Go with me here. These lanterns are pretty flimsy. Should a curious bird peck a hole in one, it’s anyone’s guess as to where it would land. Firework factories and petrol stations would be the most unforgiving targets.

And what happens if a sky lantern gets stuck in a tree or flies through the window of a skyscraper? It just really bothers me.

Comparable problems apply in the arena of web copy. As with sky lanterns, you have to consider all the consequences, all the angles.

Commercial writing is a great case in point. You see, SEO-enhanced web copy is all well and good, but if it fails to augment and sell the brand then it is about as useful as a bucket during a drought.

Brand Building Through Web Copy

Brand building is integral to the success of any product or service. Branding is a way of saying who you are, a medium to voice your unique take on whatever it is you do. Branding is what makes you different from the competitors and in the end, lets prospect users know why they should choose you instead of the other million possibilities online.

When handling web copy projects for clients, I operate in a number of capacities. Sometimes I’ll build brands from the ground up, other times I’ll whittle into an existing model.

Whatever the case, your web copy must tap into and enhance the client’s brand.

How to Brand Build Through Web Copy

Rome wasn’t built in a day, or so the saying goes. So when developing a brand from scratch, it’s best to have a plan in place. Get things underway by mapping out a content strategy which defines the best way to maximise your client’s prospects.

Ring-fence the target audience and work out their needs, desires and tastes. Any keyword research undertaken should flow from this as you get inside the mind of the prospect user.

How are they going to search for your client’s website online? What is your client’s unique selling point and how can you make that shine through web copy? Perhaps a tagline would help build brand and character?

If, like me, you also specialise in online marketing, then it may be that your client needs advice when it comes to building website visitation and sales conversion.

So get down and dirty and work out an online marketing strategy. How are you going to build links? Would the site benefit from a newsletter, discounts, competitions, freemiums or giveaways?

If you decide upon a blog – and nine times out of 10 you probably should – then what type of content and concepts will further the brand?

It’s all food for thought.

If the brand and website already exists, then reverse engineer these questions as you look to get the most for your client out of their online endeavour.

How Inventive Should I Get with Branding?

You know what, if the project demands it, you can get crazier than Willy Wonka in a sweet shop. And if a quieter approach is needed, then slap on some Michael Bolton and enjoy the smooth times.

The bottom line is this. When it comes to branding through web copy or in your role as copywriter, each and every step you take needs to be signed-off by the client.

By all means you should advise and push your professional opinion, but at the end of the day it is the client’s opinion that really matters – even if you have doubts.

How do I turn my web copy strategy into an online reality?

That’s a reasonable enough question. It’s a fair bet that if your client has hired you to write brand infused web copy, they probably already have a web designer onboard.

In my case, I often work in partnership with a cracking web designer on an array of projects. I’ll design the content and marketing while he builds the website. Sometimes, we work on branding and strategy together, it just depends on what the client wants.

And don’t worry how technical your ideas seem, most web designers I work with agree the best scenario is for a website to be built around the content rather than the other way round.

The web designer will create the specific framework to support your web copy strategy.

Brand Building and Web Copy – The Perfect Relationship

As we speak, the dark sky is alight with the glow of a rogue band of Chinese lanterns. I swear by the belly of Zeus that five of the bad boys are currently cutting a fiery path through the clouds above my office.

If any typos have crept into this instalment of Copywriting for the Web, they can be attributed to sweaty palms. Sky lanterns make me more nervous than a vegetarian in a butchers shop.

And where do they go when they die? That’s what I want to know. For the love of God, will somebody just please tell me, where do they go?

Don’t fall into the same trap as the mountain climber who packed a tent but not the tent pegs. He had a cold night’s sleep.

So think warm thoughts and aggregate your web copy with the right keywords. This’ll get you in bed with the search engines faster than a Himalayan avalanche.

SEO Keyword Research for Existing Websites

When working with an existing website the first place you should start is with the analytics. Have a poke around and find out what keywords have brought traffic to your site.

Take note of various metrics like how quickly they left the site, how long they stayed and how many pages they viewed?

Columbo always embarked on a fact finding mission before bringing his target to book and so should you. Not only will you be able to see whether existing content is working, you’ll bring perspective to which areas of the site you want to grow.

