How do you know if someone is qualified to do a job?

I thought about this recently while perusing my LinkedIn feed.

Because I'm an animal health copywriter, many of my connections are veterinarians. The letters DVM in their titles confirm they've completed specific training and are qualified and educated in animal health care.

But what happens when you, someone in the animal health world, are looking for a copywriter? How do you determine a possible candidate's skill level?

Copywriters come in all shapes and sizes, so to speak, and won't necessarily have credentials after their names. And if they do, you may not know what they represent.

Since that puts you at a disadvantage, here are some pointers for vetting a copywriter.
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These tips will help the cream rise to the top.

Good question.

A copywriter's skill will reflect the quality of the content or copy he creates for you. And quality content or copy will garner the intended response you're looking for from your audience or clients.

And that is the purpose of marketing; to reach the people who want your products or services.

A skilled copywriter understands the difference between copywriting and content writing and the importance of search engine optimization (SEO.)

A copywriter experienced with sales copy knows how to write with persuasion and tailor it to the targeted audience.
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A knowledgeable content writer knows content's purpose is to educate the reader by answering her questions. Clear, easy-to-read, and detailed writing is the preferred tool for this writer who aims to engage readers and build lasting relationships.

Visit the writer's website, online portfolio, or LinkedIn profile to review work samples and client testimonials. Pay attention to the following details.
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• Is the writing free from grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors? Beyond demonstrating that they are proficient in grammar and spelling, this also shows an attention to detail.
• Is the writing easy to read and understand? Sentences should be as concise as possible. Paragraphs should be small; no big chunks of text.
• Does the text beneath the headline and subheads deliver the information promised clearly and convincingly?
• Does the headline spark interest to make you want to read more?
• Is the topic presented interestingly and logically organized? Is the tone conversational and story-like?
• Does the writer seem to have a solid grasp of the topic?
• Are the calls to action (CTA) compelling on landing pages or other sales copy?

Many companies hiring copywriters seek people with marketing, communications, or journalism degrees. Others prefer writers to have degrees in areas specific to their industry, such as animal health or financial services.

Just so you know, a degree in marketing, communications, or journalism is what some companies prefer. However, many excellent copywriters are without these degrees, so don't limit yourself unless you feel strongly that such a degree is necessary.

In addition, multiple "copywriting academies" are available for writers to learn the trade or enhance their skills. Examples are American Writers and Artists, Inc. (AWAI), Content Marketing Institute (CMI), Copyblogger's Academy, and SEO Content Institute.
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Finally, speak with the copywriter. Find out how she approaches a project. Look for someone with a defined process articulating what she needs from a client to give the best service.

Does the marketing success of your veterinary practice, practice management software solution, or cutting-edge pharmaceutical matter to you? Vetting a potential writer's skills should also matter.

A lousy copywriter can cost you money and fail at producing results.

In the long run, taking these steps to vet a copywriting candidate is worth your time and effort.
 
I'm a content writer/consultant and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets.
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Do you need help with content or copy? Email or call me at 508-277-4929!

Content writing and copywriting are two distinct types of marketing communication.

Content writing focuses on helping an audience gather information, answer questions, or learn something new. Some examples are blog posts, articles, eBooks, whitepapers, and case studies.

Content writing works to build rapport with your audience. I say your audience because your content should target people wanting to do business with you.

For instance, if your veterinary practice specializes in felines, your content should address topics of interest to cat owners and lovers.

The goal is to provide valuable information to these readers consistently so they will come to recognize you as a reliable source.

And once your audience views you this way, chances are you've gained a customer.
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Content writing looks to plant a seed and nurture it. In a nutshell, it's all about relationship building and "soft" selling.

On the other hand, copywriting focuses on persuasion.

Copywriting isn't so much educational as it is inspirational. It seeks to motivate and compel readers by playing on emotions, touting features and benefits, and instilling a sense of urgency – act now! Or risk losing out.

Copywriting's persuasiveness targets readers ready to take the next step, whether that's signing up for a product demo, purchasing vaccines, or scheduling an appointment for their pet.
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Product descriptions, email marketing campaigns, landing pages, and sales materials like brochures use copywriting. They aim to convince the reader to act.

