Orange Yeti asks some tough, and oh so pertinent, questions.
Why do clients love to pretend they can write? Time and time again we stress the importance of good copy. And almost always we get an, “I can handle that,” or a “No problem!” There is a problem though. Most people have poor writing skills.
Writing is hard. Communication is difficult. Why is it so often sloughed off as a trvial task that anyone can do well?
I wouldn’t tell the contractor building my new home that, “I can handle installing all that sheet rock and insulation. No problem.” Sure, I could do that work, but I probably wouldn’t do it as fast or as well. And after I finished making a mess and wasting time and energy, I know I wouldn’t have the cahonés to hold the contractor accountable for the delay.
So why do people think writing good content is easy? Well-written comments only please.
What’s even worse is when a client lets you go through the motions of writing their copy, when they have no intention whatsoever of running with it. You know, because they prefer to “save the day” at the last minute with their own version.