July 20, 2018
We’ve all seen them...hilarious blunders as a result of a “small” typo or grammatical error. They are all over the internet...from social media, print materials, store signs, products, etc. However, they are not so funny for the business owners! Although many may find them funny, there are also many who don’t, & worse, may be offended.
For every point, there is a counter-argument...& this one’s no different. There is a school of thought that typos are not a big deal...that they “humanize” a business & people forget & forgive. These people must not have ever worked in retail...or ever had to deal with the consequences! These errors can be costly...signs & merchandise trashed &/or redone, bad press, irate customers, lost sales & missed business, etc. If anyone ever tells you there is no such thing as bad press...RUN FOR THE HILLS! Sure large businesses can more easily recover from such mistakes, but very few small business can afford to lose customers or the potential adverse hit to their bottom line.
Truth is...there is no such thing as a “small” mistake. As discussed in our BRANDING tip a few weeks ago, everything you put out there is a part of your brand & overall image. Would you hire a printer to make your wedding or party invitations if their website is riddled with errors? Or how about hire a tutor for your kids if their ad had a typo? Would you go to a restaurant if the chef posted , “I like cooking my family & my pets”...OR feel more comfortable if the post read, “I like cooking, my family & my pets”??? No one wants to eat @ Jeffrey Dahmer’s Place (well...I guess that’s debatable, but you get the point)! Oh what a difference a comma makes!
It’s not much different than passing over a job candidate for typos or a poorly written resume. Your marketing & promotional materials contribute to your business’ “resume” from which potential customers decide whether or not they choose you to do business.
Proofread EVERYTHING @ least 3 times! Allow someone else to read it as well. Two sets of eyes are always better than one...& we have a tendency to read what we meant to say & not always what we actually said. There are also a ton of free & low cost tools available to help.
Do mistakes happen...OF COURSE! And when they do, correct them the best way possible (if necessary) & move on...you may even find a few in this post! (yikes!)
Does that mean you shouldn’t take them seriously & work to avoid them...ABSOLUTELY NOT! If you are lax in your own work, how can your customers expect you not to be lax with theirs???