American vs Canadian Grammar

[Sebastion]

Is the entire North American direct sales copy market governed by American grammar?

Comma use in sentence structure mainly following quotations, etc.

[Tom Oxby]

Depends who you are targeting with your sites. For example if targeting the US I use "color", with my Canadian sites I use "colour".

[MontelloMarketing]

If even a part of your market is american, use american english... american spellings... american phrases.

Reason is simple: Americans really care about such things and will be turned off by what they consider to be "foreign..." or even just "wrong." And... the rest of the world doesn't give a rat's ass how its spelled.

You use American english and almost no one is turned off.

[DaveLloyd]

Originally Posted by MontelloMarketing

If even a part of your market is american, use american english... american spellings... american phrases.

Reason is simple: Americans really care about such things and will be turned off by what they consider to be "foreign..." or even just "wrong." And... the rest of the world doesn't give a rat's ass how its spelled.

You use American english and almost no one is turned off.

Except of course the English!

Dave

[Harrisonamy]

This might help - I use this when writing for US / Canadian clients: British, Canadian and American Spelling

[kangen]

Well i prefer American grammar, it is used worldwide so it is more convenient then the canadian grammar, what say all ??

[Oxbloom]

Originally Posted by MontelloMarketing

Reason is simple: Americans really care about such things and will be turned off by what they consider to be "foreign..." or even just "wrong." And... the rest of the world doesn't give a rat's ass how its spelled.

This has been my experience as well.

I'll only add that the line gets even blurrier and less important the more informal your voice gets. Try to be high-fallutin', and you get held to a high standard...even by people who wouldn't know a high standard if it bit them in the Fowler's.

Let it rip like you're talking to a friend, and most people will treat your grammar/usage idiosyncrasies a little more kindly.

[Ross James]

My theory on breaking objections with different styles of writing or anything super-critical, (and keep in mind I've really yet begin to use this, so take it with a grain of salt); is by opening a loop in a compelling story, leave it open and quickly switch to a different one (story).

What I've read happens is the mind doesn't like to loose ends to a story so it goes into whats called TDS (trance-derivational search) and as it's trying to close the story it's getting another open loop (story).

At this point your confusing the sh!t out of the person bypassing their critical state and they tend to move toward your copy/story thus holding their attention longer, moving them further down the letter.

I've really yet to be successful with it but it's one way to overcome the colloquial usage of grammar in different regions of the world.

Hope that helps Sebastion, I'm on skype if you want to talk more about it.

Ross

P.S. All of the credit of this post goes to Milton Erickson.

[MontelloMarketing]

Nope... Including of course the english. They're used to it. They chalk it up to yet another thing that the US has fully permeated and "ruined." But they don't care.

Originally Posted by DaveLloyd

Except of course the English!

Dave

[Pusateri]

Originally Posted by Ross James

My theory on breaking objections with different styles of writing or anything super-critical, (and keep in mind I've really yet begin to use this, so take it with a grain of salt); is by opening a loop in a compelling story, leave it open and quickly switch to a different one (story).

What I've read happens is the mind doesn't like to loose ends to a story so it goes into whats called TDS (trance-derivational search) and as it's trying to close the story it's getting another open loop (story).

I don't know that there is any kind of trance occurring. You have simply violated the reader's expectations, which heightens interest. When interest is heightened in something, the brain is not paying attention to other things, especially minor grammatical differences.

Here's a good demonstration. See if you can get it right with all the distractions going on.

YouTube - Test Your Awareness: Do The Test

[Ross James]

Hey Mark,

You're right, some people may or may not be in a trance when they read, that's if anything the byproduct. I am a great subject of trance, if I turn on the TV, usually i'll lose interest and go right to sleep, not only because I think TV sucks, It's just that it puts me in a trance, personally. I also forgot to add, if you don't close the loop you will create cognitive dissonance in the reader, so don't forget to close them.

Best,
Ross

[Rezbi]

Originally Posted by MontelloMarketing

Nope... Including of course the english. They're used to it. They chalk it up to yet another thing that the US has fully permeated and "ruined." But they don't care.

Too right, mate.

Like everyfing else, they've gone and broke what ain't broke.

[Fibonacci]

Hello,

This is my first post in this forum, so I most certainly have to consider myself as a "newbie" (even though I have a strong dislike for the word). I maybe should have taken a little more time to read through various threads before registering and posting, but this one here made me think that it could quite probably be just a waste of time for me.

