It happens to all of us. You think you just crafted the perfect tweet or status, you send it off into the vast space called the Internet and then you re-read it; you made a typo!
My last major typo was about a month ago, while sharing a blog post on Facebook about a controversial topic - and my mistake was caught by a Facebook user.
Naturally, I deleted the post entirely within minutes of the initial posting, which also removed the rude comment calling out my mistake.
I have tried to be typo-free ever since, however, with the hastiness in which we all use social media ,I am bound to make more mistakes.
My example is on a small scale when it comes to typos but what if I were the PR social media manager for a national organization and made the same mistake? Would there be severe consequences? Would I be fired?
There is a lot to think about as budding PR pros when it comes to typos and grammatical errors. As I wrote in an earlier blog post, grammar mistakes are my biggest pet peeves and clearly do not fly in this industry. Typos, because they are so easily avoidable, are even worse than grammatical errors. All it takes is some proofreading.
If you didn't remember to proofread however and find your self in a typo catastrophe, here are three ways to recover from a typo on social media provided by PR Daily:
1. Own it, quickly: Respond directly, rather than deleting the post. Though a user’s comment can be rude or ugly, a simple “thank you for pointing that out” would have sufficed. Addressed the comment right away, will help to build credibility for the organization.
2. Keep it short and keep it sweet: Though an answer is most certainly warranted, less is more. A big explanation can leave you equally vulnerable. Trying to justify a typo will only lead even more conversation in the public eye. Not a good idea.
3. Accept it: Even if you didn’t make a mistake, what’s published on social media is fair game and everyone has different tolerance levels (especially when it comes to hot topics like religion and politics). Although you invite people to comment, “like,” and tweet, you take the risk of getting an answer you might not like. Don't take things personally; keep your head held high.
Have you made a mistake on social media? How did you handle it? Let us know!
In the era of tiny keyboards and social media, flying thumbs and emoticons, typos are inevitable, but do they really matter?
For any type of public relations professionals that answer is yes. For example, take a look at the recent Mitt Romney campaign misspell disaster. The campaign team unveiled a new iPhone app that led off with the phrase, “A Better Amercia.” To no one's surprise, the Twitterverse had a field day.
If you are trying to make it in the PR and business world you need to learn how to communicate efficiently and most importantly, make yourself clear. Sloppy mistakes made when communicating can dilute your message or worse, seriously diminish your credibility.
Social media and texting have procured bad grammar habits and a serious reliance on auto-correct. Hastily written typos occur all the time in this realm. Unless you are conversing with your friends this type of communication is not necessarily bad; however, you never know who may be reading that misspelled Tweet and forming a negative opinion about your writing ability. The most important tip to keep in mind is to try and keep messages succinct and spelled correctly.
Here are some tips to minimize typos in your personal communication:
Read it out loud. When my fingers are flying typing an e-mail, there are times when my fingers don’t catch up to my keyboard. Words like “from” turn into “form” and won’t be caught by spell-checkers. They leave a sloppy impression with the reader. Take a minute to read your draft out loud, which will help catch any words that shouldn’t be there or any that should.
Borrow another pair of eyes. If it’s important, if you’re tired or in a rush, ask someone else to read what you wrote. If I’m sending a critical e-mail or if I’m dealing with a sticky situation, I want to make sure I’m typo-free so that my authentic message comes through.
Separate social media from the rest of your writing. Remember there’s a time and place for LOLs, #hashtags and abbreviations. Birthday wishes and comments about weekend adventures don’t fall into the same category as business communications.
How you communicate speaks just as loudly as the actual content of your message. Regardless of technology trends and busy schedules, a few extra seconds can reinforce a great personal brand.
