As an avid reader and a professional proofreader / editor, the thing
that bothers me the most, even more than spelling errors,
is the wrong usage OF a word.

Here are the three I have to correct for clients the most often
and wish were corrected on other web sites, blogs and in books, etc.

The most common one I see is mixing up your and you’re.

As I tell my clients and others I converse with, YOUR is possessive; it belongs to YOU. YOU’RE is a contraction for YOU ARE.

If in doubt, don’t use a contraction – if you are meaning you’re but use your,
people might at least think you just forgot the “e”.

The next one is mixing up they’re and their and there.

If you are shortening up THEY ARE, use THEY’RE.

If you are talking about a place, it is THERE.

If you are talking about something that belongs to THEM, use THEIR.

Frankly, the one that bugs ME the most is using THEY for one person!

It is a very common error and I see it more than anything.
If you are writing about SOMEONE or SOMEBODY, use he or she or at least the general HE.
Do NOT ever use THEM when talking about someone or somebody.

In summation, if YOU’RE not sure about YOUR word usage, have a proofreader / editor check
for you. Spellcheck is great but does not catch these errors.

If several writers are putting THEIR heads together and THEY’RE all getting together at that desk over THERE, THEY will be brainstorming with each giving his or her opinion and input.

Again, if you are in doubt, run your gems of wisdom past a proofreader.

Jan Tallent is a Virtual Assistant who LOVES to do editing and proofreading .

Why not Schedule a Project now?

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Guest Post by Donna Toothaker

So you have an exciting new product or service . You’ve surveyed your target market and you know it’s something they want and need. So, you hire a copywriter to create a great sales page for it and then you expect quick sales (and lots of them!). Yet – no one is buying. You announce it to your list. You add it to your ezine and website . Still… no one is buying. What is going on?

There could be many reasons, but chances are your product isn’t being promoted enough
or consistently

Here is a list of ways to promote your new offering online.

Website and Blog : These are the most obvious. Your target market is visiting your website and blog, so, of course, you’ll want to be sure to highlight it on your home page as something new, and in a way that will catch the reader’s eye.

Ezine : Another “given,” but including your new offering in each ezine as a “recommended product” or service will give folks several chances to view the offering. I also suggest doing a solo promotion as an official “product launch”.

Tweets and Posts : If you’re not sure what this means, then it’s time you get a lesson in social media . You should be tweeting about your new product regularly (as much as 3 times/day) on twitter and posting regularly on Facebook.

Now – know this will only work if you are also including valuable information/communication in your tweets and posts. Solely announcing something you’re selling will seem “spammy,” and only turn people off.

Affiliates : Give a great commission, and have your affiliates sell your offering for you.
Make sure you are giving them plenty of sample emails, tweets, blog posts and graphics
for their marketing materials, and offer sales tips and suggestions — don’t expect or ask them to come up with materials and a sales pitch on their own.

Article Writing and Submission : Write articles relating to your new offering that would appeal to your target market, and submit them to online directories, such as EzineArticles.com. Include an appropriate bio with a call to action that takes readers
directly to your sales page.

Free teleseminar: It’s important to leave no question unanswered, especially for a higher-priced offering. Host a free teleseminar (or several) that will give people a chance to call in to ask questions about your product/service.

Joint Venture: Perhaps a colleague has a non-competing product, but a similar target market. Figure out a way to offer something together that will promote each other’s product at the same time, and to each other’s lists.

Remember that it takes anywhere from five to nine times for someone to look at something before they’ll become buyers. So, promoting in as many ways as are available to you, and consistently, is the key.

Good luck!

Donna Toothaker is CEO, founder and coach of Step It Up VA Coaching.

These highly sought-after VA coaching programs have been created
for established, successful VAs who wish to create the 6-figure
business of their dreams. Visit to receive the free report,
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I have added a brand new Social Networking package
with two different options for those who want to break
INTO this very necessary stage of their businesses or
for those who have but find the maintenance part
to be too time consuming.

AND, I got the idea FROM Donna! Thanks, Donna!