By Joel Samberg
There is plenty of accomplished writing coming from corporate Connecticut, some generated in-house, some provided by the many highly-skilled marketing communications agencies. But the sloppy, nominal work stands out. Far too often, the value of good writing is devaluated. That must change.
The promotional merit of good, effective writing should never be underestimated. Too many people fail to recognize that whatever is written on behalf of products, services, projects — even hiring efforts and networking ventures — can end up as archival material representing companies for years.
That includes Web sites, brochures, newsletters, advertorials, letters and memos. In the cyber world, anything can show up anywhere and last forever. Rambling, boring, ostentatious, cliché-ridden or grammatically challenged writing haunts. Good writing pays off. Unfortunately, fewer people take the time.
Email is perhaps the biggest culprit, from subject lines to body copy. How often have you received an email that has nothing to do with what the subject line? It might say “Kittens & Puppies,” and you may decide to wait until morning to open it. But it could be your biggest client asking to meet in the morning for an important discussion. He simply hit respond on your last email — in which you presented a promotional idea tied to a local pet shelter — and wrote a new email without bothering to change the subject line.
You might call this a pet peeve of mine. Sounds trivial, but part of a bigger issue. Here’s a corporate email. The subject line was “Re,” and the body said, “Tomorrow is fine my bad for not getting back to you sooner.” Email is fast and easy. Maybe too fast and easy. It makes us feel like dynamic skippers on the information superhighway, with no need for self-evaluation or criticism.
Many companies rely on their own people to provide content for business communications, including Web sites. Often it’s a budgetary decision: why hire a communications firm or reputable freelancer when writing is a fundamental skill we all learn in school? That’s one reason professional writing is not seen as a valuable commodity. Yes, we can all write. We can all add, subtract, multiply and divide, too — but would you use any employee to run your accounting department?
From a local company’s Web site: “The owners of the company have made a commitment to continue to provide the excellent service and expertise which has lead to the success of these firms through the years.” A commitment to service, but not to syntax or spelling.
Thousands of press releases are generated every day. Editors receive weak and unconvincing releases aren’t charitable. Here’s a selection from one issued by a Hartford non-profit: “On March 4th, three planes loaded with thousands of pounds of emergency resources and supplies delivered much-needed goods to the local orphanage. ‘When we approached the orphanage to see what we could do to help them, we were simply doing what all of us do every day,’ the organization’s president said.” Does the president’s comment do anything to set him and his organization apart?
Here are a few simple steps that might help resuscitate good writing, particularly for the in-house crowd. Promoting its value is good for everyone, including professional writers.
• Reread everything several times before deeming it final — at least once for the sole purpose of eliminating as many words and phrases as possible.
• Avoid clichés like a pandemic.
• Simple words are better than those trying to impress.
• Know your audience. Realize they’re not stupid, but are stressed and cautious and will find it easy to dismiss what they read.
• Get a second pair of eyes to read all material (and a third when possible) — preferably someone who isn’t familiar with the topic. Beg for honest opinions. And listen to them.
Help might be a water cooler away; most companies have people on staff with a proven facility for writing and editing who can provide. They may appreciate helping because they, too want to keep good writing alive. (If and how you compensate them for the extra work is another matter.) Send out an internal email to find the right person. Be careful: don’t put ‘Fresh Pair’ in the subject line.
Joel Samberg is a corporate writer specializing in press releases, Web sites and many other marketing communications projects. His work is featured at http://JoelTheWriter.webs.com, and he can be reached at JoelTheWriter@comcast.net.
