Have you ever considered how valuable a word can be? How powerful is your message? Are you using the right words to get your message noticed? Even worse! Are your words costing you business? When you are in business, whether online of off, these are questions you should continuously be asking yourself.

Considering the significant effect your words have on your audience should be of primary importance to you. If your writings are filled with spelling errors and poor sentence structure, you are fighting an uphill battle that may never be won. That is why it is so important to read and re-read, write and re-write your copy. It is also why you should have others review it prior to posting. Even as a publisher and copy editor I find I am just too close to my own writings to recognize errors in my personal works. How many are you missing?

Once you have the sentence structure down and spelling corrected it is time to look at the message you are trying to convey. In writing marketing copy there are words that marketing copy writers know as Power Words. When applied properly these words can be used to express any number of feelings that will generate action on your readers part.

Craft your message clearly around the concept that your reader is searching for benefits, not features.

Take the following sentence; A work of art is something you achieve when the right pieces come together. Wouldn't it be better written like this? You too can create an inspiring and effective masterpiece with carefully crafted content. Do you recognize how one is well written while the other creates interest. The first is merely a simple pronouncement while the alternative effectively builds interest making you want to read more. The takeaway here is it's all about them!

Simple errors like the overuse of capitalization, as well as proper word and sentence spacing show your readers a lack of care. This is a nonverbal signal that you may not take the time to provide the excellent service they are seeking. Yes, even professional writers rely heavily on their editors.

Let me touch briefly on another important point that you should bear in mind. Your aim is to generate an action, not give a full accounting. Finding just the right balance between information overload and insufficient information takes time and effort. Given too much or too little information can be equally costly.

Remember when writing be certain you use the right words, in the right way, to convey the right message. Simple words can be easily improved by enhancing them with adjectives or replacing them with discerning words that spur action.

Speaking of simple ... if you don't speak that way, don't write that way. When you use words that are unfamiliar to you, you take the chance that you will use them incorrectly. However, check your grammar before you hit send, especially if you are among the grammatically incorrect speakers. Sure your readers are familiar with your style, but if you want to gain more readership, or customers, they will not be used to your manner. Try to find a balance between stoically correct grammar and your more friendly conversational tone.

Here is another important rule to hold to when writing. Use adjectives, but use them sparingly. Why sparingly? Consider this phrase, "The big, ugly, brown, devious rat found the gaping, rounded, deep hole in the fabulously tall, regal, widespread oak. As you can see the adjectives used do add character, but after one or two they loose their punch. This seems to be one of the most repeatedly abused rules, as an editor, that I come across. No, the overuse is not typically so glaringly obvious; however it is a problem even professional writers need to be more alert to in their writings.

As a recap, here are the things you should have grasped. Use words that effectively inspire the reader to action, Power Words, when writing marketing copy. Don't over-educate your reader when offering marketing material. Leave them a reason to take the next step. The wrong word utilized at the wrong time may end up costing you a valuable connection. Read and re-read, write and re-write your copy. Hand off your prose for review and editing by an unbiased editor or friend. Don't just rely on your spell checker! Don't emote! Keep a professional, yet conversational tone. Use of adjectives can improve your writing, but overuse can ruin it. Communicate clearly and concisely.

One last note. Be sure that the message you have to share is not only worth your time and effort to write, but for your audience to read. Quality content is what generates interest. If your writing is merely ramblings you will loose your readership just as quickly as if your copy was filled with grammatical and spelling errors.

© Copyright 2011 Ginger Marks

Ginger Marks is the founder of the DocUmeant Family of Companies, We Make YOU Look GOOD! For more information, visit http://www.documeantdesigns.com/. Her 2011 annual edition of Holiday Marketing Guide, Your business-marketing calendar of ideas is now available at http://www.HolidayMarketingGuide.com.