The skill of writing is undoubtedly a fundamental aspect in running a business with the importance of captivating content in this modern age. It comes in various forms, spanning across emails, memos, reports, blogs, and many more, all which require specialised writing abilities. This accurately and succinctly conveys messages across platforms, both within a company and to maintain client relations.
One thing to note though, is that everyone can write, but not all can write a story that wants to be read. Many require years of time and practice, which have nurtured some of the most indispensable writers within a business. In 2019, there were reportedly 48,544 in-house writers and authors in the United States, and 82,656 self-employed ones. The top industries for the field include the performing arts, professional organisations, technical services, all of which have their own specialised writers to focus on these niches. All in all, all businesses should reap the benefits of working with great writers, and here is why.
It drives sales
All materials go through vetting of written work before proceeding as any form of marketing collateral. In a guide by Foleon, it is evident that there are many outlets in which a company can decide to invest more in to promote their brand. Though collaterals like whitepapers and newsletters are knownto be the ones with heavy written content on the list, it is important to identify that a smart placement of words in visual aids can make a big difference, as do proper sentence structures in corporate magazines or re-engagement emails. Professionalism has to be upheld when driving captivating content across for readers to consume and eventually, be persuaded enough.
The success of selling products also varies by a brand’s reputation, which is important to be identified as an element to be boosted through writing. Great writing respects and addresses the needs of the audience. It shows customers that you know what exactly is being sold, who your product is targeted towards, the problem it solves, and how they would benefit from it. This forms a better connection where customer retention is likely to occur for their satisfaction with the product and service.
Ensures effective communication
In an article by Harvard Business Review, a survey consisting of 547 businesspeople found the result of 81% agreeing that poorly written material wastes too much time. This is because additional time has to be put in by somebody else with a better scope of language and style to correct poorly written areas. It also risks readers not maximising their time well by trying to decode what isbeing communicated to them, when it should be clear and concise. Businesses that utilize good time management are generally better positioned to deliver products consistently and attain better results. This highlights the importance of working with ample time through cutting back on unnecessary areas like bad writing and poor communication.
Writing well also indicates a good organizational structure in the company, which points to overall professionalism and that priorities are made clear. Whether it is inter or intra-departmental, communication is of top priority when delegating tasks or coordinating projects and ideas. Being able to write comprehensively is a key factor in ensuring that information is relayed in a straightforward manner to improve morale within the workplace. This also extends out to the personal relationships that employees have with their colleagues outside work hours, where the basis of clarity is already established to avoid any miscommunication.
Forms a solid web presence
One reason for compelling content is to promote legitimacy, which is done through link attraction. What this means is that Google looks at links pointing at your business domain to establish how strong it should be placed as a credible source. From this image below by Neil Patel, it is seen that writing is inclusive in more than half of the components listed.
Image from NeilPatel.com
Trust of host domain, link popularity, anchor text, onpage keyword usage – they are all mainly interlinked through an effective use of writing. An aspect in determining this is the strong use of keywords, which is pivotal in the online search-engine optimization (SEO) for your business. Optimizing your search-engine simply means to improve on a website to increase its content visibility and findings on results pages (SERPs). Copywriting for this purpose has become increasingly important with the rise in Google’s features, allowing businesses to experiment with various updates and content to boost their presence on the web. These include AdWords, AdSense, Analytics, Reader, Toolbar, and Website Optimizer, some of which look at site usage data to suggest strategic pointers for writing.
According to a Salesforce survey, 85% of consumers conduct research before making purchases online, with the most used channels being websites and social media platforms. This means that in a world with over 4.72 billion people using the internet, a strong online presence is of the essence when building your brand and gaining credibility. Growing trends in this have led to customers looking at websites as the face of products or services they represent, emphasising the need to have professionally-written content to give off a great first impression. In addition, 93% of searchers never go past the first page, using only the first 10 search results to form their impression. This reinforces the need for businesses to strengthen their SEO with effective writing to place themselves at the front through the webpage’s algorithm.
