We are thrilled to have Brian Leugs guest blogging for us this week at Tintero Creative. Brian Leugs heads up Business Communication Support and is a wealth of knowledge about the english language and writing for business. Check out the amazing insights he has for us this week!
If there’s one thing your brand should stand for, it’s perfection. That’s why I’ll never understand why so many companies feel that anything goes when it comes to written content and messaging. Does writing like a fifth-grader enhance your brand? I think you know the answer!
Here are five examples of poor writing styles that will get in the way of your message:
- Random capitalization. Too many writers seem to capitalize what they feel are important words—usually nouns. “Our Firm is built on the Principles of Loyalty, Service, and Integrity.” No nouns should be capitalized in that sentence. Maybe the problem is confusion about what constitutes a proper noun. “Come to our newest Showroom to check out our incredible line of Used Cars and have a Hot Dog and Coke while you’re here.” There’s only one proper noun in that sentence. And using ALL CAPS for emphasis is even rude and annoying in social media, let along business writing! The classy way to add emphasis is with italics.
- Using apostrophes to pluralize (aka “pluralizing by apostrophizing”). Let’s explain this one by illustration. “All of our building’s are LEED certified.” Even spell-check picks that one up!
- Overuse of quotation marks (i.e., inserting “air-quotes” into writing). Quotation marks are for quoting, not for adding emphasis or creating inflection or doubt about the word or phrase. It’s one element of spoken communication that doesn’t carry over well to written communication.
- Inconsistent usage. Some elements of style are legitimately open to debate and personal preference. The Oxford comma is one example. Is it…”Tom, Jerry, and Harpo went to the store” or “Tom, Jerry and Harpo went to the store”? In a simple sentence like this, the meaning is clear regardless of which style you choose. But if you use the second comma here, use it next time too.
- Muddled bullet point forms. All bullet points should either be complete sentences or else use similar styled phrases. Don’t mix these in a list. Run this simple proofreading test: Can each bullet stand independently in combination with the lead-in sentence? What’s wrong in the following example?
Businesses often fail because of:
- lack of employee buy-in and commitment
- The owner hasn’t raised sufficient capital.
- ambiguity.
Sure, not every reader or potential customer will pick up on these mistakes…but some will. And what’s the point of taking the chance of turning off even one person because of your damaged brand?
Brian Leugs has nearly 25 years of experience in public affairs and external communication. A native of west Michigan, he earned a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
Throughout his career, Brian has been on the front lines in persuasive communication and public affairs with high profile industries, including consumer beverages and industrial chemicals. Previously based in Texas and Washington DC, he moved to the Denver area in 2002 to take on responsibilities in the pharmaceutical industry.
Brian formed Business Communication Support in 2009 to provide written communication expertise to businesses and non-profit organizations.