Good copy is as important as good design

Everybody knows what designers do. They are artists, trained to take a brief from a client and use their talent and imagination to create a visual representation of an idea or concept. These visual elements form an important — and vital — aspect of a organisation’s brand: who doesn’t recognise the Nike swoosh or the red and white branding of Coca Cola?

You can even divert yourself by downloading games to your smartphone that challenge you to recognise logos — hundreds of them — it is surprising just how many of those logos, even stripped of textual information, can be associated quickly with their organisation or product. These elements form an important part of your organisation’s visual identity – the set of rules used to generate the desired impression about your brand and what it promises to your clients and customers.

But what about words? That’s the easy part, isn’t it? The way your organisation uses words to convey information is an equally important part of your visual identity. And it is not just a question of good grammar and spelling, or sloganeering. The words you use in your communications have an important influence on the way your business is perceived.

Good business writing is a skill. Your lexicon, tone and style combine with your visual elements to create your organisation’s voice. But what is that voice? As professional writers, we believe it should be based on a good understanding of your audience. It is easy to please yourself when you are writing and, like driving, everyone is good at it (in their own minds at least!). However good a writer you are though, there isn’t a single piece of content — from a strapline to a complex commercial document — that cannot be improved by the attention of a professional writer/editor who will be dispassionate about your writing but passionate about putting the right amount of the right words in the right order.

Professional copywriters and editors are artists too. We work with words, we design written materials to perform specific tasks for you, just as artists do with visuals. OK, while a well-written piece of copy might not generate strong feelings in your readers, you can be sure that a poorly-written one usually will. Don’t take that chance — get in touch for a consultation on how to create great website content.