“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words” - Mark Twain
Flawless writing is the cornerstone of clear communication. If the design is the silent ambassador of your brand, the written content is the one making friends in the kitchen. Your words are your mightiest weapon.
While fewer people might be reading books and more relying on technology and social media, the common complaint that our written standards have dropped couldn’t be further from the truth. Our formal grammar may have changed, but people still appreciate a well-written text, even if it’s just a social media update or casual blog post.
The reality is that as a brand, even a small one, people are judging everything you do. And just like in school, you will lose points for bad spelling. In fact, one survey showed that 59 per cent of Britons were unlikely to spend money with a company that had errors in their web copy or marketing materials.
You need to be on the ball when writing for brands, publishing pristine, error-free copywriting. Here are some sage words of advice from our writers and editors to help you craft high-quality content.
- Clarity is key
Deliver your message clearly and concisely. Don’t waffle or use too much jargon; otherwise, you risk losing the reader’s interest. If someone starts reading and doesn’t understand what you’re saying or can’t see the relevance, they’ll drop you like a hot rock and go to your competitors instead.
You might think that you don’t read much if you rarely sit down with a book but when you think about social media, emails, texts and the news, you’d be surprised at how much-written content you take in on a daily basis.
The flip side to this content overload is that when you are writing for your brand, you must ensure that every word matters and has the intended effect. Don’t be boring. Be concise, clear, and accurate.
- Avoid slip-ups at all cost
First impressions matter. There’s no room for spelling mistakes, dodgy grammar, or complicated words, as these can (and should) put people off. It must be flawless when you’re ready to put your voice out there.
Bad grammar and punctuation have an immediate negative impact on the reader’s impression of your brand. Mistakes are easily made when you’re writing fast, especially if you’re using a phone. Something as basic as a simple spelling mistake or the wrong verb form can diminish your authority and customer trust. Avoid such slip-ups by always double and triple-checking what you’ve written before submission.
Before publishing content and branding material for our clients at Contese, our team of writers and editors check every piece of writing several times in a robust process to ensure flawless writing.
- Put yourself in your readers' shoes
Pride yourself not only on accuracy and literacy but also on integrity. You don’t want to accidentally offend a reader because you didn’t keep your audience in mind or read over your writing for mistakes. Always put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re writing for. Consider every word, every comma, and every capitalisation. Be meticulous because the details matter.
- Writing for your demographic
You wouldn’t want to use the same style or tone on all the different publishing mediums. Each medium has a different audience with different needs. For example, you’ll find a younger demographic all over Instagram and Twitter, but you may see an older crowd on Facebook and LinkedIn. If your demographic is middle-aged men, then they probably won’t understand the latest internet slang. If your demographic is young women, they likely aren’t interested in articles about the best golf courses on the coast.
There are also different rules on every platform, whether it be character count or banned topics. so be informed on what you can and can’t do on each platform and find out the best way to write for its readers.
The best way to determine your style for a particular platform is by analysing the audience and choosing a single reader to target. For Instagram, let’s picture a person in their 20s who wants to buy your product but needs further information. Maybe they also like live music, live with roommates, and are always posting pictures of their cute dogs. Take them on a journey, exciting them and getting them to interact with what you’re saying.
- Consider your writing style
Once you know your audience, your platform, and the rules, define your writing style. Then, then keep it in mind with everything you write to ensure a perfect end result. For example, when writing on social media, using emojis is accepted and even encouraged. But don’t pair it up with archaic language or 1990s text talk. You want the words to flow and match the smiley face you’re using them with.
Find a balance between informal and formal speech. If the topic you are writing about is technical and serious, you may want to stick to a formal tone, but you also don’t want to bore your readers. There’s no problem with incorporating a bit of conversational speech to allow your audience to relate to your text. Also, don’t forget who you’re writing for. Every word should have meaning for your reader. Don’t lose sight of this.
Words with a difference, why not try our writing services?
This may sound worrying, but don’t worry. If you’ve made these mistakes it doesn’t mean it’s too late to improve. After all, Lego’s name was linked to an ad with the slogan “So fun, they won’t even know their learning”, and they declared 7.44 billion euros in revenue in 2021.
If you’re concerned about how your brand is perceived and writing isn’t your forte, it’s worth hiring a content agency to ensure that bad-quality copywriting does not hold your brand growth.
Contese Agency is different. We put words above anything else and support them with killer SEO, big data research, and a passion for perfection.
If you need flawless writing for your brand, get in touch with our team.
We’re experts in writing for brands and will help you find a cost-effective solution that fits your requirements and budget. We’d love to hear from you!