I understand to some degree writing style will depend on blog content. I do find myself constantly fighting my want to use contractions. My elementary school teacher’s voices keep screaming in my head, do not use contractions when writing!

As a general rule write how people read; or write how it is supposed to be written. I try to take the “high road” and write properly. I recall reading on some blogs that one should leave in small spelling errors here or there as they make you appear more human. I personally find it meaning that people in general are too lazy to use spell check? Not to say that I have not had a spelling error or two show up in my work from time to time but I sure as heck fix it when I find them.

What are your thoughts everyone?

@glengorham Great question. I do think that bloggers should attempt to write as professionally as they can and that means good writing style, proper English, attention to spelling, etc.

Having a good dictionary, thesaurus and utilizing a style manual for questions that come up are also key.

Much to my chagrin (!), I have found typos or outright spelling errors in a post after I’ve published it and fortunately have been able to go in and fix it or ask the editor of the blog for whom I’ve written to fix it. But, I’d really prefer for that not to happen

I think it depends on who your audience is.  If you are writing for corporate lawyers a formal non contraction style would be more appropriate.  If you are trying to build a community with personal, non business feel writing in a conversational tone may help you connect with your audience. 
As for typos, everyone can make a mistake.  But they should be fixed when pointed out.

Hi @glengorham

I agree with everyone above. Having a typo or grammar mistake is not a good thing and should be fixed as soon as possible.

Style depends on audience in my opinion. Some prefer very grammatical syntax, and others prefer more casual with contractions.

I was trained in college and graduate school for both. On my blog, I try to write to the level of a high school student. But that doesn’t mean I can be sloppy.

Do I miss things sometimes? Yes, of course. But I try to re-read every article a couple of times so I catch it. But once in a while, it slips right by.

Great post!!!!

Always write properly.

That doesn’t mean cover the text in jargon – just make sure spelling and grammar is inline. I like to reread the elements of style to review grammar techniques on a yearly basis.

Here’s Seth Godin on the six rules of business writing.

Here’s Stephen King on writing well.

Everything else is just unprofessional.

I think in blogs you are free to be more relaxed and not forced to be APA style writing (LOL).  I do agree with grammar and spell checking of course, proof reading…but overall I think you are free to be more conversational than formal, still professional, and are free to show your personality as well

Heather

As an English PhD I may be a bit biased, but not elitist. You need to write in your own voice. Let your personality shine through. Use lots of specific examples to support general comments. Tell anecdotal stories as illustrations of your points. Clean up the grammar when you proof. That should be the last thing you worry about. The first should be focus/point/thesis, if you will. Don’t waste people’s time rambling. Make a point “that doesn’t suck,” as my friend Jim Rome is wont to say. Be concise, precise, and lively. Don’t bore us and don’t belabor. Get in and get out. 

Marc

I write like I speak more often than not.  I try not to make glaring grammar or spelling errors and even correct them afterwards if I find them.

I don’t write according to the OED, since I am just not that careful.

This really depends though;  if you’re catering to a highly academic audience such as English professors, you might want to be a little more formal with your writing style.  If you’re catering to a bunch of coffee geeks, you can probably get away with a few contractions, and “hey dudes” and not get into too much trouble with your audience.

-Daryll

spelling mistakes and punctuations are a no no.

but i do believe a blog should be written as you would talk.  if you use slang a lot, then type it.  if you swear a lot, swear on your blog.

call it whatever you like, but if you’re not yourself on your blog, you’re kidding yourself.

i do understand that most people do this from a business perspective but there are ways to still write how your talk in your articles.

I don’t mind straightforward casual. Contractions are natural to our culture and not distracting. Once upon a time, people rarely used contractions even when speaking. Not so today! 

It helps to remember that everyone has a lot to read and work to attend to. When writing becomes so casual that it adds to the burden, I move on. I don’t want to be impressed with cleverness; I just want to know what you think.

Anyone who promotes typos and mistakes for any reason is nuts.

We must be somewhat tolerant of typos in this field as it is so easy to press a publish button by mistake. When publishing current material daily, there is less time for the traditional gauntlet of editors. All the more reason for greater individual vigilance.

I agree with most that a casual style is quite acceptable.  Just make sure you edit carefully for obvious errors.

@marketmy yepp, it’s the audience. The audience has to be able to understand what you are saying. When I was in the military I had to write a monthly report for a Battalion Commanding Office. That report was dramatically different from the report that the troops saw, even though it was the same big ideas.
If I am writing about security changes at Facebook for people that run the FB data centers and you are writing for high school kids that use FB – yeah, the lingo will be different.

Having spent several years in academia, I am sick to death of formal, non-contraction, big-word writing. I prefer to write like people speak. They speak in contractions. They use short words and short sentences. They use slang and idioms.

I have also found that when I write this way, I can win more readers and more web traffic than the people whose writing sounds as stiff as a board. Even when I’m writing to more formal audiences, or more formal outlets, I can still use the journalistic, short-words-short-sentences style, and get my point across.

I even had a t-shirt made that I wear when I speak to groups about writing: “eschew convoluted phraseology.”