When you think about social media, is writing the first thing that comes to your mind? Probably not.
Here are the top 5 answers I received when I asked people to tell me the first word or phrase that came into their minds when they heard “social media.”
- Relationships
- Keeping in Touch
- News
- Ideas/Inspiration
- Pictures
While most of those answers are from a personal perspective, they have value for business owners as well.
- The primary purpose of social media for most businesses is to build relationships with their audiences.
- Keeping your product or service in front of your audience is vital to your marketing plan’s success.
- The fact that people are turning to social media for news is good for you! It gives you an opportunity to share important information with them about your business and what you offer.
- We all look for ideas and inspiration when we need a nudge or feel stuck. How can you use social media to inspire your audience?
- Use appropriate, catchy images. A picture truly is worth a thousand words on social media.
Next, I asked the same group what they didn’t like about social media.
The number one answer was typos and poorly written posts.
The number two answer was misleading posts with a title, picture, and caption that had nothing to do with one another.
The number three answer was posts that didn’t have value for them or posts they felt wasted their time.
The truth is that even meticulous proofreaders will have typos and mistakes from time to time. I know I do. Typos can irritate, lead to laughter, or they can turn into costly mistakes.
Here are some examples of typos on social media that went viral, and not in a good way:

I’m sure at least one of those made you chuckle a bit. A couple of them probably made you cringe. But what if they were posted your social media or your business account? You get one chance to make a good first impression, don’t let a typo be the impression that goes viral.
Help your social media posts stand out for the right reasons.
- Write your posts in advance when possible and preschedule. This allows you adequate time to review the posts.
- Proofread. Have someone else proofread. Read them out loud. Run them through a grammar checker. Then proofread again.
- Make sure all elements of your post are cohesive. Your title (if you have one), the image, and the copy should all move the reader toward your end goal.
- Don’t waste your followers’ time. Make your posts relevant, useful, and/or inspirational.
- If you don’t have the time to write and edit your own posts, hire an expert. Social media is a vital communication tool and it is a great way to connect with your audience.
If you need help writing social media content, developing a social media calendar, or editing your posts, contact me today!