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Miss Spell, Miss Quote, Make up: a new approach to writing for the web?
I’m a self-professed spelling fanatic. As an English graduate, the mantra of ‘check, check and double check’ is something that’s deeply ingrained in my daily life. So when it comes to writing for the web, a simple case of poor spelling has the potential to drive me to distraction. But while I was browsing the usual suspects online this morning, I found an article which was taking the chance to say something different on the subject: when writing online, why not try deliberately inserting typos, creating new (and potentially ridiculous) words and misquoting well-known sayings?
Now surprisingly enough, while this maybe a bit controversial for the ‘purists’ among us, it is not entirely alien. There are always the established principles that should underpin a good piece of well-crafted copy, but it is also true that introducing humour or trying to do something different with your content can take it to the next level. And that’s exactly what this does – by subverting the user’s expectations, the writer starts to draw them in, intrigue and amuse them and hopefully, provoke a response.
So perhaps what we should be saying is: if you’re going to use wordplay, don’t just be careful – be clever about it. As we always say, the key to success online is in understanding your audiences. An intelligent tweak of wordsmithing can add spice to your content, but if you pitch it wrong then you could both alienate your audience and devalue your online offering.
Have a look at the article and see what you think: ‘Made You Thunk: Engage Your Readers With Typos and Misquotes’ – and in the words of author Nick Cernis, ‘Use your new power responsibly!’
