GrammarPhile Blog

As the online world has become more saturated with written content in the past couple of decades, the distinctions between what marketers do and what writers do have become extremely blurred. At first it may not seem obvious that such once-distinct professions are melding together, depending on your own profession. But it’s true. After all, why do employers seem to think that marketers should have top-rated writing skills? And why do employers and online entities believe their marketers should write digital content? Further, why do writers need an excellent online presence and digital marketing skills to get their content read and shared online?

Most copywriting experts will suggest you write the way you speak when you’re writing marketing copy, that you should sound natural and use a conversational tone if you truly want to get your message across to an audience.  

In a previous post, we highlighted some grammar rules that can and should be broken if you want your marketing copy to be effective. Here are a few more to add to that list.

Remember when all formal correspondence started with To Whom It May Concern? These days, if you receive an email with that as the opener, you’re more likely to send it straight to the trash. The days of proper letters have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean you should use loose, casual language and expect to get what you want. A formal email is not the same as an effective email, but combining the power of the two gives you a better chance of getting the reply you desire.

Who says you’re too old to trick-or-treat? This week, we offer 8 tricks to help you become a better proofreader, along with a few treats at the end for those who proofread marketing, legal or medical copy.

Not all of these techniques will work for everyone, and they won’t work in all instances. Much will depend on the length and complexity of the text, the time available for proofreading and what works for you individually. I use some of these tricks regularly and others not at all. Give them a try with your next document and see what works for you. 

In last week’s post, we discussed the first three tips relating to how to make the content of your business writing better:

1. Know the purpose of the piece and make it clear up front.
2. Write in plain English.
3. Use active voice.

Below we provide the remaining three tips related to improving content, and in Part 3 we’ll tell you how to fine-tune what you’ve written.

Excellent advice abounds for how to be a better writer in specific fields: public relations/marketing, law, medicine, technology, etc. Despite the nuances specific to those disciplines, certain rules for good business writing apply across the board. Our tips aren’t all-inclusive, but if you follow these guidelines, you’ll improve your business writing exponentially.

We discuss the first six tips, relating to content, today and in Part 2 next week. The third week in Part 3 we'll talk about how to fine-tune what you’ve written.