Go Play Project – Day 4

I didn’t think that this Go Play Project would turn into an homage to Ann Patchett, but here we are again. The background image for this collage is the Amazon, the setting for State of Wonder, one of my favorite books of hers.

If you haven’t read it, do. It’s a modern retelling of Heart of Darkness (but don’t let that put you off). It’s got it all: science, medicine, wilderness exploration, secrets and difficult choices.

The characters are beautifully crafted and the writing is sublime:

Never be so focused on what you’re looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find.

— Ann Patchett

For those who found me through Facebook, hello! If another social media platform is more your speed, I’ve also got a Pinterest board, and I’m on Instagram. Thanks for following me along on my adventure. I’d love to hear from any of you who have started your own creativity challenge.

I write luxury real estate copy, a ton of it. And I proofread plenty of ads, brochures and email marketing, too. I know my clients sigh deeply when I proofread ads and send back my persnickety comments. It’s a “his and hers bath,” not “his and her.” It’s Snaidero kitchen design, not Snydero. I point out wonky-looking fonts, missing words, misspellings and the fact that you Don’t Need to Capitalize Every Word. You get the idea.

I’m sure they think I’m just a crotchety grammar pedant, but I’m picky because it matters. Buyers of million-dollar homes pay attention to details—including grammar and spelling. And guess what? Now there’s a research study that back me up.

In her recent WSJ article, Sanette Tanaka reports on an analysis of real estate listings priced at $1 million and up, conducted by Redfin, a national real-estate brokerage, and Grammarly, an online proofreading application. Their analysis revealed that good grammar really does pay—listings that were free of spelling or grammatical error sold three days faster and are 10% more likely to sell for more than their list price than listings overall.

And, as you might imagine, the reverse is also true. Those million-dollar listings awash in technical errors stayed on the market longer, and were more likely to sell for below list price.

So to real estate developers and agents everywhere: be kind to your real estate copywriter and proofreader. They know their stuff—and they are earning you more money on every home you sell.

First things first: typos happen. They happen to the best of us. And while it’s not the end of the world (usually), you want to put out your very best written work, don’t you? I proofread something—a print ad, web copy, brochure, newsletter, menu—every day. When proofreading is a daily practice, you learn some tips and tricks along the way. Here’s a quick checklist that I hope will help you proofread like a pro.

Read it out loud. You’d be surprised how many errors you miss when you skip this step.

Read it twice. At least, if not three times. And read it from top to bottom and then bottom to top.

Print it out. I don’t do this often, but if it’s technical manual or other word-dense document, I do print it out and mark it up.

Don’t rely on any spell-check program. Just don’t. That’s how I end up finding gems like “men must wear collard shirts in the dining room” (instead of collared) or a spa menu that lists a “callous treatment” (that would be callus treatment.)

If there’s a phone number, call it. Or cut and paste it into Google to check for accuracy.

Ditto with websites. Plug ’em into your browser and see if the links work.

If there are numbers, double-check them. For example, if there’s a floor plan, make sure the square footages add up correctly. Confirm that prices are current, times are accurate, and that dates and days are in agreement—that May 3 is indeed a Saturday.

Get yourself a good style manual. I’m team Chicago Manual of Style, but it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Just pick one and stick with it. For settling grammatical issues and questions about hyphenation (always a sticky wicket), a style guide is invaluable. CMOS has an online version (subscription-based) that’s pretty awesome.

Borrow another set of eyes. Get a second reader to give the document the once-over, preferably someone that hasn’t read it before.

Read the disclaimer. Yeah, it’s tiny type, but read it. You can bet your customer will.

Finally, don’t proofread when you’re tired or rushed. Got any proofreading tips to add to the list? I’d love to hear about them. Oh, and if you find any typos in this post? Let me know about that, too!

Gorgeous luxury golf resort just completed a $250 million renovation. Villa rates start at $400 a night, so pretty posh. Guests have fairly high expectations that their experience will be flawless. And the management thought they had nailed it.

Golf course greens in tournament-playing condition? Check.
Amazing spa? Double check.
Luxury suites with gold-leaf details? Hell yes.
Truly lovely and thoughtful service? You got it.

I’ll bet you’ll never guess what the number one complaint was.

Coffee.

That’s right. Guests couldn’t figure out how to use the in-room espresso machine (told you it was posh). The management was using the coffee maker’s instructional diagram, and it just wasn’t cutting it. Here’s the irony: I own the same damn espresso machine. And you know what? The manufacturer’s instructions aren’t intuitive or easy to follow. What does that tiny coffee cup mean again? And why are the lights still blinking? I totally understood the guests’ frustration and why the client wanted clear, easy-to-understand instructions that would fit on a 2″ x 3-1/2″ card. I was happy to oblige. They are couple of lessons here:

1/Coffee is serious business. Really.
2/Your customer experience is only as good as the smallest detail.
3/Respect your customer. The hotel management didn’t dismiss this complaint. They realized that if it mattered to their guests, it should matter to them.
4/Don’t assume that just because the brand wrote it, that there isn’t room for improvement. Is it easy to understand for all users? If it’s not working, fix it.

Off to pour myself another cup…

You’ve got a website that needs sprucing up, or you’ve got a new business/app/nonprofit that needs a new site built and written from scratch. That’s great! But before you hire a web copywriter, here’s a little homework that will help you find your perfect match.

Know what you want. Take the time to look at sites you like, writing that makes you say, “That’s it. I want my business to have that same quirky/fun/friendly/buttoned-down style.”  You know your customers, and you know how you talk to them one-to-one. That’s how your site should sound—just like you.

Ask about their approach to SEO. Good content isn’t about algorithms, it’s about writing content that’s original, that you own, and that builds trust and authority. Sure, keywords matter, but make sure you use them naturally to create content that’s interesting and relevant to your customers. However, every writer has his or her own approach to SEO copywriting. It makes sense to find out how they write for search, and what’s included in the project fee.

Get in touch at the beginning of the project. Sometimes I’ll get a call from a prospective client who has a freshly designed website that’s ready to go live, it “just needs the copy.” What that means is that content is an afterthought, and it shouldn’t be. Most writers, including me, want to collaborate from the get-go. When you’re hiring your web designer, hire your writer. When you bring us in together, you’ll know that the design and the content work hand in hand.

More is better. Send me the link to your website, a PDF of your brochure, whatever you have that’s already written about your business. If your business is brand spankin’ new, send me links to sites you like, so I can get a feel for what the voice you have in mind.

Have a budget. I know this is can be tricky, especially if you’ve never hired a freelance copywriter before. But be upfront about how much you’re willing to spend. There are plenty of copywriters, with a range of experience and fees. If I’m not the one for you, I’m happy to direct you to someone better suited to your budget. No hard feelings, I swear.

Have a deadline.  Think flexible but realistic. I’m fast, but I also like to have time to dig deep into your business before I write copy. And if it’s the first time I’m working with you, I’ll probably want to give you a page or two to make sure you’re happy with the writing, before I dive in to the whole site.

That’s it. Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?