B2B documents | Proof Communications

How to write a business profile

August 21, 2019

B2B documents, Business profiles, copywriting, Writing tips

It’s worth spending the time writing a strong business profile as you may be able to use or repurpose this content on your website, in your marketing materials, tenders or proposals, or across other professional documentation. Brainstorm your key messages The first thing to do is to brainstorm your key messages. Think about what your point of difference is, and why a customer should choose you over a competitor. Your differentiator could be your customer service, range of products or…

How to write a business profile was last modified on August 21st, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Content is king!

August 16, 2019

B2B documents, Case Study, copywriting, Uncategorised, Writing tips

Many companies use it to connect with and engage their customers. However, producing it is not necessarily easy. Writing is a specialist skill and many marketing budgets do not stretch to an in-house resource… That’s where we can come in, lightening the load and writing content to your brief and brand specifications. Get bang for your buck with content you can use on your website, in newsletters and on social media. And with this taken care of, you can focus…

Content is king! was last modified on August 16th, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Could this be the only policy the UK Parliament will agree on this year?

August 12, 2019

B2B documents, English language, How to win business, Preparation guides, Style Guides, Writing tips

As the UK comes to terms with a new Prime Minister, officials for the new leader of the House of Commons are also grappling with change. It seems Jacob Rees-Mogg MP has wasted no time in issuing a style guide, making his views on language usage abundantly clear. ‘Lot’, ‘got’, ‘hopefully’ and ‘I am pleased to learn’ are just some of the many terms now strictly verboten. And heaven help anyone who uses a comma after ‘and’. So, are style…

Could this be the only policy the UK Parliament will agree on this year? was last modified on August 14th, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Quids in. A language lesson from the UK

July 31, 2019

B2B documents, copywriting, English language, Writing tips

Online comments from an unhappy UK shopper have made headlines this month. After visiting major retailer John Lewis, Donna Hewer posted a review criticising what she perceived to be a shop assistant’s overly informal manner. ‘Saying quid when quoting a price is uxeceptable in any shop. I expect better from John Lewis,’ said Donna. Her comments immediately made two things crystal clear: the language you use in a business scenario matters to your customers, and Donna struggles with the spelling…

Quids in. A language lesson from the UK was last modified on July 31st, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Why trustworthy testimonials make marketing easier

July 1, 2019

B2B documents, Case Study, copywriting, How to win business, Testimonials

You’ll know that LinkedIn has a section for testimonials in each profile and plenty of websites have pages with case studies and positive feedback. Apart from a customer’s personal experience, the most valued opinion comes from someone they trust. It’s for this reason that word of mouth referrals are so valuable. The next best thing is a testimonial. It’s a third-party endorsement, most likely from someone you don’t know which makes it credible. It’s like testimonials that appear on book…

Why trustworthy testimonials make marketing easier was last modified on July 1st, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Everyone can write, right?

July 1, 2019

B2B documents, copywriting, Editing, Grammar tips, How to win business, Proofreading tips, Writing tips

Most can write, but most can’t write well! Writing is hard: it’s not only thinking up the ideas, but articulating them, linking them together and crafting them into a neat package. It takes practice – and sometimes many attempts to get right. Here are some of the traps that novice writers often fall into: Choosing difficult words: Overly formal language is usually a turn off for readers. If there is a simpler everyday alternative that you can use, then do…

Everyone can write, right? was last modified on July 1st, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Take the boring out of business writing

July 1, 2019

B2B documents, copywriting, How to win business, Writing tips

There’s nothing more dull than stiff, formal language, long, complicated sentences, and copy that’s thick with words that add no value. While those who adopt this heavy-duty style think it makes their writing weighty, it has the opposite effect: convoluted language tries to sound impressive but delivers little; it’s almost always vague, light on substance, heavy in obfuscation! It certainly doesn’t impress the reader who is left bewailing “What does this even mean?” And if you’re not writing for the…

Take the boring out of business writing was last modified on July 1st, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

Sometimes you need to murder your darlings

July 1, 2019

B2B documents, Editing, How to win business, Writing tips

You’ve worked hard to articulate a point, to fine-tune a turn of phrase and now, of course, you’re emotionally attached to it. It’s painful to delete it, but what if it doesn’t serve your writing? What if it distracts from your key points? This is a challenge that all writers face, and one that was first expressed over a hundred years ago by Arthur Quiller-Couch. In his book ‘On the Art of Writing’, first published in 1916, he wrote: “Whenever…

Sometimes you need to murder your darlings was last modified on July 1st, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

What does a proofreader actually do?

June 13, 2019

Annual reports, B2B documents, Grammar tips, Proofreading tips, Typos, Writing tips

If you’re writing a document that will be read by your board, your management team, investors, other stakeholders, clients or prospective clients, you’ll naturally want the content to be the best it can be. That’s where an experienced proofreader comes in. If there’s a risk that there are typos or other errors in the document, professional proofreading is vital. A proofreader doesn’t suggest major edits or rewrites. A proofreader is there to very carefully read through the content to identify…

What does a proofreader actually do? was last modified on June 13th, 2019 by Proof Communications Author

What’s your writing style?

June 12, 2019

B2B documents, copywriting, How to win business, Writing tips

What’s your writing style? Do you plan it out or make it up as you go along? Some business writers just start writing; they don’t know where they’re going, but trust that they’ll find their way as they write. Sometimes it leads to more creative writing as the mind is free to wander and discover new possibilities. Other times, the writing completely loses its way and becomes unfocused and repetitive. Certainly, most people find magic happens when in the creative…

What’s your writing style? was last modified on June 12th, 2019 by Proof Communications Author