cost of bad writing Archives

The Cost of Bad Writing: Why Companies Spend B a Year on Writing Errors

The Cost of Bad Writing: Why Companies Spend $3B a Year on Writing Errors

by Julia McCoy | Apr 27, 2021 | Content Marketing

Sure, good writing is essential for writers.

What about everyone else? It can’t be that necessary, right?

The answer is yes, it is. Writing, and writing well, is a critical skill for anyone — especially those in business.

The true cost of bad writing is lost profit, pure and simple. Not only has poor writing already cost companies a devastating amount, at a rate of $400 billion per year, but it could also impact your business.

At least, unless you get smart.

To attack the problem, first you need to understand the underlying issue. What is “bad writing,” and how can it be digging so deep into business’ pockets? Let’s take a closer look.

The Cost of Bad Writing: First, What Is Bad Writing?

There’s more to writing than spelling and grammar. That’s only the first step. Making sure what you write is not only technically correct but readable can make or break you. A good writer needs to be:

Grammatically correct
Clear and concise
Expressive and entertaining
To the point
Honest
Attentive to detail

As a business owner, you need to be picky about your writers. Not everyone has the necessary creativity and attention to detail. Sure, this means you’ll likely pay more upfront. The amount you save in the end, however, is well worth it.

[bctt tweet=”Good writing is essential for writers. ✅ But what about everyone else? It can’t be that necessary, right? The answer is YES, it can. Bad writing costs businesses billions of dollars every year. ? More from @JuliaEMcCoy ✏” username=””]

At Express Writers, we follow that rule. Did you know out of an average of 500 applicants a month, we only select five? That’s 1%. Phew.

But, we do it because we need to. Our standards are hella high — we live or die by the quality of our writing. One bad writer, one botched job, and a $30K monthly account could walk out the door.

We also do it because it’s not hard to run into bad writing — throw a stone, and you’ll hit it.

Bad Writing (& the Costs Businesses Pay) Is Everywhere

You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, we’ve all seen it. Terrible writing runs rampant in the business world, from grammatical error-ridden emails to poorly worded announcements, to exhausting blog posts. Reading this type of writing doesn’t just make us tired.

It also takes time to read bad writing. It eats up our hours on the clock and saps our energy for the rest of the workday.

You know the saying — time equals money. It’s true that poor writing skills in the business world equate to a great deal of money flying out the window.

Bad Writing Costs Businesses Billions

Were you shocked by the above number? Yes, companies are losing billions per year. Up to millions per company has been lost, as well. All of it is due to bad writing.

How could this happen? At first, 400 billion lost per year sounds unrealistic. However, when you look at the history, you’ll see how simple mistakes can have devastating results.

Common Examples of Poor Writing and the Consequences

It’s incredible how one seemingly minor error can cost a company a fortune. Here, I’ve compiled a list of three prevalent examples of bad business writing and its repercussions.

1. Understating Problems and Overusing Euphemisms

A pitfall that many companies and politicians have run into is not being transparent. The refusal to admit not just the truth but the whole truth in an understandable way will always result in a downfall.

Today’s audience is both discerning and able to check facts at their fingertips. It’s easy to find out what the truth is, and someone will eventually. So, don’t lie, and don’t understate the facts.

General Motors

General Motors ran into disaster when they downplayed malfunctioning vehicles. This was a mistake that not only lost over a billion dollars, but also put lives in danger.

When the company had an issue with the Chevrolet Cobalt’s ignition switch in 2014, which caused the airbags to disable, General Motors wasn’t too concerned. At least, that’s what it sounded like.

In internal communications, they called the malfunctioning vehicles a “customer convenience issue.” This understatement of the severity of the situation caused a delayed response — after all, they had other, more important things to do.

Source: Vox

In this case, bad wording cost General Motors over $1.7 billion in total as the company had to recall a total of 2.6 million cars.

2. Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation Errors

While this is an example that seems obvious, this problem is more recurrent than you think. Attention to detail is critical, down to every last dotted “i” and crossed “t.”

Quite literally, a single missing comma can create disaster.

Oakhurst Dairy

You may have thought the oxford comma was no longer important. Such a small detail, and a seemingly silly one at that — how could it make such a difference? Oakhurst Dairy found out the hard way.

Source: WGME

In 2017, the company had redefined its delivery driver overtime exemptions. The new rules stated a series of tasks were exempt from overtime, including “packing for shipping or distribution.”

Oakhurst Dairy’s workers took them to court and focused on one tiny but essential detail: the oxford comma. The lack of the oxford comma, workers argued, made it seem like the two were one action (i.e., packing for the purpose of shipping or distribution) versus being separate exempt tasks.

The court ruled in favor of the workers, and Oakhurst Dairy paid out $5 million in related overtime as a result.

3. Sloppy Editing and Inattention to Detail

Another extremely common trouble in the writing world is careless editing. It isn’t just bad form. It’s a way to lose out on everything you’ve gained.

NASA

In 1999, the NASA Mars Orbiter disintegrated into the atmosphere after having missed its orbit window. Scientists at NASA were confused. How could their calculations have been so incorrect on such a crucial mission?

