3/16/2015 Texting Shortcuts ­ Working At Home With KSMussselman

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Texting Shortcuts

R U Using Them in Your Status Updates?As business owners, we need to maintain a certain level of professionalism in our writtencontent. And using texting shortcuts in our Facebook posts may not be the best way topresent yourself as a professional.

I follow several network marketing professionals online and one of my pet peeves is seeing aFacebook status update using shortcuts for words, especially on Facebook Fan pages orprofessional forums.

You know the old saying, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ This

3/16/2015 Texting Shortcuts ­ Working At Home With KSMussselman

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holds true even in the online world! Remember, when you’re putting yourself out there online,U dont want 2 seem unprofessional!

I’m a regular on a work from home forum and a while back, a forum moderator “scolded”some people who were posting in the forum looking for some typing and transcription work todo.

She reminded the new forum members that this was not a high school forum or Twitter, soshe would rather see people refrain from using texting shortcuts or any type of Internet lingoin their posts.

“Remember, business owners visit this forum looking for professionals to outsource theirwork to. So maintain your professionalism by checking your spelling, grammar, andpunctuation when you post.”

Here are a couple of reasons for not using texting shortcuts in anything other than your cellphone to text your friends:

1. You’re presenting yourself as an immature school kid if your posts and status updatesread something like this: HMU if U want more info. Glad 2 share w U. What R U doing2 promote ur business?

2. You present yourself as being lazy and taking too many shortcuts! I mean really, howdifficult is it to check your spelling and grammar before posting a status update?

3/16/2015 Texting Shortcuts ­ Working At Home With KSMussselman

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3. If you’re using Facebook or Google+ for business, keep your status updatesgrammatically correct, otherwise, your prospects might think you’re not very seriousabout your business, so why should they sign up with you?

I realize the English language is probably one of the most difficult languages to learn if yourEnglish is not your first language. I know; I used to tutor English to a native Greek­speakingstudent when I was in college.

But if you’re presenting yourself and your business to a primarily English­speakingcommunity, you may want to have a friend or colleague do some quick edits on your writtenmaterial before putting it out in the world for all to see.

It doesn’t take that long and it may make a difference in how successful you are in thebusiness world.