SEO Long Tail Keyword Research

Targeting single keywords, or head terms, has traditionally been viewed as a way of generating big bucks online. Given that the internet is now saturated with keyword-heavy websites, things have changed.

The competition for many individual keywords is vast.

So set your sights on long tail keyword research and target groups of keywords.

A good way of doing this is to understand your audience and how they use keywords when searching online. Draw-up a user profile and ring-fence what search terms you suppose they are typing into Google.

Armed with a list of well-researched keywords makes it easier to tailor your content to the key audience.

So What are Long Tail Keywords?

The long tail of any keyword is the head keyword. Let me translate. In the search phrase ‘menswear Grimsby Lincolnshire’, ‘menswear’ is the head keyword and those which follow are the long tail.

Long tailing, then, is a means to modify head keywords – such as ‘menswear’ – which are just too competitive.

On the downside, longer tail keywords might not get as many hits as the head ones.

But the good news is that the query will be more targeted, driving a specific type of traffic to your site.

Users often know what they are searching for, so if you match their needs, the chances are you can pretty much get them to do what you want.

SEO Keyword Research for New Websites

When it comes to SEO keyword research for newer websites, a similar line of attack is required.

Go all Picasso and draw-up a list of keywords you think the user will search for. Throw them into an online keyword tool and search for relevant data.

If you’re starting a new website then it’s even harder to rank for those head keywords which are higher in competition. So again, bring the long tail into play.

Have a look at long tail modifiers and build the keyword you are after into a key phrase.

Keyword Research: A Crucial Part of Web Copy

SEO keyword research is a highly technical area and it’s just not enough to spam your web pages with keyword-heavy paragraphs.

Keywords and key phrases need to be seamlessly embedded in the slipstream of your web copy. When the dust settles, your web copy should be SEO enhanced to help you rank well online.

It should also embolden and further your brand identity, contain effective yet subtle sales messages, while informing and entertaining your readers.

It’s a tall, but achievable order.

With that in mind, take a moment to consider a pearl of wisdom imparted to me by a taxi driver this morning…

“It’s a topsy-turvy world and maybe my problems don’t amount to a hill of beans. But this is my hill and these are my beans!”

Well said Mr Taxidriver, well said indeed.

Picture this: you are the world’s greatest juggler. Recently you’ve taken to juggling household appliances such as fridges, washing machines and food blenders. Bonzo is your name and juggling is your game.

The only problem is, nobody knows about you.

Now the story of Bonzo is an all too familiar one, especially when it comes to the internet. It doesn’t matter whether your website is the best in its sector, it doesn’t matter if your blog page is hotter than a baked potato, if you suffer from a lack of exposure nobody is going to find you.

Building links to build your online presence

Building links to your website is a crucial part of online marketing. Trust me, I’m a Terminator.

So what is link building? In its most basic form, link building is a tool to help market your website. The right type of in links should help improve your rankings in search engines results and guide a stream of targeted traffic to your website.

A Basic Guide to Link Building:

In the case of link building, quality is often better than quantity. Here are a few tips to consider when building links to your website:

• Resist the temptation of swapping links with as many other websites as possible. Instead, get strategic with your link building.
• Understand your marketplace and understand your user. If, for example, you are selling to the fashion sector, you’ll first want to build links in the more obvious areas. Comment on blogs and swap links with established brands. It’s always good to associate yourself with household names.

Now its time to get funky. Ask yourself what significant niches exist within your market place. Your competitors are likely to overlook these niche websites, so focus efforts there. Try building a list of around 100 typical and niche sites then work them harder than a farmer in a corn field.

Develop good web copy

• It’s no good producing content on your website just for the sake of it. Each and every word should be written with a purpose. Good web copy entertains and informs customers, good web copy hoists websites up the search engine rankings, good web copy encourages other sites to link to them.

Monitor and Evaluate Link Building

• Life’s too short – that’s what my mother always says. So don’t waste time building links to your website if they don’t bear any fruit. You want more apples than a cider factory.
• So monitor and evaluate which links are benefiting your online marketing campaign. Measure the density of traffic coming from individual links and work out which ones increase your sales.

Strategic Link Building: Strategic Online Marketing

Strategic link building is but one tool in any comprehensive online marketing campaign. And remember, building the perfect online marketing campaign is like putting a puzzle together. If you are missing even one piece, the picture will never be complete.

And it’s understandable.