It turns out an obvious error ruined the NASA Mars Orbiter’s flight. Lockheed-Martin, who made the rocket system used by NASA, used imperial units of measurement. On the other hand, NASA uses the metric system. You can probably see where this is going.

Source: SimScale

No one converted the measurements when entering the data, something a quick glance at the numbers would have caught. This mistake eventually lost NASA $125 million after the mission failed.

Need carefully-written, human-edited, exceptional content for your website? Hire our writers — QA review and two free revisions included.

How to Become an Exceptional Writer

By now, it’s clear. If you want to succeed in the business world, you need strong writing skills. Or, at the least, a team of excellent writers to rely on who will propel you forward.

But in a world where mediocre has become the norm, how do you elevate your writing to the next level? The answer takes a bit of patience and a lot of dedication.

You must make your writing easy on the eyes, as well as factual and engaging. People have brains burning for new information, but no one wants to work too hard to get it.

We’ve given tips and tricks on how to produce solid copywriting before. Here’s my best advice:

Look from your reader’s perspective: First, you need to connect with your reader. Don’t just write to write. Write to be read. If you’re churning out content and no one’s reading it, what’s the point? Remember, you’re not writing for yourself. This isn’t a diary. Imagine how your words will come across to your audience and what emotions you want to evoke. Are you successfully tailoring your writing to the reader? It’s time to pay attention to the other side’s perspective.
Be vivid: Don’t just tell your reader what to think. Instead, describe a scenario. Go into sensory details, such as touch, smell, taste, sight, and sound. Vivid imagery pulls the reader into your writing, making them read until the end. Content these days can’t just be informative. It needs to be absolutely engaging.
Read it out loud: Sounds silly. Doesn’t it? However, this is a trick professional writers have been using for many years. You want your writing to sound natural. When reading your writing out loud, the words should flow, one sentence into another. If speaking it aloud sounds awkward or stilted, it may be time for another edit.
Edit, edit, edit: I cannot repeat this enough: You must edit your work. After you’ve finished, take a break. Maybe drink some coffee. And then? Edit again. Simple spelling and grammatical errors can not only make you look unprofessional, but can also cost you considerably. If you’re not quite sure you’ve caught everything, get a second pair of eyes.

Need more copywriting inspiration? Check out 57 Timeless Pieces of Copywriting Advice from industry greats.

The Cost of Bad Writing Is Severe: Don’t Let It Happen to Your Business

It may seem inconsequential. It may seem ridiculous. However, bad writing, especially in business, comes at a severe price.

Not only is there a lot of money at stake, and billions of dollars at that, but the time and mental energy spent trying to discern poorly-written communication takes its toll as well.

Fear not. It is possible to use not just good but exceptional writing to take your company to the next level. It requires some elbow grease and a bit of time, but in the end, the result is well worth it.

At Express Writers, we have a careful QA process that ensures every single piece gets humanly reviewed for factual accuracy, high-quality sources and citations, and relevancy to your business and goals.

Need great content? Start shopping now: Visit our Content Shop.

What Bad Writing is Costing You & Your Brand

by Adam Oakley | Jul 31, 2017 | Thought Leadership

Bad writing in business copy is obnoxiously easy to find.

Most people simply don’t have the training or the experience to write well-tuned, well-read phrases.

I’m not just talking about proper grammar or spelling.

I’m talking about clear, concise sentences that are a breeze to read. For those kinds of sentences, you need a Writer with a capital “W.”

(I see it all the time – on average, we interview 500 candidates per month to hire about five. That’s 1%, which is brutal. But there’s good reason. Lots of candidates think they can write. Unfortunately, thinking and doing are two different things. Our standards are quite high.)

The problem?

Most of you out there aren’t hiring Writers. You’re hiring “writers.”

And it’s costing you money.

Let’s explore just how much. Ready? You may need to sit down for some of this, especially if you’re a business owner.

What Does Bad Writing Really Cost?

According to the New York Times, a study confirmed that one-third of employees were poor writers.

That’s not the half of it, though. Businesses spent as much as $3.1 billion on “remedial training” in order to fix the problem. The clincher? This was for current employees, not new hires.

A snippet of the original study findings and discussion via CollegeBoard

Unsurprisingly, content marketing takes a big hit from poor writing, too. Poor writers can cost you trust with your readership. That means your readership will shrink, and so will your ROI.

Your audience expects you to be knowledgeable in your industry – an authority. But, how can you come off that way if your content is riddled with mistakes? You can’t provide useful information if the words are convoluted, the ideas are unclear, or the composition is distracting you from the thoughts being presented.

Nobody wants to waste their time on poor content like that. So, why aren’t you spending the money and making the investment for better writers and better content?

If you’re trying to write it yourself, and you’re not a Writer, it’s probably “just good enough.”

Why is “just good enough” okay, though?

As it turns out, this poor level you’re accepting can be incredibly costly in ways you never imagined.

