"I did not write that."
The business manager in question was adamant that he had not actually misspelled numerous words in his most recent blog post.
"I run spell check every time" he added defensively.
Sounds like a simple enough mistake - right? It happens far too often, and sometimes the consequences of writing your own content and not having a "second set of eyes" check your writing are far more serious.
Whether you have been blogging for years or you are just pondering how to begin, you need to establish a practice of having someone proof read your blog posts before they go public. Every word you write, whether it is on your blog, a post on your Facebook page, a tweet or on your website, presents the reader with an image of who you are and what your organization represents.
Here are three tips to ensure that you never regret what you write. Before you post to that blog, send that update to Facebook or add an article to your website:
- Spell check. It seems simple, yet we've all forgotten to do it. Bad spelling is one of the quickest ways to turn off your readers. Running spell check will save you many regrets.
- Write and then re-read. How many times have you simply written something, even an email, and sent it off only to wish you had taken a moment to read what you wrote BEFORE you pressed send? Email is one thing - the internet is even worse.
Reminder - everything you post lives on forever; even if you revise content, the original form often lives on in some search index.
Take a moment and read what you have written. You expect others to read what you are writing; you can take a few minutes to ensure that you are "saying" what you intended. - Have a proof reader - a "second set of eyes." You have written your post, update or document, you have run spell check and you have read what you have written. One more step - get a second set of eyes. Have your proof reader check for readability, do they understand what you are trying to communicate, spelling and punctuation. Your proof reader does not need to be a journalism major or professional editor; they simply need to do that double check your work.
All of these steps will improve the quality of your writing and, more importantly, your message.
What is your favorite practice to ensure you write quality content?
