Don’t let writing mistakes drag down your business’s marketing efforts.
Many small business owners are being thrust into a new role, writing content for their business’s marketing campaign. This is inherently a good thing, setting your business apart from the competition.
However, if you are new to writing, there are some fairly common writing mistakes you’ll want to avoid.
Don’t Commit These Writing Mistakes
The Temptation to Simply Sell – People don’t sit down at their computer to consume hours of commercial content every day. They have questions. They want answers. They are curious about your industry, and are possibly doing some research before they buy. Forge that connection. Be helpful. The rest will come.
Wanting to Sound Smart – Your business or industry may be somewhat complicated. Maybe you went to school or underwent some sort of professional training to get where you’re at. When it comes to your marketing, none of that matters. If you can’t explain your point in a way that your customers understand, they will search for the answers to their questions elsewhere. Avoid advanced industry terms if you can. Spell out acronyms. Explain things in a way your readers will understand.
Not Connecting With Your Audience – Your audience came to your blog for a reason. They picked up your marketing materials for a reason. They have a question. They have a pain point. Do you know what that is? Are you creating the right kind of content to meet your readers where they are at? It’s important that you are creating the type of content that will get read.
An Unwillingness to Take Risks – You have an idea for a post but you’ve not seen it before, and you’re unsure your audience will be interested. Think of your blog as a series of experiments. Try new things on a regular basis. Keep what works. Discard the rest. A willingness to take risks every once in awhile is the way you set your business and your blog apart from the companies doing the same thing you’re doing. It’s what makes your readers willing to take a chance on you.
Put a Little Personality Into Your Writing – Just because it’s for your business doesn’t mean your writing needs to be void of all personality. Go ahead, mention some of the things that make you who you are. I have mentioned my love for music, and suffering from the affliction of being a Cubs fan on a regular basis. I do this because people don’t buy from businesses. They buy from other people. This is true in B2b writing as well.
What other writing mistakes do you commonly see?
Matt Brennan is a Chicago-area marketing copywriter and copy editor. He is also the author of Write Right – Sell Now.
