Sometimes even the smallest amount of writing can have a big impact on your business. Take this fortune for example. I brought home several fortune cookies from a restaurant not too long ago, and just recently opened the cookie to enjoy it. Inside I found this fortune that’s shown in the picture.

At first, I thought “Wow!  A free dessert!”  Didn’t you? Then I realized what a big mistake this restaurant made. Do you see it?

Do you know what their colossal mistake is?

The answer: I have no idea which restaurant this fortune is from! There is no branding of the restaurant name, no website address, and no way of ever knowing who is trying to earn my repeat business.

In addition, I have not eaten at any DC restaurants. I picked up this fortune cookie somewhere in Virginia, so the copy should read “…any of our DC area restaurants….”

This is not the first time I’ve noticed this type of basic error. Unfortunately, I have seen it in flyers delivered to my house, in newspaper and magazine ads, and in online advertising.

The moral of this story is that even the smallest items need to not only provide a tempting offer, they need to brand your company. Otherwise all your effort is a big waste of money.

Professional copywriters, like myself, are savvy to the impact small messages can have, and can help you create the perfect message. Contact All the Buzz before you encounter miss-fortune too.