The Insights series is published monthly and explores the importance of writing well as a business owner and offers useful advice on how you can become a better writer.
How Writing Well Can Make You More Productive, Caring, and Credible
Think back to your high school English class or Grammar & Composition 101 in college. Do you remember that inspirational moment when your professor convinced you that the principles you learned in that class would change your life forever? Don’t worry, you didn’t miss that class. For most of us, I’m pretty sure it just didn’t happen.
We’re grownups now, immersed in the details of running our businesses, and we don’t have to stress over subject-verb agreement and comma placement, right? Well, as your resident copywriter, here’s why I think we should give it a little more thought…
Writing well increases productivity.
Whether you’re sending a quick email, writing a memo, or putting together a proposal, too much time is wasted in trying to decipher unclear, ungrammatical writing. Start saving this time by giving your emails and writing a once over before sending it off. You’ll be surprised at how much you can improve your clarity and avoid errors by just reading through something a second time and making the necessary changes. And your employees and colleagues may even give you a hug.
Writing well communicates you care.
As responsible, career-minded men and women, we take time to make ourselves look presentable. If we began showing up at work in dirty, wrinkled clothes and it was obvious to everyone around us that we hadn’t showered, our team would think something was off or that we stopped caring. The same is true in our writing. An email full of misspelling and nonexistent, but very necessary, punctuation gives off an apathetic vibe to the person reading it. If you aren’t sure how to spell a word, google it. There are plenty of great dictionary websites out there to help out all of us non-spelling bee champs. My favorite is Merriam-webster.com.
Writing well builds credibility.
The ability to summarize a point, discuss a solution, and tactfully navigate a delicate business matter, all through writing, greatly impacts your credibility in the eyes of clients and colleagues, and sets a standard for your employees. Being able to write about something clearly and accurately demonstrates your understanding of it. You never know where this may lead – a new opportunity, a potential client – credibility can lead to all sort of great things.
If you are feeling discouraged because writing has never been your strong suit, and you really aren’t sure if it’s better to write good or to write well, fear not! There are a million, easy-to-use, helpful resources out there that can quickly take your writing to the next level. Here are a few I recommend:
- 10 Steps To Successful Business Writing by Jack Appleman
- The AMA Handbook of Business Writing
- merriam-webster.com/thesaurus
- dailywritingtips.com/category/misused-words/
Next month we will identify common grammatical mistakes and provide helpful tips on how to correct them in your own writing.
Meet Your Copywriter
I’m Hannah Jones and I am a Copywriter at M&R Marketing Group. Every day I get to use language to portray an important aspect of a business, define an owner’s vision for their company, or attract new clients through fun and catchy phrases. Words are my thing, and marketing is a perfect avenue for me to help businesses express themselves creatively and skillfully through words. I am passionate about writing, and I hope this series is helpful as you seek thoughtful ways to improve your written communication and business as a whole.