Content writing and copywriting help guide potential clients and customers along the "sales funnel," also known as the buying journey.

At the start of the journey, content writing develops a relationship. It demonstrates your expertise as a veterinary practice or business via your knowledgeable, helpful content.

As your audience accepts you as a competent source, they become open to doing business, making them likely to transact.

When they reach this receptive mindset, good copywriting can persuade them to act.

Successful marketing employs strategic content and copywriting, so knowing which to use when matters for the best outcomes.
 
I'm a content writer/consultant and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets.
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Do you need help with content or copy? Email or call me at 508-277-4929!

I recently posted about how to make your veterinary blog easy to read by writing with shorter sentences.

Since short ones are easier to follow and digest, they improve readability.

Compact writing doesn't mentally tax your blog visitors. On the other hand, slogging through long, winding text does. Readers will lose patience if they struggle to read and understand your writing.

Remember, your blogging goal is quality content, so concise communication is vital.

The bottom line is that poor readability creates a bad user experience. And bad experiences drive traffic away from your blog.

Since readability is essential to a positive experience for your audience, what more can you do to improve it?

Allow me to make some suggestions …

• Grammarly

A helpful online writing assistant/tool that catches problems plaguing writers and suggests corrections. If your writing gets wordy and long, Grammarly recommends revisions to improve clarity and conciseness. (Such as splitting long sentences!)
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• Flesch Reading Ease

This test rates how easy text is to read based on a 100-point scale. The higher the score, the easier it is. The calculation formula looks at the average number of syllables per word and words per sentence.

The rule of thumb for easy reading is a score between 60 and 70.
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• Flesch-Kinkaid Grade Level

As the name implies, this test scores readability by grade level. For example, an 8.0 score means that an eighth grader in the U.S. could understand the text.

The recommendation is to score between 7.0 and 8.0.

The Flesch Reading Ease Readability tests guide you in determining if your writing is easy to read.

And both tests are included in Microsoft Word under the Review tab on the menu.
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Oh, and one other thing about readability, it can impact your search engine optimization (SEO).

You know that Google and other search engines aim to give users the best information.

And we know that through SEO, Google will give users content based on the keywords they're searching with.

But what happens if your blog posts or articles don't include those keywords?

Suppose you want to build traffic to your veterinary website. You may be writing articles that include many technically correct veterinary words.

But if your audience is pet owners, they most likely wouldn't use that technical terminology in their searches. So the search engines wouldn't direct them to your site.

And if users did find your site, they probably wouldn't understand those words or the message you're conveying.

This situation defeats the purpose of your blog, which is to offer high-value content.

To prevent this, explain technical terms in plain English with words that pet owners will likely use.

In short, Google doesn't rank content on readability; its algorithms don't calculate this.

But it can affect SEO if your language doesn't match the language users are searching with. Or if technical words pepper your text and speak over your audience's head.

From the user experience and SEO perspective, we agree that readability is key!
 
Let's talk about that writing project you've put off; email or call me at 508-277-4929!

I'm a content writer/consultant and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets. I dive into the intricacies of writing excellent content so you don't have to!

Does your veterinary website include a blog?

Besides being informative, the content must be easy to read and understand. These qualities give readers the most value.

"Okay," you're probably thinking, "that sounds reasonable. But how do I make the content easy to read?"

I'm glad you asked!

One way is by keeping sentences short.

I touched on this in my blog post, Five quick tips for writing an outstanding veterinary blog, but I'd like to explain more.

​Long sentences don't necessarily give more detail. On the contrary, they can be confusing, dreary, and exhausting to read.

Mentally taxing your blog visitors with voluminous prose is unwise; they may retaliate by not returning.

To show what I mean about a never-ending sentence, read the following. It illustrates how lengthier ones can be a struggle.
 
"It is given as a course of two injections, with the first dose priming the immune system, but producing no physiological effect, and the second dose stimulating anti-GnRF antibody production and consequent suppression of gonadal activity a few days after administration."
 
This sentence… is just long. Breaking it into shorter sentences makes it more manageable.
 
