One of the things I love about what I do is working with people around the globe – even though I sometimes feel like a rube because I can’t roll my R’s like South Americans, and I have to ask Australians to repeat themselves (“Did you say ‘sit timber sick one?’ Ohhhhh, September second…”). Thanks to the Internet, I can work with anyone, anywhere. And quite frankly, it’s a blast.

But the global reach of the Internet also means you can be sitting in your spare bedroom in DesMoines and get sucked into a scam from Nigeria, Ukraine, Lithuania, or one of the other countries reported as being home to large numbers of Internet hoaxers.

I must have a darn good e-mail filter these days, because I don’t see many scam e-mails anymore. But people I know still do. Some are so widespread that they make the news. “You’ve inherited $50,000 from a distant aunt. Send a certified check for $1,500 to process your inheritance.” “Your FedEx package remains unclaimed. Click on this link to arrange re-delivery (and download spyware).” “It’s your mother. I’m in London and I’ve been robbed. Please wire money or I’ll be stuck here.” (Why does that one ever work?)

I can spot them a mile away. In some cases, it’s just a “feeling”, or understanding how the world works and knowing what’s likely and unlikely. But when it comes to spam originating outside the U.S., it usually comes down to writing that's really bad (including poor spelling and grammar), or even a little too good. How many times have you received spam that was awkwardly proper, trying too hard? Sometimes the clue comes through an odd word choice, or a turn of phrase that just doesn't sit right. Scammers from overseas speak English as a second language, and it usually shows.

But what if you're a legitimate business owner from overseas, writing your own marketing e-mails and/or web copy? How can you avoid being mistaken for a scammer?

It can be tricky. The thing is, most legitimate foreign business people have been educated in English. Their grammar and spelling are impeccable. Better than most Americans'. And sometimes, that’s part of the problem. Someone educated in English in, say, Indonesia, may speak the language perfectly, but still make word choices that sound unusual to American ears. "Unusual", unfortunately, is sometimes interpreted as "suspicious".

I never set out to specialize in this area, but now a good bit of my business is dedicated to “Americanizing” copy that comes from overseas. I’ve even worked with Brits and Australians to accomplish the same. This work comes to me from foreign business people who want to maximize their chances of resonating with an American customer, while minimizing the chance that their message will be dismissed. It makes sense to me.

Is it fair to expect others to conform to American language or culture? Absolutely not, and that's not my expectation. But if you're trying to sell something to Americans, you'll have a better chance of succeeding if you craft your copy to speak to your target.

Scammers have ruined it for everyone. Consumers are hypervigilant, and with good reason. And there will always be a percentage of your prospective customers who will immediately dismiss a message just because it doesn't quite sound "right". Consider how easy it is to dismiss something on the Internet or in an e-mail. It's a simple matter of clicking "delete" or clicking away.

So here’s a word of advice if you’re courting American customers from a land far, far away: consider investing in the services of a good copywriter who’s lived on U.S. soil most of their life and who knows how to strike the right tone. Conversational, but not sloppy. Intelligent for sure, but not so proper and erudite that it raises suspicion. Friendly, not sycophantic. It’s worth the money you’ll spend. Otherwise, that e-mail, that website, that landing page could be an utter waste of your time and resources.

You might be the most upstanding person on the planet with the best product or service ever offered in the history of humankind – but if your copy raises a red flag in the mind of your target, you might as well be pixel dust.

Kim Brittingham is the Principal of Kim Brittingham & Company Content Development.



https://www./when-your-business-looks-like-nigerian-scam-kim-brittingham

Since stealing is not corruption and EFCC is dead. O nigerian youths