What do I write about? What are my readers interested in? What do hope to achieve through blogging? Where are my car keys? These are just a few frequently asked questions thrown in my direction.

Business blogging for business thinkers

The nature of your blog content will depend on the nature of your business. It’s no good writing about polar bears if you’re a landscape gardener. By the same extension, avoid patter about landscape gardening if you’re in the polar bear trade.

Stick to what’s relevant. Business blogging is there to create a two-way relationship between you and your client base.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t rock the boat. As a freelance copywriter, I blog about all things copywriting – I also blog on the subject of film reviews. Why film reviews you ask? You’re right to suggest film review isn’t a direct extension of copywriting. Even so, it’s proved fruitful on a number of fronts.

Firstly, reviewing films allows me to flex my creative muscles and practise what I preach – writing/copywriting. On top of driving traffic to CreativePen, showcasing my copywriting prowess and enhancing my SEO quota, film review also helped build crucial contacts in the entertainment industry.

Writing an effective business blog

This is a complicated question. I’ll give you a few hints and tips as to how I go about blog writing for my clients.

Where to start:

• Think about your business, think about your brand. View your business blog as a direct extension of your branding. Your principles should bleed through.
• Produce a content strategy to define how best to utilise your blog space. This often includes brand principles, key messages, target audience, keyword/key phrase research and analysis.

What’s next?

• Figure out what type of blog will satisfy the needs of your target audience. Is your blog going to be news driven? Is it going to be about you and your product/service? Are you going to have multiple blog categories in order to cover a range of sections? Whatever topics you cover, make sure they are keyword/key phrase heavy.
• Tone is crucial. You need to adapt your conversation so it speaks direct to the reader. Do you want to portray a professional or personal tone? Is humour appropriate? Will technical talk entice your readers?

All of these questions will be easier to answer if you produce a content strategy ahead of time. Plotting a clear travel of direction means that when you come to the writing stage you’ll be better placed to produce a business blog both compelling to read and effective on the marketing front.

Business Blogging: Page Layout

As with any form of copywriting, think about the visual layout of your business blog. Blocks of heavy paragraphs cascading down the page are never appealing to look at. Headings, sub-headings, bullet-points and lists will boil your blog down into content pleasing to the eye. And while you’re at it, why not throw some photos and images in for good measure?

Blogging gives your company an edge

There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to business blogging. Even so, you can earn a dedicated following which will bring extra custom, business contacts, further your brand and help you climb the Google ladder.

And don’t forget: keep your blog up-to-date with weekly posts if possible.

Long gone are the days of introverted teenagers tapping out their every thought into the box of lights in front of them. Man evolved, the world evolved, now blogging has evolved.

Why should I care about business blogging?

Well that’s a good question. Gather round while we discuss. Blog writing has fast become one of the best ways to market your business online. Don’t just take that from a freelance copywriter. If Microsoft deems business blogging important, then who are we to argue?

I’ve tackled numerous web copy projects for clients and more often than not, I advise on the introduction of a blog page.

Besides creating a two-way conversation with customers, business blogging is a fantastic means of drumming up interest and creating sales.

The benefits of business blogging:

• Blogging communicates crucial information about you, your product and service direct to your target market.
• It’s a great way to build upon your brand principles and take your message to the widest possible audience.
• Parachute keywords and key phrases into the heart of your website on a regular basis. Done correctly, you’ll you climb the search engine ladder faster than a fireman. Google gets a real buzz from regularly updated information.
• Blogging is a great way to make new contacts and secure incoming links. Float a good post in the blogosphere and give people the chance to link back to them.
• If your business is the cake, then blogging is the cherry. A business blog drives traffic to your site, hold visitors’ attention and gives them another reason to come back.
• Finally, keep your blog up-to-date on a regular basis. People are naturally suspicious of the internet, especially when parting with money. So build consumer confidence with regular blog posts. If your website looks well kept and cared for, people are less likely to click on the ‘back’ button.

“This is the life”, mutters Frank as he takes view of the green fields below.

With that, both engines start to chug.

Houston, we have a problem!

Bullet points and in-flight safety?

Abandoning the cockpit, a frantic search for a parachute ensues. All Frank finds is a ruler, a half-eaten sandwich and a copy of Reader’s Digest.

