Sign Grammer

[click to enlarge]

Does it matter if the copy on your signs is grammatically correct? Of course! Regardless of whether you’re using a sign to attract customers or provide information, you certainly don’t want to turn off people by failing to take the time to properly craft your copy and then proofread it to ensure its correctness.

What should you be looking for as you review your sign verbiage? Most people immediately think, typos, and while those should be avoided at any cost, there are other things to be concerned about, including:

• Spelling errors. Be sure every word on your sign is spelled correctly.  
• Homophone mistakes. Remember that spell check won’t catch instances when you’ve used the wrong word—i.e., “are” instead of "our," "there" instead of "their," etc. -so you need to take special care to ensure you haven’t erred in that way.  
• Unclear messaging. If your sign is outlining a process, providing directions or describing the details of a sale, it’s especially important to make sure the copy is clear and not subject to different interpretations.  
• "Fancy" words. Simpler is always better when it comes to sign copy. Don’t use words that may not be present in many people’s vocabularies.

You don’t necessarily need to hire a professional writer to create copy for your signs—but that’s never a bad way to go. What you must absolutely do is ensure that plenty of people have reviewed your sign copy to ensure none of the issues noted above are present. You want your signs to be compelling and informative, not confusing or error-filled.  

www.sdsar.com

Sign Grammer