Copywriters in Dorset…

November 27th, 2013

… WHERE ARE YOU?

Are you – or do you know – a copywriter in Dorset?

I am a copywriter in Dorset and I’d love to meet some of my local peers. So if you write copy in Dorset – or know someone who does – please tell them to give me a shout.

I attend local meet-ups like Dorset Digital and MeetDraw – so if you’re writing copy in Dorset get along to one of these events.

Incidentally, the next Dorset Digital meet-up is tonight (27 November 2013) at the Goat and Tricycle in Bournemouth: http://www.dorsetdigital.co.uk/

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NEW – Blog writing and posting service

November 27th, 2013

Many of my clients have blogs, but very few write blog posts.

Consequently, many of my clients have a section of their website which is lying dormant – not delivering the benefits it might.

A neglected blog is definitely a missed opportunity. Regular blogging brings many benefits, including:

– your potential clients can learn who you are, what you care about and what you know

– Google is reminded that your website is active and relevant

– you can join your industry peers in discussions and debates.

And one negative impact of having a neglected blog is that potential clients wonder if you’re still there – and if your business is still a going concern.

Publish regular blog posts without the hard work

Instead of slaving over documents and messing about with your CMS, you can work with me instead.

We’ll devise a plan for the months ahead, work together to generate ideas, and then I will write and upload a month’s worth of articles each month.

So you get a lively, active and engaging blog without having to devote hours and hours to it each month. You still get high-quality content that’s written in your voice with the benefit of your expertise, but I do all the laborious writing.

Email: leif@kendallcopywriting.co.uk for pricing.

Or call: 07790 748 243

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Fix mistakes (how to be your own copywriter)

November 26th, 2013

Words are easy to get wrong. Words are tricky buggers and they invite mistakes. So it’s not unusual to have a few mistakes or errors in your copy. Luckily, we can fix it.

In this series of blog posts I’m suggesting ways that you can improve your copy yourself.

But before we think about making your copy brilliant, let’s cover how to make it acceptable. Because few things will deter a potential customer more quickly than an error-ridden website or brochure. Errors suggest you’re inattentive, or lazy, or incompetent. Clearly, these are not the kind of signals you want to send to potential customers.

And this isn’t just about grammar and spelling. Your copy can have several kinds of mistakes:

Factual errors

Your website recommends a service you no longer offer. Your brochure lists an address that you no longer use. Your user manual recommends software that no longer exists. Your team page features staff who no longer work for you.

These kinds of errors usually emerge because of the passage of time. The passing of time is inevitable. You failing to update your copy is not.

When you check your copy, imagine that you are a new customer discovering your organisation for the first time. Can you find accurate, up-to-date answers to your questions?

Technical errors

A link to your services page actually leads people to your products. Your contact form is broken.

There is no point having amazing copy if people can’t navigate to that part of your website. These errors are easy enough to uncover. You just have to click around your website. Follow every link. Make sure you end up where you’re supposed to end up.

Grammatical and spelling errors

You don’t need to be a grammar genie to get this stuff right. You just need to write your copy in Word (or anything that has a capable spell checker) and be aware of tricky words (too/to, your/you’re etc). And if you’re not sure about tricky words, you should call on a friend who is.

Seek help

There’s a good chance you know at least one grammar pedant who will review your copy for you. There’s no shame in asking for help. If you can, get more than one person to review your copy. The more eyes you have on the copy, the less chance there is of errors sneaking through.

Once you’ve eliminated errors from your copy you can begin to think about making it awesome. We’ll cover that in the weeks ahead.

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