On Tuesday of this week, an outage at cloud provider Amazon’s Web Services forced several major websites and mobile apps to go dark. The culprit? The scourge of copywriters everywhere: a typo.

Amazon released an apology, explaining that an engineer was only trying to take down a small subset of servers for inspection but entered a command incorrectly. Just a few wrong keys brought a large set of servers down and resulted in an estimated loss of $150 million. It’s an extreme example but it just goes to show—it’s not just copywriters who need to take typos and spelling errors seriously.

Whether your an engineer, a writer, or just someone who noticed the grammatical error at the beginning of this sentence, proofreading for mistakes is important! Just ask the Department of Education…or maybe don’t.

Here at MarketSmiths, we believe quality control goes far beyond typos, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. But in honor of that million-dollar mistake, let’s take a look at some key strategies to help you avoid typos.

Grammar and Spell Checkers Are Your Friend

This first strategy is perhaps the most obvious—take advantage of your writing platform’s spelling and grammar checker.  If you’re writing in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, pay attention to those squiggly red and green lines. They’re there to help you.

If you’re looking for more help, consider using online grammar checker Grammarly. For those on a budget, the free version works like a normal spellchecker. But for those wiling to splurge, Grammarly Premium claims to fix over 250 types of errors Microsoft Word can’t find and will even help you find “context-optimized” synonym suggestions. Isn’t that great? Marvelous? Outstanding?

Peers, Friends, And Coworkers Are Also Your Friend

We’ve all experienced it. You read over something you’ve written a hundred times and you’re convinced it’s perfect. And then a friend reads it for the first time and instantly spots a dumb typo. Well don’t beat yourself up too much. According to psychologist Tom Stafford, this happens because we’re smart. When we’re proof reading our own work, we already know the point we want to get across so we skip over simple components like spelling or punctuation. That’s why it’s so helpful to have an outsider review your work. So before you send out that tweet or carve a historic speech into a memorial, maybe have a friend take a look.

Rest Those Weary Eyes

One of the simplest things you can to do help with proof reading is to give yourself some time away from whatever it is you’re working on. We’ve suggested this in the past as a way to escape the harrows of perfectionism but it applies here as well. Whether you can give it a day or a week, set aside some time for you to take a break and return to your work with fresh eyes.

Read Your Work Out Loud

Author David Sedaris is famous for reading his work aloud. In an interview with Fast Company, he said “I used to hate it when a book came out or a story was published and I would be like ‘damn, how did I not catch that? But you pretty much always catch it when you’re reading out loud.”

Hearing your work read out loud (either by you or by a text to voice program) gives you another perspective on your writing. You may feel a bit silly at first, but once you start catching awkward sentences or typos you’ll want to start making this a habit.

Don’t let what happened to Amazon happen to you. Keep an eye out for costly mistakes—or better yet, partner with a professional writing service. At MarketSmiths, we believe in crisp, clear copywriting bolstered by rigorous quality control. To find out more about what we do, get in touch today.

These days it seems like you can find everything on Craigslist—a new apartment, an old couch, even a professional bridesmaid. But did you know you can also find some great copywriting lessons? Craigslist, an online classified website, is a treasure trove of persuasive copywriting examples. If you’ve spent any time on the site, you know a successful Craigslist ad can make even the most useless junk seem like a must-have.

Allow us to give you a lesson in copywriting, courtesy of Craigslist ad posters everywhere.

Emphasize benefits vs. features

The owner of the couch isn’t merely extolling features like supportive backrests and removable cushions. He is translating them to how they’ll help you with life, encouraging recuperation…and olfactory pleasures. Also, the reference to ‘Floor is Lava’ is unbelievably clever. If the floor were lava, wouldn’t you want to survive it on a surface just like this, with a pug-strewn David Hasselhoff by your side?

Simplify your content

With copywriting, less is more. I want some orange juice…I’m too lazy to get it myself. In a few short sentences, we know exactly what this author is looking for and why. It’s important to make your message clear and concise. Break longer sentences into two or three smaller ones. Be clear how the person can take advantage of your scintillating offer by providing the necessary details. You want reading your copy to be easy, even as you are making a case as compelling as this.

Try a unique hook

This is the most uncomfortable​ chair ever made. If that doesn’t compel you to read on, I don’t know what will. Your hook or angle should position the product within the market and drum up interest for the right buyer. This ad is a perfect example of a unique hook. This chair isn’t for everyone but “if you are an alien with a flat or squareish, in the lumbar region, it would work quite well.” Additionally, by being upfront about the product’s weaknesses, the ad generates a positive reputation for the seller (which may result in increased customer loyalty).  

Write with personality

Every brand has its own unique personality and successful copywriting should reflect  that. What does that mean exactly? Well, a good copywriter wouldn’t write the same way for a financial advisor as they would a hip restaurant. The personality of your copywriting (voice, style, word choice) should be used in a way that differentiates your product. This ad for a giant Ugg boot is loaded with personality. From “pumpkin spice induced diabeetus” to “basic cat house” to “a guy named Chad who cheats on you all the time,” readers have a clear sense of this writer and her product’s brand.

