By Jennifer Henderson

The other day I found a typo when reading my News Feed on Facebook. An employee at my favorite botanical garden posted, “We’ll that was interesting!” in reference to an event hosted at the garden. The post caught my eye because the error was so obvious. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what else was written about the event. The one little misplaced apostrophe stole my attention. In the era of Twitter, texting, and autocorrect, it is easy to make a mistake. But, this one typo made me wonder: What happens, for example, when a “Well” accidentally turns into a “We’ll”? Are spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors damaging to social media marketing efforts? And, how can businesses avoid such missteps?

Are Typos and Grammatical Errors Damaging?

Good writing takes time. But time is limited. That is why sloppy writing can creep into Facebook posts, e-mails to friends, and even a business’s blog. It is one thing when errors appear in personal correspondence, which happens to the best of us. When grammatical errors or spelling and punctuation mistakes show up in a business’s social media marketing efforts, though, the business can suffer.

Andrew Hindes, president of PR and marketing copywriting firm The In-House Writer, explains in PR News that when you read a sentence filled with errors, you question the business’s credibility. Hindes further states that, “sloppily written materials can create a negative impression on clients.”

Steps to Avoid Making Mistakes

By taking the following steps, you can avoid the writing mistakes that may hurt your business’s reputation.

Use a second set of eyes. It never hurts to have someone else read over your copy. I always find it helpful to have someone read what I have written.

Read your writing out loud. Carole discusses this in “Breaking Down a Blog Post.” She reads her posts aloud, which helps her catch mistakes that her eyes alone might miss.

Take advantage of spell-checker and grammar-checking software (but don’t rely solely on technology). Spell-checker is a useful tool, but does not catch everything. For example, when I typed “He paid her a compliment” in Microsoft Word, spell-checker did not change the spelling to “complement.” Grammar-checking software also does not pick up all mistakes. However, using these tools as part of your efforts to eliminate errors can be helpful. An article in Daily Writing Tips provides a useful list of grammar-checking software products. Some of the software companies offer free versions of their software. For instance, Grammarly.com provides a free seven-day trial of its product.

Take a break. Sometimes it helps to step away from what you have written and return to it later. That way, you can read your words with a fresh perspective.

Mistakes Will Happen

When you make a typo or a grammatical error, it is not the end of the world. It is going to happen. The goal is to work toward having as few errors as possible. With that goal in mind, you will present a polished image to your readers and customers.