Words sometimes don’t come easy…
the list is almost endless. There’s a lot that goes into what we write and we have to ensure that we cover a number of essential requirements such as;
- Getting the facts right
- Providing information concisely
- Having a point (and avoiding a “so what?” reaction)
- Allowing the reader to get a real insight into the company we represent
- Maintaining the reader’s interest
- Adding value for the client (e.g. in audience engagement and/or SEO rankings)
Despite the fact that many people may think “it’s only words you’re putting together”, there really is a little bit of an art to achieving everything you want to (or indeed need to) within what can sometimes be a very restricted word count.
Now, we’re not saying that what we do cannot be done by others – of course it can. What we do know from the feedback we’ve received from clients is that sitting down to ‘write to order’ is something which automatically seems to stem the flow of ideas and very able and knowledgeable business people can easily end up spending an hour or more on just one sentence! There is also seldom a time when the other day-to-day demands of the business can be paused to allow the time and space required to be truly creative. Locking oneself away for a number of hours with precious silence and no interruptions is a luxury few are afforded.
On a more technical note, it is also very difficult to avoid slipping into market or product-specific jargon when you write on a subject in which you are an expert. It can be quite astounding just how many abbreviations and acronyms can slip through a proof read when the reader is used to seeing these terms on a daily basis. The audience, however, will spot every one and often get lost (or even give up) through their lack of in-depth knowledge on the subject.
Our point here (because there should always be a point, of course!) is that the provision of effective content is a skill of sorts and business owners and managers should not get too hung up on the fact that it does not rank highly on their ‘strengths list’. In the same way that few get heavily involved in Tax planning without the help of an industry professional, the writing of good copy should be accepted as something which works out a whole lot better when tackled by those who focus solely on the craft. Even with a high spec calculator we don’t all instantly become mathematicians. By the same logic, access to a keyboard and thesaurus does not a wordsmith make.
Should cost be the main consideration – as it is for many businesses of all types and sizes – there are always options. Whilst we feel that our experience allows us to produce great content within a short space of time, we are always open to clients supplying a first draft (regardless of how rough it is) to get the ball rolling. Even if RDZ simply provide the final proof read on internally generated pieces, this presents an opportunity to ensure objectives are met, grammar is in order and jargon is well and truly busted.
Words may not have come easy for FR David in the 80’s (yes, he sang the song that may have been buzzing around your brain since you ready the title of this blog), but for RDZ PR words are one of the most powerful tools we have when it comes to raising profile – and we’re not afraid to use them!!
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To find out exactly how we can help you achieve your ambitious goals get in touch with us today. Our initial meeting is completely FREE and we promise you’ll leave with three brand new ideas that you can take away and implement immediately.
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