective business writing:
Be persuasive, not pushy
Companies that write to be helpful and show they really care about their product or service have better persuasive power than those that are too pushy. People tend to block out anything that’s too salesy, so your writing should show your customers your worth, not tell them.
Get straight to the point
Less is more. When your writing is simple, clear and concise, customers are far more likely to read and engage with it. Make sure you only say what’s totally necessary to get your point across – anything more becomes waffle.
Be accurate
Consumers are savvy, hard to impress and even harder to fool. This means businesses that use incorrect facts, figures or statistics will get caught out. To protect your credibility, it’s essential to strive for accuracy 100 per cent of the time.
Be authentic
Your business should have a strong voice that aligns with your target consumers. To build a solid relationship with customers, this voice also needs to be consistent across all communications touch points.
Be thorough
Your writing should answer your consumer’s main questions immediately, in their order of importance. Don’t beat around the bush – if you give customers the information they need, they’ll do more business with you.
Be human
Trusted brands don’t only write content to sell products, they write to build personality. Consumers are far less likely to engage with boring mechanical writing and are far more likely to connect with content that appeals to them on a deeper, human level.
Use tools
There are a variety of tools out there beyond Microsoft Word’s spellchecker that can help you improve your writing. For example; Grammarly provides extra proof reading and spelling advice (even on social media), Hemmingway Editor evaluates the simplicity and clarity of sentences, while Evernote can help you manage your time more effectively.
Proof read everything
Check, double check and triple check your work. Even the most well-written communications sound cheap when they’re rife with spelling and grammar errors.
Need help developing a written voice that motivates and excites? Merryn Bourne Creative can work closely with your brand to improve communications, connect with consumers and generate real sales results. For more detailed information, contact us today.