How to Compete With the LOL, OMG and Other Internet Shortcuts

The internet has been in general use for about 15 years. In that time, it's grown from an information superhighway to a cyberspace imaginarium for all kinds of thoughts, products, services and information. One of the biggest areas of the internet is communication. With the advent of micro-blogging sites such as Twitter, one has to be concise and get to the point fast.

In the western world, where people predominantly speak and read English, the internet is no exception. Write an article in perfect English and people will understand it. However, the internet has evolved a language all of its own. Abbreviations are the new king of language, and initialised words such as LOL (laugh out loud) have suddenly become the norm. A prime example is a popular website involving photos of cute kittens in different situations with captions.

But, do people still respond to longhand English?

In short, yes they do. A professional copywriter, even when writing for a teenage audience, will strive to uphold the nuances of English. Put simply, we still speak English and it is still taught in our schools. The benefits of having copy written in plain English are:

- your business looks professional. People will be turned off if they see improper spelling or grammar, even if that's how they speak or write.
- you are understood. Although LOL, ROFL etc are widely used, there are people who don't know what they mean. Usually these are older folk or people who use the internet for other purposes.
- Meanings are universally understood. With words like "lose" and "loose", although many people think these are interchangeable, when the word is written in an article or sales letter, the meaning is always clear and universally understood.
- you are treating your customers/clients as intelligent beings, not illiterate twits.

I believe that subconsciously, people do know the proper spelling and grammatical ways that things should be written, even if they themselves do not follow the rules. Many are simply lazy or ignorant. Any copy you approve for your business should not make this mistake. There is no need to dumb down to your audience.

If you've written your own copy but am unsure on the spelling or grammar, have it checked by a professional copywriter or proofreader. Remember: when in doubt- check it out!

Renee Bugden is a copywriter with experience in writing for health publications, pet magazines and small businesses of every type. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

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