Did you know yesterday was National Grammar Day? I was working hard to shine and polish my new website in order to launch it before the end of the day, because it seemed appropriate. Star Wars geeks have May 4th…. (Think about it…) And writers and editors have March 4.
Alas, the website wasn’t quite done…. Mostly because I was nit-picking about the style and grammar on this particular blog post.
So… even though it’s now March 5, let’s “March forth” toward better grammar and explain why it is so important that I spent a whole extra day copyediting and proofreading my website before promoting it to the world. Grammar really does matter if you’re writing content to improve your company’s search engine rankings, drive leads to your site, and increase conversions. (And especially if you’re a writer selling these services!) I’ll tell you why.
The Power of Words
Words have power. Words coerce, convince, hurt or heal. The words you choose to put on your website or push out in a social media campaign reflect your brand. I’m not talking just about the content or intent of those words to share a specific message, although that’s extremely important. The way you put the words together – the grammar, style and tone in the content – is also part of your company’s overall branding.
Do You Know Your Brand’s Voice?
Are you casual? Fun? Formal? Techie? A little bit of all of these, depending on your mood or the context of what you’re sharing? Who is your audience? How do they speak and what words do they use?
I’ve been trained through a number of coaches, books, and programs to use special techniques that help me choose words that connect with specific audiences. When I work with a new client, it doesn’t take me long to assimilate their branding and message, and the unique voice that will speak to their audience.
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Doing Your Own Content Marketing?
If you are tackling social media marketing and content marketing on your own, you’ll want to take some time to find your own company’s voice and determine the tone that will speak best to your audience. If you know your business, that voice probably comes naturally to you, because you will naturally talk the same way as your customers.
But even if you have a rock-solid view of your audience and what they want, talking is not writing. When you’re writing, even if it’s just a 140-character tweet, grammatical errors can get in the way. It can prevent you from sharing your message in the way you want. It can prevent you from connecting with your readers. Not everyone is a grammar guru, and it can become a handicap if you’re handling your own content marketing.
Grammar Matters
Have you ever read something truly moving, but noticed that the writer used “You’re” instead of “Your?” It pulled you out of the experience for a moment. Even if you’re not the type of person who does notice grammatical gaffs, someone in your target audience might be. You don’t want to risk losing them.
Grammar matters. Even if you don’t notice, a percentage of your audience will. Grammar is not yet a lost art, and there are many people seeking to preserve the art form. We know spelling, word choice and sentence construction — all a part of good grammar — really do matter.
Everybody needs an editor. Whether you have another employee, friend or relative proofread your work or you call on an editorial professional, I urge you to think about the grammar you use in your content — today and everyday.