In the grand scheme of things, a single typo in a blog or social media post isn’t the end of the world. Your credibility might take a slight hit, but it’s not going to make or break your business … right?
Well, consider the following:
- NASA once lost $80 million — and a rocket that was designed to take pictures of Venus — because a single hyphen was left out of the code. Mariner I exploded five minutes after takeoff.
- An Australian publishing agency faced plenty of backlash when a recipe for tagliatelle included in their book, The Pasta Bible, called for salt and “freshly ground black people.”
- A California travel agency sued after an ad in the Yellow Pages described them as offering “erotic” (rather than exotic) travel packages.
There are plenty more stories just like these. And without the help of editing services, you could easily face a similar fate.
A stray decimal point advertises your product as $1.97 instead of $197. Your Facebook page announces a sale on pot plants rather than “potted” plants. You accidentally transpose two digits in your phone number and instead of customers making dinner reservations at your hip new bistro, their calls are answered by an increasingly frustrated member of the local motorcycle gang.
A good editor can save you from these costly mistakes. They’ll go over your copy with a fine-tooth comb, checking that you’ve used the proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. They’ll triple-check your numbers. They’ll make sure all your theirs, theres and they’res are used appropriately.
But your editor isn’t only looking for credibility-killing typos. Here’s what else you can expect when you sign up for editing services:
Improved Readability
You know what you’re trying to say, but does your message translate well to your customer? Are you being overly technical? Are you unintentionally talking down to your audience?
An editor can suggest changes to your copy that will make it easier for people to read and comprehend. They’ll switch passages around to improve the continuity and flow of the piece. And they’ll keep you from being too wordy while still making sure you’re sufficiently explaining your ideas.
Enhanced Clarity
You know everything there is to know about your small business, but that doesn’t mean your customer does. What is common knowledge to you could be completely new information for them.
Your editor is there to bridge that information gap. They’ll point out where you could expand on certain topics to make your message clearer. They’ll also ask questions that will help you better tell your story in a way your audience will understand.
Tighter Focus
We’ve all read our fair share of blog posts that meander around in circles before eventually getting to the point. By the time it does, most of us have checked out, lost interest or forgotten why we showed up in the first place.
Your editor will cut through all that fluff and help you identify and focus on the main idea, thereby keeping your audience involved and invested in your content.
Ready for Excellence? Try Our Editing Services
A great editing service goes far beyond checking for misspellings or poor grammar. You’ll have someone in your corner to improve every facet of your writing and ensure your audience understands every message you send!
At Mischa Communications, our editors are committed to making your small business missives the best they can be, from the first word to the last punctuation mark. Put us to the test!