We’ve all made spelling and grammatical mistakes in our lifetime, but are you a repeat offender? The English language is full of grammar oddities and confusing vocabulary, so it’s necessary that email marketers allot ample proofreading time for every email they send.
Serious copy-editing requires time and attention – not just the “spelling and grammar” tool. Use these techniques to verify your copy is perfect:
- Find a quiet place and recite the text out loud… even if it feels embarrassing. Ears will catch the mistakes that the eyes miss.
- Crack out your favorite highlighters and print, proofread, and markup a hard copy. Make sure to write down all your edits as you go (your brain can only remember so much!)
- Use the breath assessment to test the length of your sentences. If you can’t read an entire sentence in one breath, it’s probably too long.
- Double check confusing words – such as there, they’re, their or effect vs. affect – and make sure you’re using the correct one.
- If you’re getting cross-eyed looking at pages of copy, set a milestone and proofread until then. Give yourself a lap around the office or bathroom break and then get back to it with fresh eyes.
- Once you’ve gotten your copy to a place that feels perfect, let someone else give it a once over to bring your proofreading over the finish line.
Before hitting send on your next email, set aside sufficient time for copy-editing to make the best impression with every email.
Let ResponseGenius help take your email marketing to the next level – hello@responsegenius.com