7,000 feet and counting…

A bulb suddenly lights up the murky abyss of Frank’s mind. Whipping an iPhone from his trouser pocket with the precision of a gunslinger, he connects to the internet.

6,000 feet and counting…

Frank shakily thumbs the words ‘what to do when a small aircraft goes down’ into Google. Clicking on the first return, a stream of dense content clogs the screen. With time of the essence, Frank hits the back button and continues his search for more easily digestible material.

5,000 feet and counting…

Now don’t take this the wrong way, online readers generally have short attention spans. This is especially the case when aboard a light aircraft in freefall.

As such, writers of web copy are tasked with keeping readers on the beaten-path and averting any unnecessary detours. This is no easy feat to achieve.

The copywriter must unleash a furious assault on the senses of the reader. Bullet points, of course, are a crucial cudgel in the copywriters’ arsenal.

Chunking-down body copy with bullet points

4,000 feet and counting…

A quick glance out of the cockpit window informs Frank that the once distant fields below are creeping up faster than a cheetah in a Ferrari. Desperation sets in. Clicking on the next search down, Frank hits the same wall. “I don’t have time to read a book”, he screams, “where are the bullet points and lists?”

3,000 feet and counting…

Frank is of course right to suggest that the visual composition of body copy is vital to holding readers’ attention. So when tackling a dense web copy project, why not try throwing a bullet pointed list into the mix? This will break your content down faster than a snowman at a tanning shop.

Readers are partial to the odd bullet point

2,000 feet and counting…

Beside himself with anger at the uninviting content, Frank sets about writing an email to the website’s author:

Dear Sir/Madam,

This may be my final communication with the outside world, so I feel it crucial to underscore the importance of bullet points when it comes to online readability.

Web writers use bullet points for a number of good reasons:

• Readability                   – quite simply, people like lists
• Concision                     – makes for scannable web copy
• Visual                           – visual layout is crucial

In closing, bullet pointed lists must contain relevant information. They won’t work unless the list has been carefully thought-out. Bullet pointed lists need to be understood at a glance.

Regards

Frank

Ground control to major tom: we need bullet points

1,000 feet and counting…

With the end in sight, Frank makes one last ditch effort and clicks on the next website down. Hallelujah! The body copy is immaculately presented, utilising the benefits of headings, subheadings and bullet points.

Quickly scanning the content, Frank lays claim to an invaluable piece of information – ‘check the ignition’. Dashing into the cockpit with more vigour than a tooth fairy at the dentists, Frank spots that the ignition key is turned to ‘off’. Rotating the key one click to the right, the aircraft quickly jumps back to life.

2,000 feet and counting…

Ascending back to the heavens, Frank gives thanks to the bullet point which just saved his life. Dialling home, he tells his wife of the near catastrophic events. As the conversation draws to a close, Frank muses:

“Bullet pointed lists, headings and subheadings offer copywriters a fantastic method of making content visually pleasing and easy to read. Honey, we need writers to keep rocking the boat by peppering their content with appropriate page breaks. After all, to make a cake, you’ve got to crack a few eggs.”

10,000 feet and counting…

These days I see things differently. When devilish apparitions spring to mind I quickly replace them with visions of sugarplums and dancing fairies.

There is, however, one thing that still gets under my skin; one thing that makes me shudder more violently than an Eskimo in a heat wave. And that, my dear readers, is poor headline writing.

‘Man eats microwave’: a tasty headline…

Putting a cat in the oven doesn’t make it a bun. By the same extension, cobbling a few words together to sit atop your web copy does not constitute an effective headline.

Headlines are integral to the process of web copy.

Let me explain: headlines, in essence, entice your reader into the story you are about to tell them. If the headline doesn’t sing, the reader is likely to pack their bags and take the first bus out of town.

So don’t torment them. Hit the nail on the head and let the reader know what to expect.

Reading on the internet is such a particular beast. When consumers purchase a magazine, for example, they do so with the intent of reading it.

No such agreement resides between the reader and your web copy. So where possible tempt them with an enthralling headline and make a big splash.

The headline is, after all, a springboard to your body copy.

Web copy headline hints and tips…

Effective web copy headlines come in all shapes and sizes. Even so, every headline is tasked with describing the story they represent.

Here are a number of approaches worth bearing in mind when engineering a headline:

1) DIRECT HEADLINES: Get straight to the heart of the matter and bypass complexity in favour of simplicity. Adopt a ‘does what it says on the tin’ mentality and inject an air of transparency into your opening message. In a world of spin, direct headlines often generate a favourable response.

