We see them every day. Typos flood unchecked across the material and digital worlds we live in, and sometimes they make it into the ad copy and plus-sized headlines of major publications.

Typographical errors are definitely mistakes. However, unintentional mistakes are still mistakes, and when a brand puts out careless content, readers will form opinions about them. As a critical reader who cares about typos, I want to share what we all feel: businesses appear unprofessional when they overlook typos in their content. But “unprofessional” is a vague term, and I believe specific comparisons are more effective here.

The next time a colleague or major brand releases an advertisement or headline with an awful spelling or grammar mistake, show them what they look like in your eyes:

babytyping

A baby. Yes – there may as well be babies behind the controls when you publish something as sloppy as a misspelled page title or banner ad.

cattyping

…Or a cat. It’s pretty much the same thing, and everyone knows how well felines can spell on a keyboard.

lazyemployee

An apathetic office pawn. When a bad typo squeaks by, people are bound to equate your business to the lazy employee nobody cares for.

girl

An inebriated teenager. Uncaring, uncoordinated, irresponsible and completely degenerate: has your editor had one too many? It’s the worst case scenario when your content reads like a drunk-text.

assemblyline

A dysfunctional assembly line. Your readers will know when you’re trying to carelessly pump out an unrealistic amount of content. When you value quantity over quality, the consequences are going to catch up to you.

Computer-Smack

A “mom’s garage” operation. It’s where many great companies had their start, but it’s also the pinnacle of unprofessionalism. Spelling screw-ups are similarly the mark of an amateur.

So, a few of these might be harsh, but somebody has to dole out the flak to the very worst typo-committers. But I’m also here to help. The morals of the story are:

  • Put the necessary time and care into publishing your work; don’t rush it!
  • Ensure that everything gets proofread, and if you’re not an ace at the English language yourself, find a copy editor.
  • Value quality over quantity, because your readers and/or customers can tell the difference.

Follow these guidelines to the t and you’ll avoid the embarrassments and unfortunate associations described above. Happy writing, folks!