Marketing Tips

G'day! It's ya mate Markskrill here, ready to dish out some digital marketing wisdom with a side of Aussie slang. Today's topic? The wild world of grammar and punctuation! Buckle up, 'cause this ride's gonna be wilder than a brumby on a hot tin roof.

Now, before you go chuckin' a wobbly and thinkin' this is gonna be as boring as bat droppings, let me tell ya, good grammar and punctuation are more important than a cold tinnie on a scorcher. They're the secret sauce to makin' your online presence shine brighter than a supernova.

Why's grammar so important, anyway?

Think of your website and social media as your online digs, right? You wouldn't want your digs lookin' like a drop bear's nest, would ya? Nah, you want 'em lookin' flash, like a million bucks. That's where good grammar comes in. It's like givin' your online presence a good lick of paint and a bit of a tidy up.

Beware of these grammar gremlins

Even the most seasoned wordsmiths can trip over a misplaced comma or a rogue apostrophe. So, let's have a Captain Cook at some common grammar gremlins that love to cause mischief:

Subject-verb agreement:

This one's a ripper. Your verb and its subject gotta be matchin', like a pair of boardies and a singlet. "I am" is the way to go, "I is" is a deadset howler.

Pronoun problems:

Pronouns gotta match their antecedents too. "The dog wagged its tail" is spot on, not "The dog wagged her tail" unless you've got a very special dog, that is.

Dangling modifiers:

These little tackers can really make a mess of things. "Walking down the street, the tree caught my attention" makes it sound like the tree's the one doin' the walkin'! Instead, say "While I was walking down the street, the tree caught my attention."

Comma conundrums:

Ah, the comma. A bit of a tricky one, this. Use 'em to separate things in a list, after those intro bits, and to set off clauses that aren't essential to the sentence.

Apostrophe antics:

Apostrophes show possession or contractions. "The dog's bone" means the bone belongs to the dog. "It's a beautiful day" is just a short way of sayin' "It is."

Punctuation: The unsung hero

Punctuation marks are like the traffic lights of the written word, keepin' your readers from crashin' and burnin'.

Period (full stop):

Chuck one of these at the end of your sentences and abbreviations. No worries.

Comma (,):

We've already had a yarn about this one, but it's important! Lists, introductory phrases, nonessential clauses – commas are your best mate.

Semicolon (;):

This fella separates closely related independent clauses.

Colon (:):

Use this to introduce lists, explanations, or quotes.

Question mark (?):

Got a question? Stick this on the end.

Exclamation mark (!):

Don't go overboard with this one. Save it for when you really want to make a point.

Capitalization: The rules of the game

Knowing when to use capitals is another important part of the grammar game. Here's the lowdown:

Proper nouns:

Always capitalize names of people, places, and organizations.

Titles:

Capitalize the first and last words of titles, and any other important words in between.

Sentences:

Always start with a capital, ya drongo!

Abbreviations:

If the full word is capitalized, so is the abbreviation.

Aussie slang: Learn the lingo

Aussie slang is a whole different kettle of fish. Here are a few ripper terms to get you started:

• G'day: Hello!
• Mate: Friend, cobber, sport.
• Barbie: Short for barbecue, the best way to cook a snag.
• Arvo: Afternoon, the perfect time for a barbie.
• Strewth: An exclamation of surprise, like "Holy dooley!"
  

Keep those keyboards clickin'!

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, mate. The more you write, the better you'll get. Just remember to keep it fun and keep it Aussie!

That's all from me for now, folks! Catch ya later!