For information about how Screenfluence can help your business with digital signage, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 1-844-772-7336 or emailing info@screenfluence.com.
Contact UsEver walked by a digital sign and noticed a brutal typo? It probably made you laugh (or cringe), right? Don’t worry, grammar mistakes happen to the best of us, but your screens should be working to boost your business, so it’s vital that you work to avoid human error.
Here are the three most common digital signage content grammar mistakes to avoid:
1. Not understanding the difference between possessive words and contractions.
We’re talking about the differences between “its” and “it’s”, “your” and “you’re” or “their” and “they’re”.
For the purposes of absolute clarity, possessive words do not require apostrophes and are used in such contexts as “Don’t judge a book by its cover!”, “Your favourite restaurant just got bigger!” or “Their best chance at winning is to beat us at quitting!”
Contractions are words that require apostrophes because they combine two words such as “it is”, “you are” or “they are”. Now, while we’re (we are) sure this isn’t (is not) lost on you, we know that such oversights can make their (not they’re) way into your advertising messages. If they do, they will only serve to make your brand look bad. Be sure to do your spell checking!
2. Missing the ONE letter that TOTALLY changes your message.
Don’t underestimate the extreme importance of correct spelling. In many cases, all that is necessary to destroy a marketing message is the misuse of one single letter.
Not all mistakes are created equal. For example, a promotional sign that wants to get in on the hype and excitement surrounding Toronto’s NBA Champions may read “Let’s Go Raptor!”
Now, we’re sure passers-by may get a chuckle out of such a sign, but would still understand and appreciate the company’s overall objective. However, as Carly Stec of HubSpot.com, informs us, a McDonald’s restaurant learned the hard way how mortifying it can be to miss a single letter in marketing messages.
In an effort to promote its new Angus burger, the restaurant mistakenly omitted the letter G. Unfortunately hilarious and not so appetizing, is it?
3. Omitting necessary punctuation.
The same way a missing or incorrect letter can totally sabotage a marketing message, missing or incorrectly-used punctuation can wreak havoc on your ad.
On DigitalSynopsis.com, Curtis Newbold, from The Visual Communication Guy, offers an infographic that provides excellent examples of how absolutely detrimental punctuation is to your messaging.
The first is an example of the major difference a missing comma can make. “Let’s eat, Grandma!” compared to “Let’s eat Grandma!” showcases the distinction between inviting your beloved grandmother to the table for a meal and actually making her your main course!
Another great example highlights the importance of correct hyphen usage. What’s the difference between “twenty five-dollar bills” and “twenty-five dollar bills”? The first description denotes the equivalent of $100 while the second suggests a denomination that we’re pretty sure doesn’t exist.
As we’ve pointed out, making such small mistakes can have huge implications. Before showcasing any text on your digital signage, be sure to thoroughly proofread everything you’ve written. Avoid digital signage content grammar mistakes. It may save you a lot of embarrassment and the risk of bad publicity.
For extra help, try out free online grammar checkers such as Grammarly or Visual Writing Tutor.
And for more information about how Screenfluence can help you benefit from using digital signage, please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 1-844-772-7336 or emailing info@screenfluence.com.
How can Screenfluence help your company to benefit from using digital signage? Find out by calling us at 1-844-772-7336 or emailing us at info@screenfluence.com.
