You’ve written some fabulous content for your client and now you’re ready to hit send on that email so it’s all off your plate. HOLD it just one second! Did you do your final check? Did you make sure that the delivery is just as impressive as the package?
If not, grab that content again and use this handy checklist to make sure your delivery lives up to your client’s expectations:
Content Delivery Checklist:
___ Spell Checked – We all know we should do it, but sometimes we forget. Keep it on your checklist and you’ll never miss this simple task. Forget it, and you can look really unprofessional.
___ Proofed – Yes this is something we should know automatically, too, but it’s good to have on your checklist just in case. It’s also worth noting that proofing your own work is nearly impossible. Enlist the help of a ghostwriting colleague for best results.
___ Fact Checked – When writing your first draft of an article it’s not a bad plan to put in facts and information as you remember it but make sure you check your facts before hitting the send button. You don’t want your clients using content with incorrect information and being embarrassed when they are called on it.
___ Proper Format – If you are writing for a client on a regular basis they are probably looking for their content in a specific format. Have you ever asked what format is preferred? Maybe your client doesn’t have Microsoft Office and they prefer to use an Open Office file, or maybe they like to copy/paste straight into WordPress and a text file would be best. Find out, then use your checklist to make sure you don’t forget every time you send new files their way.
___ Content Is Scannable – Don’t chunk your content all together in hard to read blocks. Make use of headlines, white space, bullets, bolding, etc to create content that is easily scannable both by your client and by the end reader.
___ Final Content Check – Finally, look over your content as if YOU were the client. What will they be looking for when they scan through the content? Look at it with a critical eye as an outsider and try to find any issues or mistakes. This will help you produce your best quality content.
Checklists are not just for newbies. Having a good checklist is a smart way to run your business and look awesome in the eyes of your clients. Impress them with the content and the delivery and they’ll be more likely to give all their writing projects to you.