Don’t Let a Simple Mistake Cost You Customers

BY JAMES PAUL

JPWRITELY

COMPANY MESSAGING IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. WITH INCREASED COMPETITION AND SO MANY PLATFORMS AVAILABLE TO USE FOR YOUR BRANDING AND COMMUNICATIONS, PROPER GRAMMAR AND SPELLING ARE CRUCIAL, BUT SO ARE CONSISTENT MESSAGING AND TONE. So, how do you do this? First, establish your brand and tone. They will need to be applied to both your internal and external communications and messaging. After writing but before posting your article, blog, Instagram post, Tweet, Snapchat or TikTok, follow this checklist: • Is this piece consistent with your messaging and tone? • Read it over twice and check for proper grammar and spelling. Then, read it out loud to yourself. The article/post will sound much different when you hear it. Use your regular voice too, and don’t whisper. • Have a colleague read it over and ensure that they understand what your main points are. If you’re both unsure how something will be interpreted, remove it. While you likely cannot read everything that your company posts before it is issued, you can safeguard external communications by making your internal messaging consistent. Do you have a style guide? Are your policies and procedures, training manuals, and other materials aligned with it?

Not only do you want grammar and common company terms spelled and capitalized consistently, you’ll also want to institute guidelines for brand tone, messaging goals for each platform, and what to avoid.

Stay true to your brand and strike a positive tone in your communications. Words and language are essential, especially now that some parents are putting their kids in fewer activities for safety reasons.

Also be cautious of using words or phrases that have negative connotations. For example, even the word drowning can scare parents. You may want to consider using the terms “Water survival” or “At risk” instead. Since people don’t think it can happen to them, focus on using words in your communications to help educate your customers without instilling fear.

If you’re interested in a consultation so that you can prevent any of these potential mistakes, please reach out to me. I’d love to help! jpwritelyediting@gmail.com

With almost two decades of editing experience, I’ll help you tell your story, update and streamline your manuals, write a blog post, or edit your crucial business proposal or presentation, without the mistakes. Be stress-free knowing that your work has been checked by someone who appreciates the lost art of grammar, and has a full-time commitment to the industry.

Running and operating my own small business, I understand the challenges that have come with the last year. Let me help, jpwritelyediting@gmail.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT JPWRITELY.COM