Whether a personal hobby or a blog for business, posting online content can be seen as a more informal way to connect with your audience. Not ever so dissimilar to social media – we want our audience to see the real us, we want them to know we’re authentic. So, we can ease off the grammar checks, right? Sorry, wrong! Grammar is always important.
We all make mistakes sometimes
Having worked in PR and marketing for over 20 years I have come across plenty of people who are self-proclaimed grammar snobs. I’m not sure I can go quite that far because I’ve never professed my use of the English language to be perfect. However, I do think it’s incredibly important when it comes to marketing your business in any format. And I’m pretty sure the majority of your potential customers would agree with me.
Most of us don’t mind the odd mistake in a feature article, blog, or social media post. We understand that we’re all human. However, when a business is consistently putting material out with errors in, it begins to build a picture, and not a good one.
Your reputation is on the line
One of the benefits of business blogs, similar to feature articles in magazines, is that when they are done well, they can position you as an expert in your field (https://blogwrite.co.uk/5-benefits-of-a-business-blog/). But would you consider someone a professional if their blog was riddled with spelling errors and misplaced punctuation? It doesn’t matter that you’re not in the business of writing. Whether you’re a yoga business, dog care company, or home improvement enterprise, if the content you produce isn’t presented well, it won’t do your business justice.
What says quality to you?
Just as we think something is quality when we see well-designed websites and fresh-looking adverts or social media posts, the same is true of written copy. When we read well-written, engaging copy, we think the company using those words must be quality-focused, conscientious, and trustworthy. We are more likely to believe the words on the page too. Paying credence to the written word is essential if you want your business blog to build your reputation by offering help and advice.
Achieving the best blog for your business
To make sure the quality of your blog posts hasn’t dwindled, take a few minutes out of your day to read a selection of your recent blogs. You’re more likely to spot mistakes reading them fresh than you are during the writing process. Alternatively ask a friend or family member to peruse your content for you, to see how you’re doing. If you recognise that copywriting is critical to the success of your business, you might also be interested in investing in a proofreader that will check all posts and articles before they are published, to ensure there are no mistakes. If all is OK, fantastic! Keep up the good work! If you or someone you trust spots a plethora of errors, be prepared to make some changes. You might find my blog post ‘What can I do to make my blog better?’ (https://blogwrite.co.uk/what-can-i-do-to-make-my-blog-better/) useful for some ideas. And of course, if all of this simply sounds too much like hard work, you always have the option of outsourcing your copywriting requirements to a freelance copywriter.
