Tip of the Week, 11.11.10: Until, Till and 'til

Till is often incorrectly used as an abbreviation for until.

Till means to turn the earth before you sow seeds. Till is not an abbreviation for until.

If you must abbreviate until, use 'til. This is a colloquial abbreviation and it should not be used in business or formal writing.

Until next time ...

Tip of the Week, 22.10.10: Relevant Headlines

Whenever you use a headline in your written work, e.g. articles, make sure it is relevant to the content.

Headlines that are deliberately misleading, just to gain attention, frustrate the reader and are detrimental to the credibility of the author. Would you do business with someone who tricks you into reading something?

The best time to write a headline is after you have written the content for your piece. You will then be able to write a headline that is relevant to the bulk of the content, capturing the general theme.

Creative but honest headlines are great, misleading or off track headlines are time wasters.

Tip of the Week, 14.10.10: Be Specific!

The next time you write a document promoting your organisation, remember to keep your key points specific. Lead with your benefit, but tell your reader why you are making the statement.

Compare the two examples:

• 'Our product is unique.'
• 'Our product is unique because it is made by hand.'

The second example has greater impact and is more memorable. It gives a tangible reason for the benefit, and paints a specific picture in your readers' minds as to why they should be interested in your product.

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Tip of the Week, 28.09.10: 'Good' or 'Well'

People often confuse 'good' the adjective with 'well' the adverb.


If you want to describe something that has been done well, you write, 'She did that well.'


NOT, 'She did that good.'

Tip of the Week, 2.09.10: Personalise Social Media

The reply comments that are written on social media platforms are often quick, pointed remarks. Personalise this communication by using the name of the person you are directing the comments to.

On some platforms, such as Twitter, you may need to look at the person's bio to find out their name. It is well worth the effort. People take notice when they see their name, and it helps you to develop a stronger online relationship.

Tip of the Week, 27/08/10: Then or Than

'Then' and 'than' are often confused in writing.

'Then' is used in relation to time and the sequence of events. For example, 'We went to the park, then we went home'.

'Than' is used for comparison. For example, 'The park was further than the coffee shop'.

Tip of the Week, 19/08/10: Key Descriptors

Before writing any sort of marketing document, think of some key descriptors you can use to encapsulate you and your services.

Write these key descriptors at the top of the page before you write anything else.

As you write the body, use the key descriptors for inspiration and to keep you on track (a plan is also vital here).

Tip of the Week, 11.08.10: It’s and Its

The words, it’s and its, are easy to confuse.
It’s is the contraction of it is. This is the only meaning for it’s.

When you want to show that it has possession of something, you simply write its. For example, ‘this was its fate’.

Its’ is not a word and should not be used.

Tip of the Week, 4.08.10: Signing off on a business letter

The current convention for signing off on a business letter is to use ‘Yours faithfully’ if the letter has not been addressed by name. For example, a letter addressed to ‘Dear sir/madam’ is signed off with ‘Yours faithfully’.

If the letter has been addressed by name, use ‘Yours sincerely’. For example, ‘Dear Mr Brown’ is signed off with ‘Yours sincerely’.