You are only as good as your message...

I’m sure that sounds harsh, but in reality, if a prospective customer will make a decision about you within seconds of seeing your logo, ad or marketing message, it must be compelling. On top of that, it must also be error-free. Imagine, for example, that you see an ad with a typo or misspelling on the first line. Do you keep reading, or do you dismiss it as not being worth your time? Hopefully, most people aren’t as picky as I am about such things, but I will immediately dismiss an ad with mistakes in it. My feeling is that if people can’t time to spell or punctuate correctly, they probably don't pay enough attention to detail to warrant my business. To ensure that your marketing copy is clear and error-free, follow these tips:

1) Copywriters, whether in-house or independent, are notoriously bad at proofing their own work, myself included. Have someone else proofread the copy at each stage to ensure that you catch every mistake.

2) In line with the first tip, make sure that you proofread and approve the final copy before it goes to press. Once you’ve misspelled your company name on 1000 business cards, it is costly to have them redone.

3) Use spell-check. I know it isn’t perfect (it will think her is spelled correctly, even if you meant here) but it will notice if you’ve left the R out of Christmas.

4) Invest in a good dictionary, thesaurus, grammar guide and a style guide suitable to your industry. For newspapers, for example, the Associated Press Stylebook reigns supreme. Other folks use the Chicago Manual of Style, APA or an in-house guide. These resources will provide you with answers on everything from capitalization and abbreviation to serial commas and the use of foreign words.

5) Not sure where to turn? Consult a local writer’s or editor’s group to have a proofreader or copyeditor on call for large projects. It might cost you a little cash up front, but it will save you time and money in the long run!

Virtually Yourz,
Dana Blozis

Project Management - Hardest part first or last?

I just finished phase II of a big project for a client. It required numerous hours of work and I was on draft #2. A friend asked me how I approached it. I started with the easier pages first and saved the hardest for last. She, on the other hand, said she would have done the tough parts first to get them out of the way.

Why did I tackle the easier parts first? It goes back to my test-taking days in high school. I always went through my tests by glancing over all of the sections, and questions, first. Then I'd answer all of the easier questions first - multiple choice, true & false, etc. Those I knew for sure I'd answer right away. If I wasn't sure, I'd pencil in a question mark and move on. On pass #2, I'd answer those with the question marks. On pass #3, I'd answer the hardest questions or those that were fill in the blank or essay. By answering the easier parts first, I saved my time to devote to those that required more thought. If I had time left over, I'd review all of the questions - and my answers - one final time.

The same is true of my project. I knew certain pages were almost finished and just needed fine-tuning or proofreading. Knowing that I had 7 of 11 pages done, I could devote the rest of my afternoon to researching, rethinking and rewriting the remaining pages without feeling rushed or pressed for time.

Neither my method nor my friend's is right or wrong. It boils down to what method works better for us. How about you? What strategies do you use to break down a project into manageable parts?

Virtually Yourz,

Dana