2) INDIRECT HEADLINES: Spark curiosity in the mind of the reader. A degree of mystery will capture their attention and make them want to read on.

3) NEWS HEADLINES: News headlines call attention to the ‘scoop’ of the story, the central thrust. Generate interest with a catchy headline and instil a ‘read all about it’ mentality on the part of your audience.

4) THE ‘HOW TO’ HEADLINE: This headline device is capable of instilling a sense of value to the content the reader is about to devour. Prefixing your opening salvo with ‘how to’ indicates that they are about to get some useful information for free.

5) PUN HEADLINES – Puns are often used in headline writing – most notably in tabloid news media. Wordplay translates well to web copy and witty twists on familiar phrases can hook your reader in faster than a cat at a fish market.

When it comes to web copy, no headline should be incidental. Everything happens for a reason; at least that’s what I’m told.  So also optimise your page for better search engine placement by building keywords and phrases into the titles.

Headline web copy, the final curtain…

A close friend imparted a string of wise words to me this morning. Musing over his coffee he turned and said: “If you’re going to make an omelette, you’ve got to break a few eggs”.

At first I was baffled. It wasn’t until later in the day when I realised what this most incisive of individuals was trying to say:

The most effective headlines are usually produced once the body copy has been finalised. At that point you’ll be perfectly placed to tailor your headline to fit the content.

Brilliant advice!

He also told me to “hit it when it’s hot”. On that, I’m less clear.

Air sea rescue mounted a desperate operation in the form of a spoon but the sodden remains of said biscuit are yet to be found.

Biscuits and writer’s block…?

As I searched desperately for the crumbly castaway in the murky abyss of my coffee cup, it occurred to me some things in life are universal.

Those who partake in the time honoured tradition of biscuit dunking run the risk of sullying their mugs with fallen biscuits. Biscuit density and quality is of course a factor. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t matter whether you are rocking McVitie’s or Tesco’s own brand, we are all prone to losing a biscuit here and there.

Superman’s Achilles’ heel was Kryptonite. Dunkers face the risk of biscuit breakage. So what is it exactly that sends a collective shiver up the spine of the copywriting community?

In a nutshell: writer’s block! There I said it. It’s not a dirty word, its nothing to be ashamed of; it’s something all copywriters must battle from time to time.

Walls are made to be broken…

As with biscuit breakage, there is no scientific formula to excavate your person from the shadows of the writing block wall.

Having worked in the writing trade for the best part of a decade, the Writing Block Monster only rears its ugly head occasionally nowadays. Even so, when the beast does transpire in all its ferocity, I still struggle getting coherent thoughts down on the page.

With web copy deadlines on the horizon, it’s easy to panic. But don’t, this is what the sharp-toothed blockish partition in your mind wants.

It feeds on a diet of fear, so make sure it goes to bed hungry.

Here are a number of methods I find useful in shepherding my mind back to the righteous path of web copy:

1) Come out with your hands up and step away from the keypad! Take a break, have a biscuit (careful if you’re dunking). It may sound overly simplistic, but give your eyes and mind a rest.

2) If your web copy deadline permits, why not leave it till the next day? Things always look different in the morning. Even though you may have temporarily stepped away from the project your subconscious will continue processing information. This will help iron out those creases in your mindscape.

3) Talk to a friend, family member or colleague. Use them as a sounding board to bounce ideas off. I often find fleshing out web copy ideas with others triggers that much need inspiration to keep the Writing Block Monster at bay.

4) Read material related to your web copy project. Not only will this count as research but it could help you view the work through a more positive prism.

5) Rearrange or rewrite the outline/draft for your web copy endeavour. Like a Rubik’s Cube, fiddling often helps the pieces fall into place.

6) Don’t bang your head against the wall. It’s hazardous to your health and you could end up chipping the paint.

7) Fuse your mind with the things you find inspirational. For me, that’s films, literature and music.

The fall of the writing block wall…

Some things are built to last, the writing block wall isn’t. How you scale the wall will depend on you. But scale it you will.

In most cases perseverance and self-belief should dissolve writer’s block faster than a biscuit in a sea of coffee. On the odd occasion, it may take longer.

