Sometimes it feels like I see poor spelling wherever I go - signage, restaurant menus, social media - I even spotted a typo in one of our largest newspapers the other day.
As a communications professional you would imagine that I have an eye for detail – especially when it comes to spelling and grammar. In fact, a former colleague used to joke that I could spot a spelling mistake at a thousand paces!
Poorly written content makes you look unprofessional
Whether you like it or not poorly written content on your website, within your sales materials and even in your social media posts reflects on your reputation. Typos and sloppy mistakes look unprofessional and make it harder for people to digest your content.
I have even seen business proposals with typos and errors in them. A few years ago, a large organisation sent me a request for sponsorship. One of the many errors in their presentation was having another company's name in it. Suffice to say they didn’t get the money they were asking for and that was the consequence of poor peer reviewing!
Get someone to proofread and peer review your work
I have proofread a lot of documents in my working life. I appreciate that writing is not everyone’s forte and that is why it pays to get people to check your work, especially if you aren’t the most confident writer. After all, we each have our own strengths and weaknesses. Even I get big pieces of work checked before they are published as we all make mistakes.
Some would argue that you can use software to do the peer reviewing for you. It is a good start however a couple of mistakes that I consistently see, such as people misusing “where” and “were” and “there” and “their”, would not be picked up by an automated spell checker.
Find a professional to help if needed
If you don’t have someone in your office who can do a peer review for you it is worth outsourcing. A short document will take around 30 minutes for a communications contractor to proofread, which means you are only paying a small amount to help ensure that you come across articulately and professionally.
Need assistance proofreading or peer reviewing some of your materials? Then drop me a line. I’d be happy to help.
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