Tell a story

Storytelling is an amazing tool for copywriters. Good stories can create memories, incite sympathy, and call people to action. Strong copywriting should be about more than just describing a product, it should leave an impression. As for this ad—it only took 52 words to completely draw me in. I’m now the proud owner of eleven reptiles named Amanda. All thanks to the emotional power of storytelling.

So the next time you’re perusing Craigslist, don’t just laugh at the quirky listings. Pay attention to how some ads use copywriting best practices to really draw you in. Whether you’re selling a ratty old couch or you just want some orange juice, never underestimate the power of effective copywriting.

At MarketSmiths, we won’t write your Craigslist ads for you, but we can provide you with quality copywriting for your website, blog, and more. Get in touch to find out more.

Perfectionism. Many of us are guilty of it. From the college student who wakes up at 4am to go over that paper one more time to the executive who completely reworks their presentation hours before a big meeting. Perfectionism is a personality trait that seems to hit writers especially hard. French author Gustave Flaubert famously devoted himself to finding let mot juste, or “the right word.” Is this compulsion to be perfect a healthy motivator or an anxiety-inducing lost cause?

By definition, a perfectionist regards anything short of perfection as unacceptable. It’s an attitude that’s often associated with high achievement–particularly in America, where an all-or-nothing approach permeates almost every facet of our society. We love hearing about the extreme diet and work out regimens of star athletes like Serena Williams or Tom Brady. Williams is well known for her on-the-court outbursts, a behavior that can easily be attributed to her desire to be the best. Brady, ever the perfectionist, refuses to autograph photographs where his throwing form looks off.

But Flaubert gave us Madame Bovary. Serena Williams has won a record 23 Grand Slam titles. And Tom Brady has 5 Super Bowl rings. So isn’t this behavior worth copying?

Maybe not.

The Less-Than-Perfect Truth About Perfectionism

Psychologist Thomas S. Greenspon is an expert on perfectionism, and claims that the most successful people are less likely to be perfectionists. This is because perfectionists are often crippled by their anxiety over making a mistake. If that’s not enough to deter you, Psychology Today also links perfectionism with relationship trouble, exhaustion, and a deeper sense of shame. Fun, huh?

When it comes to writing, perfectionism is particularly harmful because “perfect” writing doesn’t exist. It’s a vague standard, impossible to achieve. I think Pride and Prejudice is a perfect book, while my brother thinks it’s rubbish. Which one of us is right?

Let’s not forget that writers can be a distinctly critical group of people. We tend to pummel our writing until we’ve chosen the best word or sentence structure or hook. Our work is so precious to us that a well-known editing technique is to “kill your darlings,” or remove your most precious passages for the greater good of the piece. Even after multiple edits, it’s hard for us to walk away from our writing and say, “well it’s good enough.” But at some point, we all have to do it—if we don’t, we’ll never finish anything at all.

So for the sake of both your future writing success and your mental health, here are a few tips to get you out of a perfectionist mindset:

1. Free write. Get your notebook out or open up a blank word doc and just write. Let your mind wander. This isn’t about what others will think about your writing, it’s about getting all your ideas out there.
2. Utilize drafts. Writing is rewriting. Just put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and get a first draft down. It may take multiple drafts to get your work to where you want it to be, and that’s okay! Just take it one draft at a time.
3. Get some space. When you’re close to a final product, step away from it for a bit. If you’ve got time to spare, give it a day or two before going back to revise. If one eye is firmly planted on an encroaching deadline in the rear view mirror, don’t let your perfectionism lead to unnecessary anxiety—take a walk, listen to some music, or make a cup of tea before you make the final edit. Clearing your head and getting some distance allows you to see your work in a new, constructive light—without the hours spent stressing over every minute detail.
4. Have someone else take a look. The hard truth is, we’re often too close to our writing for our own good. We also have a tendency to develop an internal auto-correct—we know what we meant, so we don’t always notice our typos, even on the tenth read through. But that isn’t the case for others reading what we’ve written for the first time. So whenever possible, have a fresh pair of eyes look over your work. Maybe a trusted colleague, or a friend who owes you a favor. They may spot something you don’t. Or better yet, they may tell you the piece you’ve been agonizing over for weeks is brilliant and you’ve nothing to worry about. A little encouragement now and then is good for the confidence!
5. Publish it. Remember there’s no such thing as perfect writing. At some point it’s going to be time to let your baby go out into the world. Pat yourself on the back, tell yourself that it’s “perfect enough,” and hit publish. Do this enough, and you’ll learn to worry less about imperfections and enjoy the act of writing more and more.

At MarketSmiths, we’ll admit we’re all recovering perfectionists at heart. (How many edits do you think this blog post went through?) If you love the idea of writing a great blog for your business but are nervous about getting started, we can help. Our DIY Blogging Course won’t teach you how to be a perfect writer—remember, they don’t exist—but we’ll equip you with everything you need to write quality content that showcases your expertise and helps new customers find you. Get in touch today to find out more.