There was a scary stage, a few years back, when people seemed to have forgotten how to use vowels. Words like “gr8” and “omw” were the norm and it seemed as if the cause for good grammar (and spelling) was lost. But, as if in the aftermath of a devastating forest fire, we managed to stumble through the smoke and debris, and have found ourselves on the other side of that horrific trend. And, maybe in full rebellion, this new era has full words, punctuation, and, wait for it, proper sentences!
Order in the land of Grammar may have been restored, but that leaves us with a new set of challenges. One of these is teaching and reminding ourselves how to write correctly and well, even in Social Media. While there are various resources for working on our grammar, it may be best to start with why. Why should we use good grammar when using Social Media?
Jeffrey Gitomer said it so aptly proclaimed: “Your grammar is a reflection of your image. Good or bad, you have made an impression. And like all impressions, you are in total control.” Good grammar has long been associated with having a good education, intelligence, and being able to communicate well. Now, let’s see how these fit into Social Media.
Whether you are a Social Media manager or do your business’s online marketing yourself, it is important to make a good impression for your audience. Social media is all about building trust through relationships and maintaining those relationships with your loyal clients who will hopefully become brand ambassadors. Having good grammar goes a long way in helping you make a great first, and lasting, impression.
Appearing well educated is important in your posts because your clients want to know that you are an expert in your field. You can write a great and informative blog post about in-depth concepts, but if your grammar and spelling are bad, your audience will be distracted by trying to decipher what it is you are trying to say, instead of being informed, entertained, and in awe of your great knowledge.
Coming across as intelligent goes a long way in building and maintaining that trust relationship I mentioned earlier. Well written content gives the impression that you are intelligent and can, therefore, be trusted to solve problems that may arise with orders, etc. It also gives clients the subconscious understanding that you have researched your products and know what you are doing and offering.
Being able to communicate well is vital in Social Media marketing. Having good grammar means that you are able to manipulate and use words to achieve a desired outcome. Whether that outcome is entertainment, sharing news, educating, chatting, or advertising, the way you put your words together makes a difference in how your work is received. Once you have a set tone for your business, using correct grammar will help you maintain the uniform style and manner in which you communicate with your clients.
Imagine reading a wonderful post on a business’s Facebook page, and engaging with them in a direct message, only to be shocked by their social media manager’s use of slang, bad spelling, and lack of punctuation! Would you be likely to take the relationship further and support the business? Probably not.
“Poor grammar harms your credibility and makes you look careless. In fact, four in 10 job applications are rejected due to poor grammar and spelling, according to the global communication skills company Communicaid. People are going to make judgments on your competence and intelligence based on your grammar, whether they realize it or not — and regardless of whether you think it’s OK for them to do so. Right or wrong, bad grammar hurts your bottom line.”
Megan Krause
In the end, no matter what you are writing for, having good grammar will help you make a good impression. In the Social Media realm of sub-standard offerings, why not be the one to stand out and show your audience that you are well educated, intelligent, a good communicator, and pay attention to detail. Get your message across in a professional manner that will consciously, or subconsciously, place you above the rest.
If you would like to make sure your content is perfect before publishing, be sure to contact the Grammar Goblin for proofreading and editing. We offer Social Media Management too!
