Do you remember Burger King’s Whopper Freakout campaign in which the Whopper disappeared from the menu for one day to prove the people’s love for the burger by showing their reactions? I fantasise about a similar campaign for writing and editing but sadly I suspect few would notice (‘Oh look, the apostrophe has been removed from that jolly sign that usually invites us for ‘pannini’s and coffee’s’). In the absence of a national campaign let me draw your attention to a couple of areas where you might be missing something:
- SEO is like housework. You only notice it when someone stops doing it. Too often an external supplier hands over a fully-SEOd site without clear responsibility for ongoing maintenance. Same goes for fixing broken links. And updating content. Unless you have a dedicated content team you need to agree on who is responsible. And arrange for external suppliers to include training as part of the handover or agree a maintenance contract.
- Good editor’s help you say what you mean. Did you see the episode of Dragons’ Den where a budding entrepreneur was shot down in flames for having ‘Mrs’ spelt in two different ways on the same page of her Yum Yum childrens books? Sloppy content shouldn’t, but does, suggest a sloppy mind. Much as having colour coded indexed notepads doesn’t always mean an orderly mind (hey, I love the smell of stationery in the morning…). Hire an editor. Go on, treat yourself. Or suffer the wrath of Duncan Bannatyne
- Professionalism cost only a little more than amateur rubbish. My blood runs cold when I read business advice suggesting you can get a 5 page website, business cards, 6pp DL sized leaflet, avatar for social media (Twitter profile etc), online banner for £200. For the sake of a little more money you can be a lot less amateur. A start up business will be constrained by various factors including cost. But the design and content of those first items of promotional material will live with you for a long time. Start ups attract amateurs – websites built as a sideline and the writer straight out of school hoping to build a portfolio. Hire a professional to be professional.
If there’s something’s missing I could be the answer – I provide writing, editing, proof reading and marketing services. If you’re overstretched…I can be your spare capacity.