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“Oh no they didn’t!” But sadly, yes they did.
Once again I’ve run across someone who thinks that simply because they own a word processor and can type they can write their own web copy–even though they have no writing experience whatsoever.
They just don’t see the need to hire a professional writer. They don’t think it will make a difference.
My alternate title for this post was “Does Owning Photoshop Make Me a Professional Designer?” I’ll explain later why I almost used that title.
Of course, those who write their own copy will pay for it later when their copy isn’t everything that it should be (and their competitor’s copy is because they did hire a professional writer). It’s even likely that their website ended up saying something they really didn’t intend for it to say.
Despite the fact that not everyone should (or even can) write good copy, there are still some businesses who believe that they can get by with do-it-yourself writing. But the truth is, in most cases a professional writer can really make a difference.
I used to work very hard to convince these folks of the benefits of using a writing professional whenever I ran into them. I felt it was my job to educate them.
No more. I tell them once (or maybe twice to be extra nice) about the benefits of hiring a professional writer. If they still won’t listen, I move on to working with my real clients–those who understand and appreciate the importance of communicating their message clearly.
As to the others, well–usually they do get what they paid for. Enough said.
Oh, and the answer to my earlier question in my almost headline regarding Photoshop–no, of course not! The idea of software (or a keyboard) somehow automatically conveying professional status is silly.
I may own Photoshop. I may even tinker with it from time to time to take the red out of the eyes on my personal photos. But that does NOT make me a professional designer. It takes weeks and sometimes even months for someone to become proficient in design (assuming that they have the aptitude).
Professional writing is pretty much the same as any other profession. I’ve spent hours and hours (to say nothing of years and years) perfecting my writing skills. It may look easy because I deliberately make my writing extremely readable. That doesn’t mean just anybody with a keyboard can produce the same quality, though.
So, why do some people still persist in believing that using a professional writer is unnecessary?
9 responses so far ↓
1 Natalia Sylvester // Mar 16, 2011 at
Well said! I think because people write every day (emails, FB updates, to-do lists and notes) they don’t realize that writing professionally requires an entirely different set of skills. I like to compare it to swimming: just because many of us know how to swim doesn’t mean we can compete in the Olympics.
2 Laura Spencer // Mar 17, 2011 at
Thanks Natalia!
I get this more often than I care to admit. I got this response one time too many and it prompted this post. 🙂
Sadly, too many people think that there is no difference between professional writing and casual writing (posting to your wall, writing a to-do list, etc.).
3 Claire // Mar 20, 2011 at
You raised some great points there. Yes, I hire a graphic designer so I guess I should hire a copywriter as well. Point well made.
4 Laura Spencer // Mar 20, 2011 at
Hi Claire!
Yes! That was my point. Most of the time you do get what you pay for. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
5 cmdweb // Mar 24, 2011 at
Another great post Laura – thank you.
I produce lots of different types of work from technical writing to web page articles, but I shy away from sales writing (what I term as copywriting) as I’m not an expert. I’d look for a pro for that. I think you’re right about some people’s attitudes towards writing. In the field of technical writing it’s also particularly prevalent. I’ve met brilliant and gifted engineers who thought that writing the instruction manual or maintenance procedures would be easy because they were articulate, literate people. Some of the efforts at tech writing I’ve seen done like this were appalling.
I think people should recognise what they can and can’t do but it’s not always easy for them to see it.
6 Six Freelance Writing Myths Debunked : WritingThoughts // Jun 7, 2011 at
[…] I can write my own materials. Because writing seems so easy (see myth #1), some companies believe that it is cost-effective to write their own website copy and marketing materials. However, writing your own materials is usually a bad move for a number of reasons. […]
7 Five from the WritingThoughts Archives : WritingThoughts // Jan 11, 2012 at
[…] Should You Write Your Own Copy?–DIY isn’t always a good thing and it doesn’t always save money. […]
8 Slava Petrenko Photography // Apr 1, 2012 at
I had someone explain it to me this way once – ‘Just because you can dig a hole doesn’t mean you can build your own pool’.
I’m deinitely a bit of a control freak but I’m learning to pass of some of my tasks (like writing copy for ads) to people better qualified.
9 Laura Spencer // Apr 4, 2012 at
Slava–I’ll have to remember that explanation. 🙂