Does your business need a proofreader? Yes. Yes, it does. That’ll be all. Thank you for reading. What? You want to know why your business needs a proofreader? Okay, we’ll set out some reasons below. But by the end of this post, you’ll wonder how you ever questioned it.
1. Typos Can Be Costly
Let’s get to the bottom line: errors in business writing can be costly. First of all, they can cost the trust of customers and clients. If customer see mistakes in website copy, for example, they may think twice about using your services, since it suggests a lack of care or attention to detail.
More literally, though, typos can cost a lot of money. For instance, Penguin Australia once had to destroy 7,000 copies of The Pasta Bible at a cost of $20,000 because the book accidentally recommended using ‘freshly ground black people’ instead of ‘freshly ground black pepper’.
(Photo: congerdesign)
That’s quite an extreme typo, admittedly. But revising any published document is expensive. And as such, a good proofreader can save businesses a lot of money over time by cutting out mistakes before they happen.
2. Polished Professionalism
Whatever your business, you need to make a good first impression. And this is often done via something you’ve written. And if you want to make a good first impression via, for instance, your company website or a press release, you need to be sure it is well written and error free.
Think about it this way: If you were meeting a client in person for the first time, would you turn up with your hair in a mess, odd socks on, and a coffee stain on your shirt? No? Well, you should apply the same standards to your writing! And this means having a professional check it is error free.
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3. Proofreading Is a Skill
We don’t blame anyone for not knowing the many, many rules about comma usage. Nor do we expect everyone to be as keen on correct pronoun choice as us. That’s because it takes a special kind of person to obsess over spelling, grammar and punctuation: a proofreader.
(Photo: annekarakash)
In other words, the only way to be sure of great proofreading is to hire a trained professional. This also lets you and your colleagues concentrate on other work, boosting efficiency.
4. Letting Your Content Shine!
If you’ve made an effort to write great copy, you owe it to yourself and your business to let it shine. But self-editing is difficult, especially if you’re too close to what you’ve written.
A professional proofreader, on the other hand, will bring a fresh pair of eyes to your work. And with our specialist knowledge and training, we can spot errors you might miss. Still not convinced? Then send us a 500-word sample of your writing and we’ll check it for free.