In a blog post by WordStream, it is suggested that HTML tagging headlines are equally as important in making your content stand out. Writers should typically be using H1 for titles and H2 for subtitles as this creates indirect benefits such as easier readability. Search engines pick up on high bounce rates from people who leave your site fast, giving lower ratings and reducing the chances of your business having a strong virtual front. It is crucial to also maintain a healthy use of keywords through it being rich and sufficient. Using too many would result in keyword stuffing, which ultimately means to excessively fill a webpage with the same target term.
The problem with bad writing
It affects businesses in more ways than one, from poor internal performances to fast turnover rates in clients. These low standards of performances can diminish employees’ level of engagement, hence producing a lower level of work than expected. It can also ruin how clients view the brand because they might turn away at the sight of bad grammar or uncomfortable sentence structures.
The common tell-tale signs that the writing scores low in professionalism is if it lacks a direction, or worse still, has too many of them. It confuses readers on what exactly is the main point and would be discomforting for their eyes to sit through those minutes. Having inaccurate or irrelevant content also affects the main goal of most businesses, which is to increase exposure and drive sales or awareness. It leads potential customers to deem the promotional materials as unprofessional and reduces the chances of repeat buyers for its unreliability.
Your business needs these solutions!
Some companies have identified this problem early into their ventures, allowing for workable solutions to curb the problems that come with bad writing. These mainly include providing training for employees to get a better grasp of the language, and working outsourcing on-demand talents for their specialties to save on more than just time.
One thing businesses can leverage is the increase in technological use, where not just millennials, but even older adults are becoming more familiar while riding the waves. This helps them to better navigate through online educational platforms like Coursera, which teaches essential modules like Business Writing to empower employees in communicating more masterfully. There are also other training platforms that are less on self-directed learning, but provide the opportunity to be taught by leading professionals in the field. For instance, Singapore has a strong ground in enabling organisations to attend complimentary SkillsFuture workshops that typically range between a three to four-figure sum each.
Working with freelancers is also a great way to improve on efficiency, the overall bench strength of employees in a business, and grow the customer base. There are many kinds of writing pillars that they can extend out to, a few being content writing, copywriting, ghostwriting. They are contracted on a short-term basis with different directions to work towards, allowing the talents to fully be in control of their focus to bring the best results.
Types of writers
- Content Writer – A general expectation of workers in this field is to write with a variety of different tones and styles. Long-form content is usually the way to go, while ensuring that they are free of grammatical and factual errors. They also typically come with great knowledge in SEO to increase the site’s organic visibility and SERP rankings, making for great conversion rates through reliable content.
- Copywriting – It differs from content writing in its form of persuasion, where copywriters take a strategic and data-driven approach in closing the sales of a product or service. They write social media ads, email marketing campaigns, website landing and product pages, all of which work in tandem to craft strong messages across to potential clients.
- Ghostwriting – They pen texts that are credited to somebody else. This means that they are writing on behalf of a client, for the work to be published under their name. Main projects for these workers are usually in the scope of nonfiction books, speeches, internet content like blogs and social media posts, and book proposals. It is a common practice for some first-time authors as they wish to polish their materials before submitting them to publishing houses.
Bad writing can be a dealbreaker, and MediaOne Marketing has identified leading agencies to work with for a better writing outcome. A top digital marketing agency, they provide award-winning services using Search-Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and many more. Ravenry has been identified as a platform with the most viable solutions to curb these problems. As an online marketplace for the top 5% of freelance writers and analysts, Ravenry works with a strong belief that the gig economy is dominating as the workforce of the future.
Ravenry provides professional writing services, having worked with startups to Fortune 500s alike. What has been maintained are strong reviews from satisfied clients on G2, who Ravenry has consulted for through both research and writing verticals. It has been identified by Mediaone to be a dependable service for these reasons:
- Waste no time hiring, get started in less than 24 hours
- Reliable freelancers with a credible portfolio, evaluated through a stringent process
- Talents wherever, whenever. Ravenry extends to all of Asia for its community
