It’s all in how you say it! Writing tips for marketing.
One of the most important yet overlooked aspects of marketing is the wording. What you write does matter. For many people, how their product/website looks is focused on and perfected to the tee, but when it comes to what their site actually says, it is just quickly slapped together. This can, and most likely, will hurt your business. Sure, visually your website/brochure needs to draw your customer in, but your words are what actually keeps the customer’s attention. Some pointers to keep in mind when writing:
*Avoid the passive voice. If you don’t remember active vs. passive voice from your days in elementary school- here’s a quick refresher. In an active voice sentence, the subject is performing an action. Example: The dog ate my homework. On the other hand, in a passive voice sentence, the receiver of the action in an active voice sentence will now become the sentence. Therefore, the dog ate my homework will become: The homework was eaten (by my dog). As you can see, the excitement of the passive voice sentence does not even compare to the active voice. There are times, however, when passive voice is necessary-perhaps when you are trying to deflect blame, because in a passive voice sentence the agent of the action is not a necessity as in active. Overall, just avoid being passive, ok?
*Vary your sentence structure/words. No one likes to see the same thing over and over and over and over and over (Ok, you get it) again. Vary your sentence structure, sentence length, and the words you use. If you use the phrase “for example” in one paragraph, try “to illustrate” in the next. Thesauruses are your friend- use them!
*Don’t get too hung up on grammar but know the basics. The rules of grammar are constantly changing mostly because of the presence of the web. The internet, instant messaging, emailing, and texting are changing the rules of grammar. It IS acceptable to use LOL in the right context or the proper medium. You probably shouldn’t use it in a brochure, but in a blog, it’s perfectly acceptable. Don’t sweat the small stuff, but do learn the basics. Example: their vs. they’re, you’re vs. your, etc. These will save your life and your business. If I’m reading even a blog and someone uses you’re as a possessive, I laugh at them. Yes, that’s right. I’m that mean. I can’t even take them seriously after reading that. Learn the basics but know there are exceptions to the rules with the internet/text/email.
*Avoid the ordinary. I recently read a story online about a homeless man who had a sign that read “Help me. I’m blind.” A marketing lady took a marker and changed the sign to read “It’s autumn and I can’t see the leaves change color, please help.” He made a lot more money panhandling. So, even though you’re probably not a panhandler on the streets, you are a panhandler in the business world- plan accordingly.
Hope these help- just remember writing is important and to state the obvious: spellcheck!