Do correct spelling and grammar (still) matter? Is it bad to mix your metaphors like an old dog learning new tricks while trying to reinvent the wheel to show you weren’t born yesterday?
After all, people who seem pedantic about language are generally not that popular. We all like to joke about and roll our eyes at “grammar Nazis” and old-school fuddy-duddies who are obsessed with spelling and punctuation. “Can a semi-colon really be that important?”
Look at Donald Trump’s tweets. Part of the reason they get so much interaction and engagement is not only their incendiary (and often ludicrous) content, but also because it’s such a gas to make fun of his particularly unique brand of badly-worded guff. The weirdness and inappropriateness and bizarre-wordedness of it all make it worth sharing. In marketing terms, that’s pure gold!
So, do accuracy and precision in communication matter? Is good grammar still relevant?
SharingChecking (language and spelling) is caring
Call us old-school, but we believe it does matter and that it is relevant. Good, correct, clear and concise writing will always have its place. People may read less, but they still read. Correct language usage is about being polished and professional. It shows you bother to finetune things. It shows a measure of respect to the end consumer.
Think of it this way: Would you trust an accountant whose bottom line did not add up? Would you let your employees come to a boardroom meet-and-greet in sandals and a sarong?
Then why would you trust a brand with bad grammar that writes clunky, awkward sentences?
Language is not everyone’s forte. Not everyone has full command and mastery of it. We also live in a world where we need to communicate with many people for whom English, still a major lingua francain the business world, is not their first language.
No matter how we achieve it, our business and marketing communication should still be written well and correctly. Mistakes in language are like an unshaven face or a ladder in a stocking. They land badly with others. They make it seem as if we care less.
CORRECT LANGUAGE USAGE and CLEARLY EXPRESSED IDEAS:
Communicate professionalism
When writing is clear and correct, it gives the impression that someone knows what they’re doing. It makes us trust them because they have made the effort to get things right.
Show attention to detail
Good writing shows that people are paying attention. Good grammar usage and application show that people take time with the little things. They do things properly.
Exhibit consideration of others
If you take the time to write something, rephrase, rework and edit it (or have it edited by a professional), you’re showing that your end user’s experience mattersto you.
Help avoid misunderstandings
Writing that is easy to understand is also harder to misinterpret or misunderstand. Expressing ideas clearly and concisely helps avoid ambiguity. People often think that if something is easy to read and just seems to “flow”, it was easy to write. Often, the opposite its true. Someone who has mastered their art or discipline simply makes it look easy. But it’s a skill. It takes practice and precision. And it should be respected.
Which is why we prefer to be called grammar gurus, not grammar Nazis. Go on, spread the word! The correct word.
