The Impact of Typos on Social Media Engagement and Algorithm Prioritization

As a writer, I’ve had my fair share of struggles with grammar and typos. It’s a problem that social media, especially Twitter, tends to notice quickly, even before understanding the context of your message.

My own typo troubles came to light when I published an unedited blog post that received 500 hits and 150,000 impressions in a single day. But then I realized something: if you want your message to reach a wider audience on social media, intentionally dropping a wrong word, missing a letter, or misspelling a word can do the trick. And that’s the key, isn’t it? It was really 10 years ago when the above happened to me. That is not good.

Typos can increase online impressions in a few ways:

1. Increased engagement: Typos and grammar often catch people’s attention, leading to more comments, shares, and discussions. This increased engagement can boost the visibility of your content[2].
2. Algorithm boost: Social media algorithms prioritize content with high engagement. If a typo generates more interactions, the platform may show it to more users.
3. Curiosity and humour: Typos can make content appear more human and relatable, sometimes even humorous. This can attract more views and shares.

However, while typos might temporarily boost impressions, they can also harm your credibility and professionalism. It’s essential to balance engagement with maintaining a polished image.

As tempting as it might be to use typos to boost your online engagement, it’s crucial to remember that they should never be a substitute for quality content and effective communication. Focus on creating valuable, well-written posts that resonate with your audience, and use typos sparingly and intentionally, if at all.

Patricia Kahill

Patricia Kahill is a multipotentialite Christian entrepreneur, Content Marketing Coach and founder of the Content Marketing agency, Kahill Insights that helps business owners create engaging and interactive content items for digital platforms with a focus on returning a desired outcome. Patricia was the producer of SlamDunk Basketball Talk a show on House of Talent online TV, a former fellow at Harvest Institute for leadership and now an assessor there, and an alumnus of the YELP class of 2017. A member of the BNI Integrity chapter and African Women Entrepreneur Cooperative. She is driven by passion and curiosity, been taking every opportunity that has been given to her with an ambition of stamping her footprint on the world.