[bctt tweet=”What is bad writing costing your brand? ? @JuliaEMcCoy tells all in this post ?” username=”ExpWriters”]

Terrible Typo Mistakes That Cost Companies and the Government Big Money

If you’re lax about typos, you better think twice. Sometimes a comma is all it takes to put you at a disadvantage – an expensive disadvantage.

The Case of the Extra Comma

Case in point: In 1872, as a direct result of a comma inserted incorrectly in the text of a tariff law, Americans had to pay an extra $2 million in taxes. Today, that equals over $38 million.

The law stipulated items that could be imported into the U.S. tax-free. The comma, placed erroneously between the words “fruit” and “plants,” handed fruit importers a loophole on a platter. (“Fruit plants,” meanwhile, referred to seeds and plants used for cultivation, and were supposed to be the tax-free goods.)

Source: Priceonomics

The Winners: Scammers (and Google)

If you need a modern example, look to the internet, naturally.

Google supposedly earns almost $500 million every year from typos. Why?

People tend to incorrectly type website names in their search bars. But, instead of landing on an error page, they’re taken to a “typosquatter” site, which crafty people purchase for just such a purpose. These sites are loaded with Google ads. The confused web browser clicks, and the rest is in the bank.

Marketing for Dummies

For a marketing example of a costly typo, listen to what this car dealership did:

In order to invigorate poor sales, a New Mexico dealership decided to mail tens of thousands of promotional scratch tickets. Only one would contain a prize for $1000. However, the marketing company that printed the tickets made a huge error – every single one gave away the money.

In short, the car dealership would have owed $50 million to 50,000 jazzed recipients. Of course, they couldn’t pay up, so they recompensed and gave everybody $5 Walmart gift cards, instead. Though they avoided the initial damage, they still faced a loss of $250,000.

If even the smallest errors can end up being so costly, what does that mean for your company and the subpar writing you’re accepting?

You’ll have to add it up for yourself, but I’ll wager it’s much more than you ever realized. Bad writing and poor proofreading can accumulate in cost quickly.

3 Tips to Avoid Costly Writing Errors in Your Online Presence

Follow these tips to make sure you never let an expensive typo happen that will bring down your business.

1. Get an Expert Editor

If your industry is specialized, you need an expert editor who knows your platform to proofread your content. This person will have the necessary knowledge to spot errors. In particular, somebody with know-how will be able to catch the most dreaded typo of them all: the incorrect fact typo.

This happens when you’re presenting information as an authority and some of your facts are flat-out wrong. For writers unfamiliar with your industry, this is an easy sin to commit. Instead of expertise, they’ll be relying on information and facts gleaned from questionable sources.

An industry expert will have inherent knowledge due to their training, experience, and background. This type of editor can save you from costly mistakes. This includes ones that can mean losing customers, credibility, and authority.

2. Get Multiple Checkpoints

Your written content needs to pass under a few sets of eyes if you really want to avoid mistakes. Everyone reads differently, so each unique perspective will act as a filter to weed out every type of error. Whether you’re on the look-out for spelling errors, factual errors, or grammar mistakes, having more than one person looking things over will help.

This, too, is one more reason why you shouldn’t write and edit all on your own. You’ll get trapped in that box where you’re too close to the content to see the errors. You’ll miss both big and little mistakes if you do it all alone.

You know what’s easier than multiple editors, though? I have three words for you…

3. Hire Better Writers

If you want better, error-free content, you need to hire better writers. And, yes, I mean Writers with a capital “W.”

Good writers will produce good content from the beginning. This is work that will require minimal edits and minimal fuss. A good writer will additionally achieve the right tone and authoritative voice you need. That seamless flow will make your entire online presence match up seamlessly.

If you have an amateur attempting this, you’re not going to end up with anything worthy of your investment. If you’re still writing everything yourself and you don’t have the background to do it – well, why?

Why are you putting yourself through that stress? It’s hard enough for someone who calls writing their profession to craft exceptional content day in and day out. So why are you, an amateur, even attempting it?

There are so many losses from not ponying up and hiring the right people for the job. It goes beyond money in the bank and ROI.

Poor content with errors, bad writing, and mistakes may make readers take a step back. They’ll question your clout. They’ll give you side-eyes and quickly, discreetly click the “X” at the top right corner of their screen.

Are you willing to gamble like this?

Source: PictureQuotes

Better Writers = Better Content = Money Invested Wisely

Chances are, you don’t want to gamble with your writing. You’d rather put your faith in a good writer who can make you shine and soar, not stumble and fall.

Now you know what bad writing and mistakes can cost you. It may not be as dramatic as a loss worth millions of dollars. But, you won’t know the specific numbers until you turn around and hire somebody good to write for you.

When the ROI starts rolling in, then you can calculate what you missed out on before.

Here’s the period at the end of the sentence: When you invest in good writing, you’re investing in the most basic levels of communication for your business.

You’re building a solid foundation, one that will support all your other online marketing endeavors.

Isn’t that investment worth the returns?

If you’re ready to level-up your business’s writing and content, you’re in the “write” place. Express Writers has expert and authority-level writers who can just plain Write, with a capital “W.”