8 Grammar Rules You Can Ignore in Your Marketing

“Hello, how are you?”

“I am well, how are you?”

“I am fine, thank you.”

Except for on shows like Downton Abbey, do you know anyone that really talks this way?  

Proper English and grammar have a place and a purpose, but rarely in marketing. Don’t get me wrong, if it weren’t for my English teachers showing me the importance of sentence structure, grammar, and the many vocabulary words, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today. 

A quote from Miles Davis describes it best “Play what you know, then play above that.” 

That’s the approach that copywriters have to take. We start with writing what we know: opening sentence, transition sentence, proper use of prepositions, etc. Then we bust out and realize that our English teachers aren’t reading or grading us anymore. And people don’t talk like that and won’t read that, either. Of all the grammar rules out there, there are 8 that tend to come up in discussions with other marketers and even when I’m going through edit cycles with my clients. Any of these ring a bell?

1. Double spacing is no longer a thing. If you try it the right programs (Google Docs for instance) it will just put a period in for you. This may warrant someone calling you a Boomer (aka you’re age is showing). 

2. The Oxford comma is important. It could save lives: I love cooking, my pets and kids OR I love cooking, my pets, and kids. Don’t be careless. 

3. One sentence CAN be a paragraph. In fact, it’s helpful to your audience. Think of it like a quick breath to get through the next paragraph.

4. Use conjunctions (and, but) at the beginning of a sentence. And prepositions (before, above) at the end. It’s natural - I bet you talk like that.

5. Use contractions - I’m, you’re, we’ve, etc. You’ll sound less robotic and, again, it’s how we talk. 

6. Fragments are OK. I’ll say it again - it’s how we talk. 

7. Use a passive voice to show emphasis:

1. Active- Operators are not all created equal.

2. Passive- Not all operators are created equal. 

8. Slang is a necessary evil. Just don’t overdo it. It’s great to relate with your audience but make sure you don’t sway too far from your brand voice. 

To quote General Douglas MacArthur, rules are made to be broken. Better yet, I’d say rules are foundational and should be built upon. Besides it’s better to have strong values and beliefs than rules because someone will always find a way around them, amirite? 

Here’s your permission to be a rebel when you write for your marketing and stop worrying about what your English teacher might think.