We studio owners have a lot of writing to do; there’s no way around it! From email correspondence to marketing materials, our words are all over the place. Make sure your writing sounds and looks correct by avoiding these four common writing mistakes:
- Not writing the way you speak – What you write should sound natural and conversational, not forced. Try reading aloud what you write. Does it sound like something you’d say to someone face-to-face? Do the sentences flow? If not, try making some edits.
- Incorrect spelling – Nothing says “I was in a rush” quite like misspelled words. Use your spell-check feature AND proofread what you write to catch those spelling errors before clicking send. (Bonus points if you can have someone else proofread for you!)
- Poor grammar or punctuation – This is a tricky one. So many grammar rules, so little time! Watch out for the most common misuses of words, such as your vs. you’re, there vs. their, and to vs. too vs. two. Be careful with punctuation as well. Exclamation points are fun, but too many can look overly dramatic!!!!!
- Writing with the “curse of knowledge” – Psychologically speaking, the curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that makes us think our audience understands us better than they actually do (more on this in an upcoming blog post). To put it simply, it’s easy to forget that not everyone knows our studio lingo! Being aware of this bias as you write will help you use clearer sentences and less jargon.
Try to enjoy the writing you do for your studio. Remember that you are representing yourself, your team, and your studio vibe with your words. Type your thoughts out and then re-work them with these tips. Keep it natural, check your spelling and grammar, and watch out for the curse of knowledge!