6 Great Content Proofreading Services & Tools

Anna Olinger

March 1, 2016

Social media content has changed the way the world communicates. It dominates conversations and connection, and is a quick and easy way to share information. However, you don’t want to rush to publish posts before properly proofreading and editing. This final step of the creation process can make or break your social media’s outreach results.

Just because technology and the Internet move fast, does not mean writers can skip possibly the most important part of the creation process – editing and proofreading. This step should be given the proper amount of focus and time, and will greatly affect the impact your writing and social media content have.

It is easy, especially for professionals or everyday writers, to miss an incorrect spelling or repeated word. These are the small mistakes, however they are not always easy to locate and are often left uncorrected. This is why any successful online content writer understands the need to slow down at the end.

Take your time and make a go-to checklist. The more you start to focus on your mistakes, the less you will notice them. You will improve as you go and most likely increase your productivity. Most people make habitual mistakes when writing. These can be easily remedied with practice. Just like an athlete needs to train their muscles for top performance, a writer must train their brain and hone their skill to achieve ultimate success.

The awesome news is that technology is providing a plethora of tools and resources to help social media content creators. The following list includes some of the most reputable and helpful proofreading and editing tools available. Review each one to see which best suits your specific needs.

1. CorrectEnglish

This proofreading site offers a free 3-day trial, and has been rated the number one web-based writing tool. The unique source offers more than just a traditional grammar check; it covers mechanics, word choice, organization, structure and more. The site also offers online storage abilities as well as cross-lingual grammar services and support (Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese).

2. LanguageTool

This open-source proofreading tool supports over 20 languages and detects errors that many simple spell checks would miss. Writers can simply copy and paste their text directly on the site and receive instant highlighted areas of concern and suggestions for correction.

3. Grammark

This editing and proofreading tool is user-friendly and straightforward in its design. Writers can copy and paste or type directly on the site and will instantly receive a Grammark “grade”. The grade is based on things like use of passive voice, wordiness, sentences, transitions and grammar. And result reports are broken down for users into categories, your results (a percentage) and your goal (percentage). This helps writers to better understand their writing and to see where their reoccurring mistakes are located.

4. Plagtracker

You never want to click that publish button until you are positive the writing and content is original and unique. You chance ruining your reputation and career if you submit someone else’s work, or neglect to properly cite all research and references. It can be overwhelming to remember all of the rules and with so much information available online, it’s best to use Plagtracker’s quick, unique checking algorithm. Their scan will assure writers that their work is always 100% original.

5. Essay Capital

This writing service site is composed of professional writers whom all hold MA or PhD degrees. They specialize in a variety of areas and can help social media content writers with any editing or proofreading questions. Users are able to receive one-on-one advice and guidance, and they may also choose to access free features like outline guides, bibliographies, formatting and more.

6. NaturalReaders

This tool is extremely useful and provides a service most writers’ need. Reading a piece of writing out loud helps to maintain a natural flow and to pinpoint any mistakes along the way. Often when reading silently, writers will miss small misspellings or incorrect punctuation. Users can simply copy and paste (or type directly on the site), and they can choose their voice type and speed to have their writing read back to them by an automated voice.

Proofreading 101

Regardless of what the content is trying to communicate, a social media post needs to stay on topic. It is very easy to elaborate and it’s natural for a writer’s mind to wonder off in to new topic material. This is something online content writers should always work to avoid. Focus on this during the editing process and streamline the process by always beginning your writing with a structured outline.

The goal is to make the proofreading process a time to polish writing, not to re-write the entire article. Social media content writers need to remain flexible, however they must also be extremely organized. Online readers have short attention spans. In such a constantly connected world, people want information and they want it fast. Remember this as well during the editing process. You do not want to post a grammatically correct academic essay on a social media site. This will be way too long and full of information your readers never even see.

Understand that writing online is different than writing an assignment for English literature class. Know your target audience, pick interesting and intriguing topics they want to read about, and do not forget to include more than just writing. The best content includes images, videos, infographics, memes and more. Do not limit viewers to reading just text, this will limit your site’s outreach and hurt your overall social media results.

It takes more than one functioning part of a machine to create a successful social media post. It can be understandably overwhelming for many writers to remember it all with every new post. Create checklists and build editing methods that you’re your strengths and weaknesses. Forming better editing and proofreading practices will quickly boost your content and take it to the next level. So stay focused, motivated and persistent and use the tool listed above to start creating solid posts that you are proud of.

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