In this article we would like to reflect upon why proofreading of technical content is so important before publishing it in social media or on a company’s website. Proofreading is designed to eliminate typing errors, mistakes, and other deficiencies in the text that reduce its understanding. Accurate spelling, punctuation, grammar, style and language are essential for the reader, as they significantly affect the perception of the content.
Proofreading is the final stage in the process of writing or translating a text and involves editing in order to correct any spelling, punctuation or stylistic mistakes, and find lexical or semantic differences in both languages. Text translation must be carefully analyzed, taking into account the peculiarities of a foreign language and its linguistic nuances (idioms, self-expressions, and phrasal verbs). Information must be presented in a logical and clear sequence, with each idea or piece of information bridging the previous one. This is the only way to achieve the highest quality of translation, its accuracy, and ease of perception by the target audience in order to achieve certain business goals.
A specialist who writes content for his company in a foreign language must have a high level of comprehension of both his native and foreign languages. If you have prepared an article for publishing, the contents of your work must be checked by proofreaders. Even competent experienced copywriters need to be rechecked by professional editors, as for many reasons we tend not to notice our own mistakes. This is especially true if you write an article in a foreign language.
Proofreading of texts is essential in publication for a company’s website, advertising, and social media platforms since inadequate content may cause doubt about the professionalism of the copywriter or the resource. The text may have interesting content but it may not attract any interest due to various mistakes that you may not catch with your own eyes. That is why it is advisable to send articles for proofreading to a person who has experience in editing, or a person for whom a foreign language is native.
At Viaduct we seize every opportunity to ask our foreign partners to proofread our tech-related content. Though we have several professional copywriters with linguistic backgrounds, we still carefully check all written and translated publications. In our mind, the preparation of content is akin to the pre-flight preparation of an aircraft - a negligent attitude to this process is simply unacceptable. By proofreading, you ensure both your reputation as a copywriter, and the reputation of your company, by delivering credible and engaging content to your audience.
