On the way into work this morning, I passed a sign on the door of the cafeteria:
“Kim is ill today so service may be a little slower than normal. Please bare with us ”
Surely everyone knows that “bare” is not safe for business copywriting?
Although I appreciate the warning, I personally prefer to dine fully clothed. I would also rather the people serving my food are dressed too.
What the writer of this sign has demonstrated so elegantly is that although they managed to spell “bare” correctly, what they actually meant to write was “bear“. The wrong choice of word changed their message from a plea for patience to a far more risqué request.
And so it is with your own copywritten content. Poor spelling not only reflects badly on your company, but it can also significantly change the message you are trying to convey.
And when publishing your content, don’t rely solely on the spellchecker. Because “bare” is actually spelled correctly, it would never have been identified as an error. You must read your content through a couple of times to ensure you don’t get caught out.
Of course, it is possible that I am wrong about Kim and Co down in the canteen. Perhaps there really is a nudist colony operating in the office block of which I was previously unaware. But really I am hoping that this sign is actually a case of poor spelling in their copywriting.
Need help getting your website copywriting in order? Get in touch and see how I can help. And I promise to remain fully clothed at all times.
