So, you misspelled the word “figthing” on your Notre Dame souvenir cup. Oops! Expensive mistake.
But what if you misspell a word in your email campaign, wiki, website or intranet site? It might not seem like a big deal. Typos can be updated. You can edit the text of web content and re-publish the website. But the problem can become bigger – the reason is that it can impact your whole brand image.
Small errors create big ripples
So, you may be thinking… “What's the big deal? It’s easy to fix since printing isn’t involved. Word processors will catch errors.”
Maybe. If you’re lucky.
The content management system (CMS) you rely on where you’re writing (or editing) your content, may have a built-in spell checker. Or, not. Or worse still, it may not have sufficient plugins or features to help you out. For instance, it might not match the standards of trusted proofreading software — Microsoft Word spell check with the F7 key. That’s a problem.
The simple truth is that most companies cannot rely on the spell checkers that are already embedded in their CMS platforms.
Your content is your brand
Remember, you are your brand. And when you’re penning content on behalf of your company, then your content represents that brand.
Publishing an accidental spelling error – even just one time – gives your readers the wrong impression of you, the writer, and the brand you’re representing (through your content).
Also, let’s not forget how important spell checking is to your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. If you’ve purchased Paid Per Click (PPC) advertising or an SEO campaign, then why risk misspelling one of your keywords? The simple answer is don’t. Make sure they’re right, every single time and your PPC investment won’t be undermined. Include a spell-checking or proofreading function in your campaign.
Get a second opinion on your content before it goes live. Or install a spell checker with a good reputation.
Of course, a lot of savvy SEO experts intentionally use misspelled product or brand names in their PPC campaigns because web visitors might forget how to spell them correctly, but that’s another post for another day!
Companies value accuracy
One of the key reasons major companies are interested in using our TinyMCE rich text editor, is its inline spell checking ability. Of course, our html rich text editor includes more benefits than just spell-checking, but some content authors and developers value accuracy so highly that they’re willing to invest in enterprise-grade software to help them protect their brand.
Three tips to be a better speller
To provide more accurate content, try these three tips:
- Write in a trusted environment: When you sit down to write, use a platform with a trusted spell-checking software to help you spot and fix any spelling errors. UsingTinyMCE, you don’t have to write in Google Docs or MS Word first to ensure your content is error-free and then copy and paste your text into your CMS. Our rich text editor supports 13+ languages (including medical terms), so you can type straight into the editor and it will automatically highlight any possible errors.
- Use a proofreader: Just relying on spell-check alone won’t catch all of your errors. What about those words that have two meanings like “too” and “two” or the favorite trio: “there,” “their” and “they’re”. Even the best wordsmiths out there make mistakes. So wherever possible, get someone else to proofread your work before you publish anything.
- Don’t publish right away: Right before you finish, take a break, instead of immediately hitting the ‘publish’ button. I know, I know. You’ve got a deadline to meet. Generally speaking, when you come back with fresh eyes, you’ll likely spot things that your ‘tired’ eyes you never knew were there!
Your content, no matter where it’s published, represents your brand. So there’s never any place for errors.
You can find out more about our spell checker plugin in our documentation. Our sales team is ready if you want to ask about how our spell checker plugin can work for you and your brand.
