How to copy edit: 10 essential copy editing tips
Updated September 2024
Using AI to write your marketing content? Then it’s critical that you know how to copy edit. Or, perhaps you’re working with an expert writer (my recommended approach). If so, you’re taking a solid first step to top-tier content, but understanding basic copy editing tips is still important.
In a world where brands can now create content at scale, the quality of what you publish will set your B2B company apart — or set you back. Focusing on the foundations of excellent writing, like original research and thoughtful copy editing, is essential.
This editing checklist will help you get started by outlining the key copy editing tips all marketers and content creators need to know in the age of AI:
Create and follow an editorial style guide
Edit for clear, active, audience-centric language
Edit for brevity
Edit for technicalities
Watch out for mistakes and get a second set of eyes on your copy
Fact check your content and read it one last time
We’ll also cover a few specific types of copy editing, as well as the biggest benefits of incorporating copy editing into your content marketing workflow.
Copy editing tips for content marketers
Your company needs high-quality B2B content to build credibility and deliver your message effectively. With the rise of AI in content marketing, generic language and factual errors have become major concerns. These issues can distract your audience and detract from your marketing goals.
The reality is, both human writers and AI content creator tools can make mistakes that dilute your brand message. Here’s how to mitigate inconsistencies and errors:
1. Create and follow an editorial style guide
Publishing consistent, high quality marketing content can be difficult if more than one person is writing or editing your company’s copy. It can be even harder if you outsource writing to an AI tool without significant human oversight. Enter the style guide: a set of best practices for your writers and editors, outlining various standards to adhere to when creating content.
Your editorial style guide can be as basic or as robust as you want, but if your B2B company doesn’t have a culture that’s focused on writing style and copy editing, I recommend keeping it simple so that people on your team actually use the document. A basic, two-page version will help ensure all of your content gets edited in a consistent way. Here are a few things to include:
A refresher on your brand’s voice and tone
Rules for capitalization in job titles, blog post headers and sub-headers, etc.
Rules for numbers, i.e. do you spell them out or use numerals?
Rules for punctuation, e.g. the Oxford comma
Format for writing image credits
How to build a style guide for content editing (that your team will actually use)
Don’t start from scratch. Instead, look for themes in the content your B2B company has previously published — for example, the use of Oxford commas — to make the process of creating your style guide straightforward. Establish these themes as rules in your new style guide.
Include external sources for your team to refer to when content editing. For instance, include links to the Associated Press or Canadian Press style guide, or links to templates for specific types of content like blog posts.
If you’re low on resources and you don’t have the option to work with content writers, include a process for how to edit AI generated content and how to humanize AI content. There’s no shame in leaning on AI, but you need to use it responsibly.
Tailor your style guide to your company’s culture and level of experience with content editing. If your team doesn’t have natural editing skills, they’re not likely to adopt a long and in-depth process, so keep your style guide short and sweet.
Get your team involved in the style guide creation process so they can provide input and ask questions. Introduce your style guide when onboarding new hires or external writers/editors, and include examples of articles written in your company’s writing style so they can see what you’re looking for firsthand.
2. Edit for audience-centric language
It's easy to fall into the trap of writing from your own perspective, but your content should always be focused on your audience’s needs, questions and pain points. This is one of the most important copy editing tips to remember. A reader-centric approach ensures they feel understood and valued, which builds trust and engagement.
When you’re editing, replace "we" and "our" with "you" and "your" wherever possible, unless you’re purposely writing a first-person account of a story. Include language that educates your audience or helps them solve a problem. As you edit your content, ask yourself if readers would find it useful.
3. Edit for clarity
You may be so close to your products and services that you unintentionally use jargon to talk about them, or you forget to explain concepts that seem simple to you. These are especially common issues when it comes to B2B content.
Your audience needs to be able to understand your content for it to make an impact. Part of knowing how to copy edit involves ensuring every sentence reads clearly. It’s helpful to read your content out loud so you can see how much it differs from the way you’d actually talk about a topic. A conversational tone is always best.
4. Edit for active language
Help with copy editing is something that Scribe National can provide you with.
Scribe National can help you with copy editing.
Which sentence is more powerful? You’re right on the money if you guessed the second one. Active language gets to the point immediately, pulling readers into the story and keeping them hooked. These days, we’re all overloaded with marketing messages. Make yours stand out in the crowd by using compelling, active language.
5. Edit for brevity
Your prospects and customers don’t have all day to read your content. When you’re editing, ask yourself if there’s a shorter, simpler way to get your point across. Do this for every sentence. Be ruthless. This is a critical part of learning how to copy edit.
Editing for brevity also helps you call attention to the most important parts of your content by trimming away superfluous language.
