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Moonsail Limited
Making Words Work For You |
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When hiring a professional really pays...
If you were working on an important project for your best customer, would you hand a vital element of the work to an employee unqualified to perform the task competently? Of course not. But it’s surprising how often companies utilise internal staff to write important business documents or website content when a freelance professional writer could do the job more effectively – and much quicker too.
I came across an example recently, in the form of a 20-page website. The company’s MD had asked employees from each department to contribute to their respective pages; on the face of it, a sound idea. But sadly the end result was a confusing mix of writing which did little to excite the reader about the products and services the company were offering. Although intended to entice potential customers, the text was littered with hard-to-understand technical terms and abbreviations. Despite the costly design work that had gone into producing the site, the writing failed to convey the right message.
Whether it be for your company brochure, an advertisement, a newsletter, or your website, choosing the right words for your marketing material is crucial if you want to encourage your customers and prospects to give you their business.
Use the wrong words and you can easily send your prospective customers running in the opposite direction. This is especially important on the web, where your competitors may only be a few mouse-clicks away. Writing good web copy requires a specific approach. It should always be as clear and concise as possible. Industry jargon and acronyms will switch readers off straight away, as will huge tracts of text. On the web, less is definitely more – and don’t forget to incorporate those all-important keywords for the search engines to pick up.
That’s all part of our job as freelance writers. So when you’re planning the next written communication for your business, whatever the format, consider the benefits of hiring a professional to do the job for you. It will save you time and help you get the results you really want.
Hugh McClelland
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