What made me register and post was the notion that Americans are very picky about the language. As they make up an overwhelming majority of the online marketing target, it wouldn't be very wise to make any campaign if 80 % of those who in normal circumstances would convert into customers, turn you down simply because of a misspelled word or an absent comma.

As for me, such things are very likely to happen because I'm not a native English speaker. What do you think, would it be sensible for me to abandon the idea of affiliate marketing altogether?

[Ross James]

Originally Posted by Fibonacci

Hello,

This is my first post in this forum, so I most certainly have to consider myself as a "newbie" (even though I have a strong dislike for the word). I maybe should have taken a little more time to read through various threads before registering and posting, but this one here made me think that it could quite probably be just a waste of time for me.

What made me register and post was the notion that Americans are very picky about the language. As they make up an overwhelming majority of the online marketing target, it wouldn't be very wise to make any campaign if 80 % of those who in normal circumstances would convert into customers, turn you down simply because of a misspelled word or an absent comma.

As for me, such things are very likely to happen because I'm not a native English speaker. What do you think, would it be sensible for me to abandon the idea of affiliate marketing altogether?

..."what ever the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve"... with your thinking, your likely not going to be successful at it. So get it out of your head right now if you plan on selling... Anything

Also, consider an offer where the writing is incongruent with the readers expectations, but the offer is irresistible. i.e Selling dollars at a discount. Now take a smiliar offer, with a more congruent writing style to the readers, yet I would be selling the same dollars for three times as much money as the previous offer...which offer do you think would do better?

Hope that helps,

Ross

[Fibonacci]

Yes, I can see your point. Moreover, taking into the account our current situation of the world economy, the time when dollar bills will indeed be sold for a price like 1 yuan a kilogram (2-3 yuans in your case maybe ;-) ) could not be too far off. Maybe it’s now already the time to start learning Chinese… Anyone has any information of how the Chinese treat foreigners who speak (and write) Mandarin not so well?

[Nicholas Spear]

As long as you use well good English and replace your S's with Z's and incorrectly spell any word that has 'our' (americanize 'or') in it - your will be fine

e,g License = American Licence = English
Color = American Colour = English

I don't think its as important an issue as is being put on it here - most people won't notice a subtle difference as above as our brain really only sees the first and last letters when we are skimming and we fill in the word as we go down - logic for a sentence plays a huge part in this. We read what we expect a lot of the time.

[Alan Petersen]

Originally Posted by Rezbi

Too right, mate.

Like everyfing else, they've gone and broke what ain't broke.

Just fixing "everyfing" you all have done wrong.

[Norma Rickman]

As a Canadian who lived and worked in the U.S. as well, I can honestly say that most Canadians are not offended by seeing U.S. grammar and spelling, especially in a marketing piece.

In fact, we are quite used to seeing it; it isn't a big deal at all.

Now if you are targeting a distinctly Canadian product, that would have little to no appeal in the U.S., then by all means use Canadian grammar and syntax, eh?

What's the old saying, "When in Rome...." I think that fits well here.

[azsno]

You think there's a difference, eh???

[gforces]

It's the little things that make the big difference... definitely "When in Rome...". Great comment Norma

[Bill Jeffels]

Originally Posted by Norma Rickman

Now if you are targeting a distinctly Canadian product, that would have little to no appeal in the U.S., then by all means use Canadian grammar and syntax, eh?

I'd have to agree with you.


Bill



.

[AzDT83]

You know, I'm an accredited editor and used to get really hung up on making sure all the grammar and spelling in everything that ever went out was perfect.

I'd spend hours dotting Is and crossing Ts... and really work myself into a frenzy if someone dared use a comma out of turn. Or worse, split an infinitive. Or start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.

But since I got into copywriting, I've come to believe that as long as you're putting your message across in the most effective way possible - in a way that speaks powerfully to your prospect - they don't give a damn what kind of grammar you use or if you misspell a word.

As long as you do whatever you're doing consistently - so you don't use 'realise', 'realize' or 'realyze' in the same letter, i.e. you're not jolting their brain every time you change it up - I don't think it would make a huge difference.

Any prospect that is so put off by a grammar faux pas that they simply refuse to read any further probably wasn't going to buy in the first place.

[Tom Oxby]

Yes, American-English should be used.

Exception: I have sites in the travel niches and record all distance in miles (and kilometers) and temperatures in degrees C & F. Important if visiting other destinations as a visitor.