The success of social media content writers is practically dependent upon thorough proofreading. If you skip this part, your writing and marketing efforts will be useless. Spelling, punctuation, word usage, and grammar mistakes can ruin the overall impression your content makes.
Proofreading is not a fun process. The worst part is that it’s often ineffective, regardless of the efforts you invest. The reason for that is obvious: writers are too attached to the work they create. You clearly appreciate your style, and you have to be confident in your language skills if you want to make progress as a social media content writer. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to spot and correct your own mistakes. Don’t worry; we have several possible solutions and tools that you can implement in the proofreading stage.
Proofreading Tips for Social Media Writers
1. Make grammar your priority
You always hated grammar rules? You prefer freestyle expression? Then maybe you’re not meant to be a social media writer. Readers don’t appreciate reading messy articles full of mistakes. If you want to be successful in this career, you have to pay more attention to your grammar and vocabulary skills.
What can you do when you are not sure about a word or phrase you just used? Check! There are tons of tools and websites that will help you find the solution.
2. Change the format
If you ever tried proofreading your content, then you probably realize how hard it is to make it perfect. When a reader points out a mistake, it is strange how you didn’t notice it although you read the text several times before publishing it. Try this trick: read the content in a different format!
For example, if you are working on a blog post, read the text in preview mode. You can also print out your work and go through the hard copy. If you typed the post on your computer, try reading it on your tablet or smartphone. You’ll notice a peculiar thing: suddenly, you will be able to spot and correct a greater number of mistakes.
3. Read it aloud
This is another way to see your writing from a reader’s perspective. This method is especially useful if you are trying to maintain a conversational tone. You’ll immediately notice when a word, phrase, or sentence construction doesn’t seem natural.
4. Spell-check makes you lazy and inattentive. Don’t rely on it completely!
Microsoft Word has a pretty decent spelling and grammar checking tool, but it’s not the ultimate solution for publishing flawless social media content. Don’t take the suggestions for granted; some of them are wrong! You can use another automated tool that will identify other spelling mistakes and will give you other options. However, you need to keep this in mind: no software can replace a human editing eye. If you are not capable of bringing your own writing to perfection, it would be best to hire an editor.
5. Detach yourself!
The biggest issue that doesn’t allow you to proofread effectively is attachment. That’s why it’s good to have some time away from your work before you start proofreading it. When you finish writing your content, don’t throw yourself into the proofreading and editing stages right away. Set it aside for few hours or days, and you’ll be able to come back to it with a refreshed mind, which will be ready to spot more mistakes than you anticipated.
Proofreading Tools for Social Media Writers
Now that you are relatively ready to approach the proofreading process from a different angle, let’s make this clear: you’ll be much more effective when you rely on proper tools. Thanks to this list of online tools and resources, you can boost your overall writing skills with less effort.
1. 10 Common Grammar Mistakes That Will Ruin Good Content
There are few common mistakes that content writers keep repeating. When you learn how to avoid them, your posts will gain on quality and your readers will be happier. Follow this list and make sure your text is free of these grammar and proofreading sins.
2. NinjaEssays
When all proofreading tools and efforts fail you, it’s time to delegate this part of your work to read editors. Thanks to custom writing service NinjaEssays, that doesn’t mean you would have to spend a fortune to get a perfect version of your text. This is a collaborative platform, which means that you can monitor the editing, proofreading, and formatting process along the way. Don’t skip reading the blog; its purpose is to turn you into a better writer.
3. Polish My Writing
This is another online tool that offers automated feedback on your writing. Paste or write your text in the designated area; and the tool will warn you about spelling errors, grammar issues, and style problems. You’ll also get suggestions on how to fix those mistakes.
4. The Elements of Style – William Strunk
Reading an entire eBook that elaborates English style may seem a bit drastic, but you’ll gain immense benefits if you make that effort. The author explains the elementary rules of usage and principles of compositions in details. In addition, you’ll also get hints on misused and misspelled words and expressions.
5. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips
You are having doubts about a certain word, sentence, or structure in your text? You’ll probably find the answer at this website. Grammar Girl is known for her short tips that solve the most common grammar and proofreading dilemmas.
6. Plagtracker
This online tool should become an inevitable part of your editing routine. If you leave any plagiarism in your content, the search engines won’t lead readers to it. Plagtracker will indicate the parts of your text that need some paraphrasing or rewriting.
7. PaperRater
This is a free proofreading tool that doesn’t require any downloads. Its robust grammar checking features will enable you to find some of the mistakes that your usual word processing tool missed. You’ll also get writing suggestions that will help you improve the content faster and more effectively.
Now that you have a decent number of proofreading tools to rely on, it’s time to start making your social media content flawless!