A Professional Writer...
Is accurate
Copy is error-free, every fact is researched, the grammar is sound and the typos and spelling mistakes removed long before a draft is sent to the client.
The professional writer understands the impact not just of the perfectly crafted words but also that one error can undo all the good work. If your brand values are accuracy and quality, a single spelling mistake can be enough to put doubt in a reader’s mind.
I was a chief sub editor for the BBC for five years, consequently you will not find a higher level of accuracy.
Can write on any topic
I love 1980s and 90s pop, I adore horror films. I could bash out a blog on either with zero prep.
We can all write a few pars on our areas of personal interest, but the professional writer can write about anything – that’s because they understand that the fundamentals of good writing are not linked to the topic under discussion.
I have clients who are engineers, others who sell motorhomes and several cosmetic surgeons. My Google recommended ads are a nightmare.
Writes for the audience
A common problem for many websites is that while the text is accurate, it is written by experts (usually an employee), who actually has too much knowledge.
A professional writer, especially those who have worked as journalists for world-leading news organisations (hint, hint) write for the audience.
Who do you want to be reading your site and what is their level of knowledge? Typically, a site’s message needs simplifying – your poor, dumb ex-journalist is the perfect person to do this as they first have to simplify it for themselves before they can start writing!
can help you achieve goals
There isn’t much point just having words on a page, there isn’t even much point having words on a page that ranks well on Google.
The words have to achieve something. That might be a sale, it might be brand awareness or for editorial sites it might be to increase time on site and recirculation.
The copy has to have the highest standards of accuracy, be professional and yet also stand out because the tone is perfect for the intended audience.
can improve existing copy
If you have existing copy, having new versions created might be expensive overkill.
A professional writer with copy editing experience can enhance your existing literature and also explain the edits to help you with future content creation.
Is able to offer advice
Professional writing relates to the results of the writing as well as the writing itself – for instance you could have a page that is grammatically perfect yet the stats show it isn’t delivering results.. Any writer you hire should deliver tangible results.
