Good copy fires the imagination; Bad copy fries the imagination.

I have a copywriting confession to make:  When I’m creating copy, there are certain words that my fingers refuse to type properly.  One of them is “the” which will often appear as “het”.  The other, rather bizarrely, is “who” as in “who goes there?”  The creative part of my brain insists that it’s spelt “woo” and it’s the only word that stops me in my tracks at the computer as the logical half of my brain engages in a battle for orthographic supremacy.

Unfortunately both “het” and “woo” are in the dictionary, so a standard spellchecker will not flag them as incorrect.  Trusting a spellchecker is dangerous.  It should at most be the first of a number of checks on all important documents.

Perspective, instinct and education are the best tools available to a copywriter.  Finish your document and then go out for a walk.  When you sit down again, you’ll read what you’ve written with a fresh pair of eyes and any obvious mistakes should leap from the page.  For more subtle problems, trust your instinct;  if you don’t think something looks right, keep thinking and checking until you are happy.  The more you write and the more you question, the better educated you’ll become.

The consequences of getting it wrong can range from a mildly inconvenient web page correction to a costly reprint of stationery.  Or, as the above picture demonstrates, an expensive manufacturing disaster.  We’ll ignore for a moment that the notice should read “these items are” rather than “this item is”, but I wonder if the employee responsible for signing off on this project was fired.  Or should that be fried?

Cleaning up copy for car cleaning companies

Look at this photograph, which I snapped while dropping off my car at an airport car park recently.  The majority of this company’s potential customers will process the information and decide if the service is for them.  However, a large number of people with dirty cars will react with emotions ranging from mild bemusement to seething anger.

If you spotted the mistake instantly and smiled, then you would make a good proof reader.  If you spotted the big one instantly, then muttered “what about the random capitalisation?” and had to look away in disgust, you might want to buy a blood pressure monitor.

If you’ve still not spotted it, you need a copywriter or proof reader for all of your business communications.

Good copy informs and motivates customers.  Bad copy will still inform, but at a cost;  it can turn away the most literate of people.

You only get one chance to make a great first impression.  The simple mistake of  using “your” instead of “you’re” can raise this question:  “If they don’t take care with their advertising, do I trust them to take care with my car?”

We spend a lot of money giving people reasons to buy from us.  Let’s not give them a reason to buy from others.