TOC #1: Avoiding The Impulse Publish
(Jan 12, 2021) The biggest mistake content writers make—and how to avoid it.
It's official – I've (finally) taken the leap into weekly newsletters, and honestly, I could not be more excited! After pouring my heart and soul into email sequences and newsletters for my clients, I felt it was time that my own newsletter deserved a little TLC. She was feeling left out. But the days of her being neglected are longgg gone!
Now, every Tuesday morning, I'll pop into your inbox real quick to say hi & share a bite-sized BTL update, a digital marketing tip, a few of my favorite resources that I've recently saved from other creatives on social, and a book rec (because, duh).
That being said *drum roll please* let's get started with my first-ever Tuesday Table of Contents!
Let’s talk about proofreading.
One of the biggest no-no's in content writing is the dreaded case of the Impulse Publish. This is something I talk about often (and explain in detail here), and advise you to avoid at all costs. Long story short: publishing (or worse, submitting – gasp) your content before proofreading it can make for an awkward sitch. Here are my best proofreading tips to take into consideration the next time you're about to click post:
1) Never proofread immediately after you finish writing. Always go back to it a little bit later with a fresh mind! Whether it's 20 minutes later or a full day later, give your brain a moment to take a break from the subject. You may not catch mistakes if you've been too focused on a certain subject for a while.
2) Read it out loud. This helps you ensure that whatever you wrote will be interpreted well by the reader. This is especially important if you’re hoping to write more conversationally!
3) Have someone else look it over for you. Sometimes we’re simply way too close to the content to miss little things! So, do what I do, and forward your important docs to your mom before submitting 😎
4) Do not (I repeat: do not) rely on spell check! She’s checking for spelling mistakes — not grammar & tone. If you need a little extra help in this department, check out Grammarly!
5) Look out for overuse of the same words. If you think you may have used a word too much, use the ctrl+F tool to see how many times it’s present in the doc and make some changes! Simply google “synonym for ____” and you’re golden.
Hi, I’m Sara Noel—website copywriter and marketing mentor for creatives, copywriters, and all-around cool people. Thanks for reading this edition of the Tuesday Table of Contents! If you like my content and you want even more BTL in your life, here are a few ways you can connect with me:
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xo, Sara