The way you use words to represent your brand on social media is very much like the way your brand ambassadors present themselves in person. Simply put: Grammatical errors, misspelled words and missing punctuation are equal to a wrinkled suit, un-coiffed hair and mismatched socks. And as sure as that ambassador walks out of that meeting empty-handed, that post is likely to fall flat as well.
When writing posts and captions, grammatically correct phrasing is just as important as adhering to character or word count restrictions. The two biggest grammar mistakes people make when posting to social media? Capitalization and apostrophes. We capitalize far too many words (professional titles, academic fields of study, etc.) that don’t require such lofty presentation and often use apostrophes for pluralization when they should only be used to indicate possession and in contractions.
Like everything else in life, the devil is in the details. Reviewing the finished product is crucial. Here are four surefire ways to ensure you’re putting your best words forward:
- Get a second set of eyes—those of someone who did not write the post—to read it over.
- Always, always, always put it through spell-check.
- If you’re making a play on words (that includes a misspelled or misused word on purpose), make it super obvious—like that Eggciting Easter Egg Hunt event at your local church.
- If it’s even slightly confusing, rewrite it. If you’re not sure what your own words mean, they won’t make sense to anyone else. For example, the word “biweekly” can mean either twice a week or every other week. Say it another way.
Remember, words—like attire—affect how your audience perceives you. It’s always a good idea to put your best foot forward and make sure your socks match.
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