Identify what people are looking for. Ask yourself if you can provide solutions to their needs. If they are looking for free know-how, can you quench their thirst for knowledge? Align this need with your capability.

Build your site

Buy yourself a domain name and web hosting to host your site/blog. This is your real estate online. This is your domain. Design your site to appeal to your potential customers. Or, simply start with a clean theme and build on it.

Build your community/fan/loyal subscribers

Value your community. They are your business. Ask them for directions when you falter. Never shy from admitting mistakes – you will make a few, too. Be genuine and caring. Provide value to your loyal customers.

Build your brand

Be unique. Differentiate your site design, content/products and your personality. Shout out your USP for all who care to listen. Spread your message everywhere (eg. Blogs, forums, twitter, etc).

Sell your goods

Remember to sell your goods. That’s the reason you are in business in the first place.

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No?  I thought so too!

Don’t worry we are on the same boat.  Every blogger, big or small struggles with typos, mixing homophones and write with less than perfect grammar.  Unfortunately, most of us fail to find these little errors and mistakes like the proverbial needle in a haystack.

As a proofreader in the company I work for, I used to struggle with proofreading and editing initially.  This doesn’t mean that now my copy is foolproof and without any grammatical errors.  No, it simply means that I now have founds ways to work around my weaknesses and can produce foolproof copies.

Looking back I now see at least four reasons why I used to overlook certain grammatical and syntax errors.

I was impatient to finish my work.  I used to rush through copies.  Instead of reading each and every word in a sentence, for example, I tend to scan the sentence to see if it makes sense.  If it does, it was good to go. I realized I developed this minor yet sinful habit from reading too many novels and books.  When reading novels one usually runs through sentences and paragraphs because you want to get to the next scene and quickly know the outcome of the plot.

Believe it or not, homophones (similar sounding words) like advice and advise, affect and effect etc are not so easy to detect in a copy.  Especially, when you don’t expect them.  They do not stand out in the crowd, so to speak.

Similarly, typos of regular words are like a needle in a haystack.  You don’t expect these kinds of errors, first of all.  Secondly, they are not so obvious and one tends to overlook them.

Sometimes the grammar skills of some writers are simply lacking. What they want to convey to the reader is not so obvious sometimes as they struggle how to put into words what they mean.  Some copies are so badly written it would be wise to re-write everything from scratch.

7 Ways to proofread and edit copies for foolproof results

1. Read aloud: This is the best way to notice any error, mistake or grammatically ill-fitting words.  If it doesn’t sound right, it’s wise to change it.  Reading encourages you not to skip even a single word of the copy.  Read slowly.  Try and make sense of every sentence or phrase, and every single punctuation.  By reading, the cohesiveness of the copy will also be tested.
2. Take a printout and read: If you have a printer just print out the copy and read it. Go away from your computer and read it somewhere else.  A change of place as well as the medium will give you a fresh perspective.  Reading from the computer screen is not always the most effective way to proofread and edit copies.
3. Take a break: You need breaks.  Your eyes need breaks.  It’s no coincidence that nearer the end of the day one becomes sloppy.  Go out and get a breather.  Take a 5-minute break and come back with fresh mind and refreshed eyes.  Have a look at your copy or writing, you might even have a second opinion about it!
4. Give yourself sufficient time: Rushing to finish a blog post or any kind of writing is bound to have some errors or mistakes.  If possible leave your writing for a day untouched and then proofread the next day.
5. Run the spell checker: Once you are done reading your copy run the spell checker that comes with your word processor.   Running the spell checker will highlight obvious typos, too-long sentences and give suggestions to improve your copy.  It will also check the grammar.  Don’t rely on the spell checker alone.
6. Get someone to proofread and edit: This is in fact practiced in an industry like transcription.  A transcriber types out the dictation which is then proofread and edited by a proofreader.  What is not so obvious to one may be sounding the alarm bell in another.
7. Improve your grammar: This is really the crux of the matter.  Simply improving your grammar will improve your writing which needs less editing and proofreading.  Thereby resulting in lesser errors in the final text.

Finally, don’t worry too much about imperfect copy and blog post.  Write with a passion and mission, then all else is forgiven.  Your errors and mistakes prove you’re only human.

Is perfection in blog post even necessary?  How do you proofread your writings?  Please share your tips for all to improve.

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1. How to Become a Transcriptionist – The Ultimate Guide
2. 6 Reasons Why Bloggers Need Perfect Grammar for Success
3. Passionate Living: A Simple Guide to Doing What You Love

First Step: Killer Articles (1 hour per day)

Second Step: Networking (30 minutes per day)

Third Step: Promotion (30 minutes per day)

Fourth Step: Normal Posts (30 minutes per day)

Daniel made his case so simple and yet so true. I’ll definitely take this as a guide and improve my blogging.

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60% of Daily Blog Tips readers say they need a business partner for success.

However in the post Daniel went on to express his reservations as to why it may not be that clear cut for every blogger.

Bloggers are concerned about:

• losing control of their blogs/venture
• sharing the profits

And these above points are why exactly every blogger out there needs a sexy sleeping partner instead.

A sleeping partner as in a virtual assistant who work with you and for you, but do not share your profits or poke their nose into your business.

A virtual assistant like a transcriptionist do all the work that needs done for you WITHOUT profit-sharing! Ain’t that sexy!

Have you got a sleeping partner yet? Contact me now, its a date!

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