B2B Copywriting: How to Avoid Compromising 32% of Your Message

Remember that bar of soap you recently purchased?

Or that carton of milk? That light bulb?

Do you know how that product got to your store?

It most likely traveled by truck, train, or ship to a main distribution hub.

That part of the distribution system is usually the most efficient and economical.

But the last leg—moving people and products from the hub to the final destination—is often the most difficult and expensive.

To businesses in the supply chain, this final leg of the trip is often known as the “last mile”

The last mile can be the most costly and inefficient aspect of moving a product, comprising up to 41 percent of the total cost to move goods.

It’s a lot like what happens when we finish writing a piece of marketing content—when this last mile, if not handled properly, can comprise 30 percent (or more) of our total message.

What is the last mile when it comes to writing content? Professional proofreading.

Professional proofreaders are the secret to making you look like a pro—and your clients look great, too.

Without professional proofreading, content writers, marketers and B2B consultants run the risk of confusing people by publishing typos and errors and not being clear in presenting ideas.

Why bother paying professional proofreaders?

Here are five (overlooked) benefits that professional proofreaders bring to your content:

1. They liberate you from worrying about writing copy perfectly, so you can be more creative during the writing phase. When you know that your copy will be professionally proofread, you can tell your inner editor to go pound sand! You’ll write the way you think, get the ideas out of your head quickly, and experience creativity in a new way.

2. They ensure that readers will understand your copy. Our brains know what we want to say, but we can’t always express it flawlessly. Another set of eyes ensures that your audience will clearly understand your message. Some professional proofreading services even have two proofreaders read your copy and check your work.

3. They boost your inner confidence and let the copy shine. Do you ever cross your fingers, hoping and praying that your messages are clear? If so, then you’ll love having a professional proofreader check your copy.

   Seeing your work professionally polished boosts your confidence as a communicator. It will motivate you to promote your content and share it with others. As a result, you’ll exude confidence.

4. They free you from depending on friends and colleagues to check your work. Under a tight deadline? Hoping your friend has time to check your copy so you can meet that deadline?

   Don’t get me wrong—having a friend read your work can be helpful. But you don’t want to take advantage of your friend’s goodwill. And can you really be sure about an amateur’s proofreading prowess?

   Step away from your personal network, and use a professional proofreading service. A service will have proofreaders available for you and ready to meet your deadlines.

5. They increase your knowledge about copywriting (and writing in general). Using a professional proofreading service is an enjoyable learning experience. You can study your original copy, compare it with the suggested changes from the proofreaders, and accept or reject the changes as you see fit.

   If you continue to use the same service, over time you’ll develop a relationship with your proofreaders; they will learn your style, and you will hone your communication and writing skills.

Some proofreading services offer different levels of services

If you’re not quite ready to pay for premium editing services, start by having your copy proofread for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typos. If you find this basic level of service valuable, consider submitting a project for an expanded level of editing. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results!

The monetary cost for professional editing and proofreading of your copy will far outweigh the cost of not having that copy proofread.

No time for professional proofreading?

No matter how well you try to prepare, sometimes a deadline looms and there simply isn’t enough time for someone to proofread your work.

When time is short, use these three steps to proofread your copy:

1. Change the font.

2. Print out the copy.

3. Read it aloud, from beginning to end—and then again, from the end to the beginning.

These three steps will help eliminate some errors you may have otherwise missed. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Don’t let the last mile compromise your content

Hire professional proofreaders to proof and polish your work.

You’ll feel confident knowing that you’re producing your best work without the distracting errors.