6. Edit for technicalities
A copy editing checklist wouldn’t be complete without mentioning grammar and spelling in the list of copy editing tips. These technicalities are easy to miss, and they can throw a wrench in even the most interesting, rich story.
It’s helpful to use a cheat sheet to check your content for grammar and spelling errors. Grammarly offers a Grammar Tips guide. If your B2B company is Canadian, the Canadian Press offers a useful Caps and Spelling book that highlights commonly misspelled words. In the U.S., check out the Associated Press.
7. Watch out for common mistakes
When you’re copy editing, pay extra attention to things like apostrophe usage and spelling of their/there/they’re or your/you’re.
If you’re editing someone else’s work and they’re a seasoned writer, you shouldn’t run into these issues often (if at all), but it’s still a good idea to double check.
8. Fact check your content
If you work for a large enterprise, fact checking may fall outside of your copy editing responsibilities. But more than likely, no one else will oversee this task.
Writers should always make sure they’re using accurate research to inform their content, but it’s wise to take a second look at any statistics presented or claims made during the copy editing process. You might catch a stat that’s out-of-date and find an opportunity to use a more recent source to illustrate your point.
If you’re using an AI content creator tool to write marketing copy, fact checking is a must. These tools are notorious for providing inaccurate information.
9. Get a second set of eyes on your content
If you’re copy editing content that you’ve written, it’s best to get another person to look it over. They may spot an error that you missed, or have an idea for how to improve a sentence or paragraph.
If you’re copy editing someone else’s writing, your team has the right approach. Congrats!
10. Read it one last time
Even if you’ve gotten another person to look over your content, and especially if you haven’t, always read the piece one final time before you click “publish.” This can also help you further humanize any AI content you’ve generated, by giving yourself another chance to review it and add context or emotion.
What is copy editing?
Still wondering what exactly you should be looking for when copy editing? Following the 10 copy editing tips I shared is a solid start, but if you want to get nerdy, here are a few types of editing to consider. Each is designed to sharpen different aspects of your content:
Substantive editing: This focuses on the overall structure and flow of the piece. Are the ideas organized logically? Does the content guide the reader through the key points smoothly or is it disjointed?
Stylistic editing: This type of editing refines voice, tone and clarity. It’s especially important for knowing how to edit AI generated content, since imbuing brand voice into your copy requires human oversight.
Technical editing: This hones in on grammar, punctuation, spelling and formatting. It’s the non-sexy stuff.
Fact-checking: This verifies that any data, statistics or claims made in the content are accurate and up-to-date. It’s also key when editing AI content.
Why it’s crucial to copy edit your content
You wouldn’t release a product or feature without testing it. In the same way, you’ve got to edit your content before you publish it. Copy editing ensures your content stands out — for the right reasons. Here’s why it matters so much:
Protect your brand’s credibility
I’ve touched on this, but it bears repeating. Mistakes can signal to your audience that your company lacks professionalism and attention to detail, which can be particularly damaging in B2B environments where trust is paramount. Copy editing helps you avoid this by presenting your brand as reliable and competent. It also reduces the risk of accidentally including biased language or outdated phrases that could alienate segments of your audience.
Catch (and keep) your audience’s attention
Effective copy editing isn’t just about fixing errors — it’s about refining your message to make it engaging and accessible. Readers quickly lose interest in content that’s cluttered with jargon, overly complex sentences or long-winded explanations. Copy editing helps you strip away unnecessary words, sharpen your points and make sure your writing is focused on your audience’s priorities and needs.
Boost your SEO performance
Search engines, like your readers, favour high-quality content. Copy editing not only makes your writing flow more naturally, but also enhances your SEO performance by ensuring your content is readable, relevant and free of errors. A piece full of typos and confusing sentences won’t rank well, no matter how great the ideas are. By copy editing for structure, keyword optimization and audience focus, you improve your chances of appearing higher in search results.
Turn leads and prospects into customers
Ultimately, your content is a tool for driving action. Whether your goal is to educate, inspire or sell, clear, well-edited writing builds a bridge between your brand and your audience. Copy editing strengthens your calls to action, clarifies your value proposition and ensures your message resonates with your target market. This is especially important when working with AI-generated content, which requires a human touch to refine emotional nuance and accuracy.
Stick with us! This post is part of a series on developing a 10-step content creation workflow for exceptional results. Read the next post.
Get help with copy editing
You now know how to copy edit your B2B marketing content, but what if you’re too swamped to find the time to get it done? At Scribe National, we'll be your (eager) second set of eyes for voice, tone, flow, format, style, grammar and spelling. Contact us today to learn more about our copy editing services.
