And it will hang on the walls of the internet forever. For that reason, you need to make sure that the picture you are hanging up for public view is of you looking your best. No spinach between the teeth, uncontrollable cow licks or other weird things that can mar a picture...Yes, this is a rant about misspelled words and bad grammar on blogs. It drives me insane. I understand that some people blog for fun while others blog as way to share their thoughts or feelings and a few others blog for profit. Whatever the reason, understand this, people are reading your words and they are forming opinions about you based on those words. You want that impression to be a good one, right? Think about it, you wouldn't post a picture of yourself with crusties, would you? It's the same thing. Trust me.
When I was a librarian, I used to read blogs written by some of my colleagues and wonder what were they thinking? How do they expect to be viewed as professionals when they can't even be bothered to use spell check? If I saw too many obvious misspellings or grammatical errors, I'd just delete them from my reader. It's pointless to read the blog if I'm just mentally swiping with my red pen. I have now taken this attitude towards mom bloggers.
Maybe it doesn't bother you that I'm removing your blog from my reader (especially when you're getting over a hundred hits a day) but if I'm taking this attitude, how do you think potential advertisers might feel? I pay attention to the discussions on Twitter and I know that there are mom bloggers out there who are trying to figure out how to get paid for blogging. In order to draw companies, your writing has to be clear and easy to read.
Here are a few tips that may help you out:
1. Read your post out loud to make sure that it makes sense
2. Use spell check - If you're unsure of the spelling of a word, there are plenty of online dictionaries (or go old school and use a book)
3. Don't be afraid to rewrite something (even after you've posted it - I'm constantly editing)
4. Check your grammar
5. Have fun
Remember your blog is a work of art, so make sure your masterpiece is finished before you hang it on the wall.
