Lenka and I frequently discuss many different aspects of social media. But there’s one particular topic that comes up again and again, and that’s the quality of the English in some of the posts we see online.
As a native speaker, English (obviously) comes naturally to me, but I do know that Lenka ensures she is particularly meticulous when it comes to spelling, grammar and punctuation. Unfortunately, many other people who post on social media aren’t. And while it may not seem like that big a deal, frequent and repeated spelling mistakes can impact your brand’s reputation.
Here are 3 reasons why you should always ensure your social media updates and blog posts are as error-free as possible:
1. You Appear Unprofessional
You wouldn’t let your staff in your physical store speak to your customers in an unprofessional way and you certainly wouldn’t allow replies to customer enquiries via email to contain a deluge of errors, so why should it be any different on your social media channels. After all, they’re also customer-facing and representative of your brand.
Constant errors in your posts will make your brand appear unprofessional and that could be the difference between keeping your customers or losing them to the competition in highly competitive marketplaces.
2. You Seem Lazy
Social media updates and blog posts that are littered with errors also have the potential to make your business come across as lazy. The fact you didn’t bother to check what you’d written before publishing it could paint your business in a light that suggests it is careless or slapdash. Potential customers might think twice before buying your products or taking advantage of your services if they think there are more fastidious companies out there.
3. You Lack Credibility
The most successful social media posts are the ones that generate the most likes, comments and shares/retweets. These posts tend to be the ones that are informative, full of tangible tips and good advice. However, the credibility of your posts can be undermined if your English isn’t up to scratch. Your dreams of becoming an authoritative voice or influencer in your industry will never become a reality while your English is below par.
The really good news, though, is that you don’t need to be a professional writer or native speaker to post on social media. There are a few quick and easy tips you can use to ensure your posts are as error-free as possible.
Tips to Improve the Quality of English in Your Posts
- Re-read your post several times to check you are 100% happy before hitting ‘publish’.
- Copy/paste the entire post into Microsoft Word and let the built-in spell checker scan for any errors.
- Have a colleague, friend or family member review your post before you publish it.
Are there any other tips or techniques you use to ensure your posts are perfect? We’d love to hear them…
Author Bio:
James Devonshire is a freelance writer who specialises in creating content for social media, SEO and digital marketing purposes for a wide variety of businesses. With his Information Technology background and strong knowledge of entrepreneurial practices, digital marketing and website optimisation techniques, James has carved out a literary niche for himself from his adopted home in the Philippines.