Whatever the case, just stick with it and remember: unlike mermaids, submarines, goldfish and Olympic swimmers, biscuits don’t like being left in water for too long.

Act 1: The Beginning

Good web copy is all about flow. Once you’ve finished your final draft, sit back and read it aloud. Does it roll off the tongue? Did you hit any verbal roadblocks?

Here’s one thing that is all but guaranteed: if you, the copywriter, stutter along the way, your reader will encounter the same problem.

Such errors can prove more disruptive than an Icelandic volcano. If you keep tripping the audience up you risk disconnecting them from the copy altogether.

And as any good copywriter will tell you: that’s a ‘no-no’.

Act 2: The Middle

There are a number of fundamental devices – besides good writing – I use to instil a free-flowing feel in my web copy.

One such method is to harness the archetypal three-act structure many creative writers use.

There are a number of reasons I like to do this: -

Firstly: the beginning, middle and end modus operandi offers copywriters a paradigm that resonates well in the mind of the majority of readers.

People, whether they know it or not, respond well to the three-act structure. Tap into the emotional selling point of the product or service you are promoting and build a meta-narrative around it.

Tell a story. Work out the start point, the middle and the end. This will invigorate the reading process and help nestle the information better in the mind of the reader.

Secondly: a three act structure allows the river of web copy to flow more freely. On a personal note, while I always have an eye on the overall narrative, I also build this three-tier concept into my copy on a smaller, micro level. So each paragraph I write, for example, will have some semblance of a beginning, middle and end and where possible, I endeavourer to do the same for each individual sentence.

When the ink dries the constituent parts of your copy should come together to function as one homogonous whole. The end result, of course, is free-flowing copy.

Thirdly: story-telling is the most universal form of communication on the planet. People relate to stories, they want to be drawn in, lose themselves momentarily in what you have to tell them.

Act 3: The End

If a piece of web copy is to maximise the potential of a product or service then all of its individual parts must work in unison.

Remember, ducks always fly together.

A lack of structure will leave your web copy dancing more erratically than a Texan oil miner who just struck gold.

So next time you sit down to compose a piece of web copy, shuffle the need for structure to the forefront of your mind.

Hook the reader by introducing the main goals, the setup and inciting incident. Use the middle ground to flesh out the facts and figures then land a knock out blow with an ending the reader won’t forget.

Could this be the happiest day of your life?

Let’s hope not…

So what’s next: time to publish? Whoa Nelly. Stop the bike! A common star drifting through the universe of good copywriters is a solid system of proofing.

How each writer goes about editing their work differs, but like Eskimos and mountain climbers, even the best writers become snow-blind at some point.

Perched in front of an unforgiving computer screen for hours can impair one’s judgement. This is a reality all writers face so if possible leave your project to simmer for a while before returning to it. It’s amazing how different things look through a fresh pair of eyes. Subsequently you’ll be better placed to catch more errors in the editorial net.

Among the proofing tools of the web writer resides spell checker.

While this is a useful tool remember it won’t pick up expressions such as ‘we’ when you actually meant ‘we’ve’. It may also recommend alterations that perversely change the sense of your content - so be careful.

What’s next…?

No matter how confident you are that all the creases have been ironed out it’s admittedly hard to be objective when you’re attached to a project.

Take Toyota as a case in point.

The Japanese giant is currently grappling with a massive vehicle recall after it rolled cars off the line devoid of proper quality control.

Against a backdrop of dented consumer confidence, the automobile-maker now faces a potential criminal investigation into its handling of safety issues.

Better safe than sorry…

With that in mind, ask a third-party to cast an eye over your work – friends and family are often the most honest critics.

And in the case of commercial writing it could be worthwhile filtering your web copy through a professional proof reader. While this can be an expensive, it may be worth incurring as a website exists as an organisation’s public face.

Don’t blow a fuse…

My hairdryer died last night. Within five minutes it was disassembled on the desk as I rummaged through a stack of parts in search of the failure. Half an hour later, things weren’t looking good. With that my friend walks in and says: ‘have you checked the fuse?’…..

Sure enough, it was the fuse.

So even though it may seem simple, daft even, check the basics when it comes to your copy.

Try creating a check list and only submit or publish work once each box has been ticked.

And remember when it comes to grammar, spelling, style, content, numbers and percentages – whatever it may be – always check the fuse first.