MSNBC had an interesting article on the use of less-than-perfect grammar for Web copywriting. The trick, the article says is "balancing proper grammar with a conversational tone." Since consumers need to relate to your message, write in the same conversational tone you’d use if you were hanging out at Starbucks with your ideal customer. What grammar rules can you break?
- Contractions. When’s the last time you said "I had" instead of "I’d"? 1957?
- Dangling prepositions. "You’re going to feel like a pro when you put this on."
- Slang words (if appropriate to your audience). Sheesh, what would my English prof say?
- Sentence fragments. "Got milk?" *Don’t forget, web readers SKIM. Short sentences are good.
- One-sentence paragraphs. "See above"
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{ 7 comments }
Very nice site!!!
Thanks,
Jack.
Great post. Definitely going to start following your blog.
Wow great site! Some really helpful information there. I’m sorry for little off-topic, but I want to ask you about design of this site. Did you make this template yourself or got from any templates website? Looks pretty cool for me
Hi Elton,
The NancyHendrickson.com site is using Thesis (a $$ theme). I love it because it is incredibly flexible and I can do almost everything I want with it. Nancy
I thnk the big prob thse days is that so many peple hav movd 2 shrt txt lik writing with many belving that abrvatd txt is now propr grammr an dnt C any use in real grmer, u c it all ovr the itrnt in the last cupl yers
As you can see I actually struggle to fake it
Yeah, I agree with the above commenter, taht i just aweful I can bearly read that. We can use a familar ton without resorting to that. But anyway, great blog, and I just love teh design.
Hi, I just read you comment, is this really thesis or have you changed it, since it loosk so different, anyway, I agree thesis looks fantastic but at the moment I cant afford it.:(
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