Is Broken English Breaking Your Blog?
In case you hadn’t noticed, content is pretty essential for blog success. Forget the pretty layout and the fantastic font (for now at least), none of that’s going to matter if your content isn’t up to scratch. It may all look hopeful, but those hopes will be dashed as soon as readers notice your writing isn’t great. We’re not even talking about your ideas here. You could have the most ingenious ideas since Einstein and still bomb. How, you ask? By writing in bad English, of course! There’s no getting past the fact that people are picky when it comes to words, and so they should be. Bloggers are making a living from writing just like any author. Would we have put up with bad grammar from Dickens? Of course not! It may be that you’re bad with spelling, or that English isn’t your first language. Either way, you need to get on top of this if you want to rocket your way to success. Lucky for you, we’re going to look at what you need to do.
Take A Refresher, Dude No matter what your issue, it could be worth heading back to the classroom here. Non-native English speakers may want to take courses like those offered by AJ Hoge to ensure they hit the mark with every post. Others may want to head for evening classes, or just read from the greats. Either way, you need to be a sponge for the English language right now. It may even be worth investing in grammar books and studying in your free time. Either way, the more you know about English language, the better you can put it to use in future posts.
Check, Check, Check Some More!
Ahh, the trusty rule of three. It’s led to fantastic music, and it could lead to excellent content, as well. You should check each post AT LEAST three times. That’s once on a site like the Hemingway app, once on good old Grammarly, and once when you read it back. While neither of these methods is foolproof, they make a pretty good threesome. If mistakes still slip through the radar after these three, we’ll eat our hats! Well, not really, but you get the point. Being thorough like this is essential. We’re only human, and mistakes are sure to happen. What’s more, your brain may fill the gaps because it thinks it knows what you’ve written. So, this triple checking is the only way to be sure.
Clear your Throat & Read Aloud We know, reading aloud when you’re alone can feel, well….weird. But, when it comes to your content, you’d be amazed what a difference it can make. On that last read through, try reading out loud and see how the post sounds. You’ll notice wording errors much easier this way, and will be able to ensure your piece flows. This is especially crucial if you aim to build a conversational tone. How can you check it works if you don’t actually read through it in conversation?
