Today, I’m going to return to my foundation in copywriting as the focus of this post. For the most part these days, I work on and talk about inbound marketing. But despite my infatuation with the internet, written communication remains my most true love.

There are two reasons I’m choosing this theme today. For one, I worked a long while yesterday on some editing and rewriting and was again reminded how much I love doing it. Some may consider it torture, but I love seeking the perfect word and rhetoric. For me, this is work that is fun.

The second and much more important reason to re-visit copywriting is the sad state of so many blogs and websites I visit, so many emails I receive. These are major vehicles for communicating the offerings of their respective enterprises, and yet the lack of decent written communication serves to obliterate the messages. Note, I’m looking for decent writing; not necessarily expert or brilliant writing. Just communication that accomplishes – however humbly – what it sets out to do.

Copywriting commands marginal respect, as is clear from any sampling... Click here to read the rest of this post at the Virtual Assistance and You Blog.

The Virtual Assistance and You Blog is authored by VAF member Mary of Virtual Writing and Communications Solutions.


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This is so true! Thank you for posting this thread.
I am also a person who enjoys ensuring my typing is re-read to ensure commas are in the correct position, and the text is easily read and understood.
It is nice to know that there are other people out there, just like me!
Brigette

I really enjoyed this post. And while I know I am guilty of many writing 'sins' I do find myself acutely aware of others' mistakes, especially when presented in a professional context.

On Twitter the other day someone was tweeting about how she'd just finished up a huge writing and editing project for a major client. She was tired, she said. And she closed her tweet with 'I'll sleep good tonight!' I wanted to tweet back, 'You mean WELL.. you'll sleep well tonight.' but I digress. I have no stones to throw should someone decide to pick apart my own abuse of commas, ellipses, and dashes

And sure, Twitter is maybe the one place she could have gotten away with her mistake, except that both options have the same number of characters

Thanks for an excellent post Mary, and thank you for keeping those standards high. Right where they should be.

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How sweet to hear your generous comments, Brigette and Tess. Thank you! I only touch on writing skills every now and then, cuz it always ends up sounding preachy to me.

What tipped the scales and drove me to write about it this time was visiting the website of an African intellectual and business person, obviously a promising connection for anyone, except that the English was so poor. I know very few people would have the patience for it. Really a pity. With a teeny bit of editing, he'd be powerful, but as it is ... not so much.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com