We all know that first impressions are drastically important. In the world of business, this truth is intensified. The opinions that a client or customer forms of a business will ultimately determine its future. That first impression is sometimes based solely upon the written word. Copy, as it is placed upon websites, brochures, letters, and other forms of advertisement is the bullhorn that announces a company’s credibility and capability. Without proper grammar, solid and concise sentence structure, strong organization, and informative, reliable facts – a single piece of copy can result in a huge loss of potential revenue.

Here are a few ways to ensure you have a tight, impressive piece to release to the public:

• Familiarize yourself with common grammatical errors such as comma splices, sentence fragments, easily confused words, and faulty parallelism. It is helpful to have an English handbook, dictionary, and thesaurus nearby when you are writing. If you have a question, look it up. Also, never release a piece of work without proofreading it silently, reading it aloud, and then having someone else proofread it for you.

• Be very wary of writing long sentences or using too many words. Sometimes sentences can be grammatically correct but are so long that the reader loses interest or becomes confused as to the meaning. Try reading your sentence aloud to yourself. If you have to stop in the middle and catch your breath, it’s too long. Try breaking sentences up into smaller, complete thoughts. Also, be creative but don’t allow your meaning to be hidden or diluted by the use of unnecessary words. This is especially true when writing for the media. Include the 5 W’s - “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, and “why” using as few words as possible.

• Be absolutely certain that you have correct information before releasing it to the public. When writing for the public, whether it is via press releases, articles or advertisements, you must be certain that you are presenting factual information. If there’s a question in your mind concerning your content, you have only two choices – research it further or leave it out all together.

• Make sure your information is newsworthy as well as interesting. What may be interesting to you may not be interesting to your readers. And just because you think it’s newsworthy, definitely doesn’t mean that the media will. PR Web presents the following example: Let's assume that you have just spent a lot of effort to launch a new online store. Announcing your company's opening is always an exciting time for any business, but the last thing the media wants to write about is another online store. This is old news and uninteresting. Instead, focus on the features of your online shopping experience, unique products and services. Answer the question – “Why should anyone care?” (Avoid clichés such as "customers save money" or "great customer service".) Focus on the aspects of your news item that truly set you apart from everyone else.

Good copy is imperative for successful business. When constructing the written word always remember, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”

About the Author:

Danielle N. Lamson is a dynamic copywriter and editor with Virtual Accuracy. Her areas of expertise include copywriting, editing, proofreading and writing press releases. For more information visit Virtual Accuracy.