"It is given as a course of two injections. The first dose primes the immune system but produces no physiological effect. The second dose stimulates anti-GnRF antibody production. The antibody production suppresses gonadal activity a few days after administration."
 
The brevity in the rewrite simplifies reading, and your brain doesn't strain to remember the points made.

Reining in sentence length can be tricky, though.

That's why I use and recommend Grammarly. It's a writing assistant/editing tool that, among other things, highlights lengthy sentences and suggests revisions.
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But there's another reason for keeping sentences short.

When writing for the web, whether blog posts or web page content, only so much text can display on a screen and even less on a smartphone.

So, keeping sentences brief and avoiding big chunks of text helps your reader avoid endless scrolling.

Shorter sentences mean fewer words. And fewer words mean you must be picky about your chosen ones to communicate your point precisely.

Remember, for content to do its job, people must understand it to recognize its value. Reading your blog should be enjoyable, not a test of mental stamina.

Otherwise, you're writing for yourself. 
 
Let's talk about that writing project you've put off; email or call me at 508-277-4929!
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I'm a freelance copywriter and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets. I dive into the intricacies of writing excellent content so you don't have to!

My coonhound rescue, Doc, recently decided that he was afraid to walk on the smooth floors of my house.

I was in the kitchen and heard him whimper. He stood in the entryway between the living and dining rooms.

I called him, but he wouldn't budge. I had to bribe him with a cookie from his cookie jar, and with that, he launched himself and scrambled, clattering across the tile floor until reaching the safety of his dog bed.

This behavior was odd and seemed to come out of the blue. He'd never been scared to walk on the bare floors before.

I'm sure I'm not the first dog owner confronted with this mystery.

Suddenly, your dog is terrified to walk on smooth floors in your home.

What's up with that?
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Since your dog can't tell you why he suddenly has a smooth-floor phobia, listed below are possible explanations. One or more just might be the culprit.

• ​Excess hair growth around the paw pads
  

Your dog's pads provide traction. When hair grows around and over them, it interferes with their gripping ability, making smooth surfaces highly slippery.

Take a peek at your dog's pads. Is there hair everywhere?
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I took a picture of Doc's paw, and the hair around his pads could use a trim.

• Long toenails

 
Dogs dig in with their toenails when walking on rough or uneven terrain. Too long nails change the angle of the paw, interfering with balance and the traction the pads provide.
 
If your dog steps on a smooth surface like tile and becomes scared, trying to grab onto it with long nails won't help steady him and only intensifies his fear.

• Physical problems

 
Your dog may have physical problems making him reluctant to walk on smooth floors. Failing eyesight, osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, or an injury to his paw or pads can suddenly cause a dog to be wary of certain surfaces.
 

• Previous experiences

 
During a previous life (as in rescue dogs with unknown history), your dog may have had a bad experience on a smooth floor, such as a slip or fall. Or maybe he was never exposed to tile or hardwood surfaces when he was younger. Now, later in life, he may be suspicious.
 

• Invest in toe grips for your dog's nails or booties for his paws. Both of these items can help to improve your dog's traction.

• Lay rugs, runners, or yoga mats on the surfaces your dog finds scary to give him more confidence in navigating your house.

 

• Schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out any physical problems that could be causing your dog to feel unsafe on smooth floors. If your pup's problem is behavioral, ask your vet to recommend a trainer to help you work with your dog.

 

• Keep the hair around the paw pads trimmed. If you're unsure how to do this, here's a good tutorial on removing hair from your dog's paws.

 

• Keep nails short by clipping them regularly. Depending on your dog's activity level and the surfaces exercised on, e.g., you routinely walk on pavement versus grass or dirt, will decide how often you should do this. A rule of thumb is approximately every six weeks.

Floors that suddenly terrorize your dog make for a strange and stressful problem.

No owner wants to watch her beloved dog flailing on a slippery floor!

Fortunately, unless it stems from a severe physical or behavioral issue, you can resolve your dog's sudden fear of smooth floors without too much hassle.
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Let's talk if you enjoyed this post and would love to share content like this on your animal health, veterinary or pet blog! Feel free to email or call me at 508-277-4949.
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