Wordsmithing

The typos and grammatical goofs that litter the internet might make you think online capabilities are enough and that you can get by without good writing. The thing is, off-the-cuff insights—dashed off by two thumbs on a smart phone’s elfin-sized keyboard—have not replaced the need for well-considered, well-constructed messages.

The good old craft of wordsmithing matters more than ever.

Grammar and punctuation can seem, in this business casual world, as vestigial as the grey flannel suit. But, the shelf-life of these arcane rules has not expired; a message’s meaning—especially a message encountered in the click-and-run online world—still depends on things like correctly placed commas and indirect objects that agree with their subjects.

The right word and the almost right word are as different, wrote Mark Twain, as “the lightning bug and the lightning.” Your copywriting suffers when it settles for the almost right selling words, action words and call-to-action words. And don’t forget keywords. Although they’re not a concern offline, it takes an able wordsmith to weave them seamlessly into online content.

Consistency may be, as Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “the hobgoblin of little minds.” Just remember, the full quote warned of a “foolish consistency.” Consistency in style demonstrates attention to detail and expresses respect for your audience. Above all, consistency aids clarity. And, clarity is everything.

Clarity is the long-established hallmark of effective writing. It’s also the pay-off for paying attention to the details highlighted above.

Just as it is with print, meticulous wordsmithing is most effective when it is in service to the overriding larger marketing strategy.