The Value of Well Written Copy
The posts on your blog or well written copy on your site – both are equally as important as any other type of writing you would use to represent yourself or your business. An online business is judged by the quality of its copy, newsletters, emails and advertisements.
I have seen plenty of bad advice bandied about by Internet gurus declaring the increased importance of links over quality content. I now regularly encounter the opinion that punctuation and proper spelling are not particularly important online, and that writing your article in a sprint and then adding quick once-over with spell check (almost as an after thought) is more than enough.
To each his own, but for me – no way, Jose. The quality of my writing is a rippling reflection of the character of my thought.
When I encounter a blog with a scattered mess of carelessly crafted copy, I bounce by quicker than a bumble bee landing on a withered rose bud. If I find nothing in the text, then I will never have the chance to find out if there was something for me buried in the blog. It is difficult for me to embrace the idea that online writing is frivolous, where copy can be quickly and carelessly crafted since it is quite obviously as disposable as a passing thought.
But I value my ideas, whether they are forgotten tomorrow or not, and I endeavor to give all my copy equivalent consideration.
People should of course be able to express themselves honestly, and a journal blog is not the same as a business blog. However, when we lower our collective standards we do our future few favors. Not everything must be worthy of a Pulitzer, and I do agree that online standards can be a little softer, but I also believe correct grammar and punctuation are important. Proper punctuation and syntax are the road signs to language. Even a few slight pot holes can render written work unreadable.
Sure, content is king, but content isn’t only about ideas, it is also about the care and craftsmanship behind the copy. Throwing words on the page as fast as you can, just to hit publish isn’t any more considerate to the reader than the carpenter who builds a chair with loose screws for someone to sit on.
Print and online copy are not the same, and of course there are plenty of mistakes that slip through the proofreading net. I’ve made plenty. Copyblogger has 60,000 readers, takes their business seriously, and still publishes the occasional typo. There isn’t a soul breathing fortunate enough to have never made a single mistake. But there is a difference missing something and never having tried to catch it.
If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. If business owners want clients to value their content, perhaps they should give it value first.
Ghostwriter Dad
5 Responses to “The Value of Well Written Copy”
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Completely with you on this one although it depends what people are writing to achieve. Some of my favourite bloggers have pieces riddled with typos and/or spelling mistakes, but it doesn’t worry me at all because I go there to enjoy them, their essence and their message. But anyone hoping to get business from writing needs to be careful of the hidden messages that carelessness sends out.
Because everything we write online builds up our mosaic online presence, I do wish, too, that every blogger would get Ajax Comment Editor as a courtesy. We’re all human, and it gives people who comment the chance to eradicate any ouchy, embarrassing mistakes they leave in. ;)
You are absolutely right, Janice. Audience is the most important ingredient. I actually have a totally under the radar blog where the only purpose is to brain drain two-hundred words a day while slowly ripening on the Google vine. Sometimes I don’t even spell check. It’s just about the quick hit.
It’s like Cindy tells her students who worry too much about the handwriting – ideas are exponentially more important.
I totally agree with you on this one. I tend to take this a step further. My kids always give me a little chuckle, but even when I text them, I use the proper capitalization and punctuation. It’s how I was taught, and good habits tend not to die. :)
I agree, as already pointed out before by Janice, especially if the person is writing for a living.
Unfortunately I am slightly dyslexic and have good days and bad days. Some days I can spell any given word correctly and on other days spell the same word wrong. I do find it frustrating, especially when I spell a word correctly and in my eyes the word looks wrong, it’s so time consuming going through different ways of spelling the word only to see I was right the first time around.
I do use a spell checker but have noticed that I sometimes replace misspelt words for the wrong word entirely. Again very frustrating stuff I can tell you.
I am proud of how far I’ve come with my writing, I was also late in starting my education at 14-years-old due to family problems. I didn’t get the chance to learn much, so I am making up for that now. Thank god for the internet and people like Sean for sharing and posting helpful information as this above, it is valuable in so many ways to me and n0 doubt others.
Thank you Sean, keep the great posts coming. ;-)
Lisa: Sorry it was lonely here for so long! I guess I totally missed this. Yep, habits die hard for sure. I can’t help but pay strict attention, even in casual emails. If I don’t, I feel as if I’m laboring through being incorrect on purpose.
Darron: Wow, I can’t even imagine how frustrating that would be! I would feel all grrr at least half the time I’m sure. It’s awesome that you’ve been able to come so far. Congratulations and good on you!