Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy?

briancassingena · 06-23-2011, 09:02 PM

With the internet as a worldwide media, obviously anyone can see most sales pages. Let's say you sell a product and your market is nearly any country - do you use US spelling or not?

MontelloMarketing · 06-23-2011, 09:47 PM

I wrote about this last year on my blog.

Wanna Make More Money Online? You Gotta Be American!

shayman · 06-24-2011, 02:52 AM

Hi. I tend to Americanize

I think that to most English speakers it's an acceptable way of spelling but I'd probably think that Americans might not always get the other way of spelling and if you lose just one sale for that reason then that would be one sale too many!

briancassingena · 06-24-2011, 03:43 AM

I do as well, just asking the question because here in Australia a lot of people seem to have a problem with US spelling, recently I recycled a report I initially wrote for the US market, rejigged it, and used it offline, got some whingers complaining about some of the spelling because I neglected to change it to british spelling. (At least they were reading it!)

Neil AM · 06-24-2011, 04:54 AM

I try to tailor the copy to whatever the main market is - and if it's in America, that means using American spellings.

At least, that's what I tell people. Sometimes I'm just trying to cover up the fact I can't spell.

nzmegs · 06-24-2011, 09:56 AM

I seem to be in a minority here. I stick to British spellings becuse that is what I have learned. I do Americanise when I am writing for Americans (of course, that makes sense), but i love the English language and in particular the way British, New Zealanders, Australians and so on speak and spell it. I find the American ways of spelling things just plain weird! PS this is coming from someone with a degree in American studies - so no prejudice!!

max5ty · 06-24-2011, 10:00 AM

No matter which method you prefer...

...the important thing is that you monetize - or is it monetise?

Tom Oxby · 06-24-2011, 10:36 AM

Since my main market is the US I write to that market. Here in Canada we are used to seeing American spellings.

Only exception is for my travel type sites I put distances in miles/km and temperatures in F/C as that is what visitors will see when they arrive.

BrianMcLeod · 06-24-2011, 10:44 AM

If you intend for big dumb Americans to open their big dumb wallets,
use big dumb American copy (spelling, colloquial language, etc).

max5ty · 06-24-2011, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianMcLeod

If you intend for big dumb Americans to open their big dumb wallets,
use big dumb American copy (spelling, colloquial language, etc).

LOL...you summed it up quite nicely.

06-23-2011, 09:02 PM	#1
briancassingena Copywriting Strategy War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Down Under Posts: 347 Thanks: 157 Thanked 96 Times in 50 Posts Social Networking	Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? With the internet as a worldwide media, obviously anyone can see most sales pages. Let's say you sell a product and your market is nearly any country - do you use US spelling or not?
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06-23-2011, 09:47 PM	#2
MontelloMarketing Godfather Of Persuasion War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles - Tampa - Raleigh Posts: 1,159 Thanks: 126 Thanked 382 Times in 185 Posts Social Networking	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? I wrote about this last year on my blog. Wanna Make More Money Online? You Gotta Be American!
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06-24-2011, 02:52 AM	#3
shayman Shayman War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: UK Posts: 141 Thanks: 25 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? Hi. I tend to Americanize I think that to most English speakers it's an acceptable way of spelling but I'd probably think that Americans might not always get the other way of spelling and if you lose just one sale for that reason then that would be one sale too many!
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06-24-2011, 03:43 AM	#4
briancassingena Copywriting Strategy War Room Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Down Under Posts: 347 Thanks: 157 Thanked 96 Times in 50 Posts Social Networking	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? I do as well, just asking the question because here in Australia a lot of people seem to have a problem with US spelling, recently I recycled a report I initially wrote for the US market, rejigged it, and used it offline, got some whingers complaining about some of the spelling because I neglected to change it to british spelling. (At least they were reading it!)
	Copywriting Secrets Of Million Dollar Marketers Revealed: With Bond & Kevin Halbert, Pete Godfrey, Mitch Carson, Trevor 'ToeCracker' Crook & More...Launching Soon-To get on the earlybird VIP Pre-Notification list and get $884 in FREE gifts CLICK HERE

06-24-2011, 04:54 AM	#5
Neil AM Penwright Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: London Posts: 35 Thanks: 7 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? I try to tailor the copy to whatever the main market is - and if it's in America, that means using American spellings. At least, that's what I tell people. Sometimes I'm just trying to cover up the fact I can't spell.
	Resident wordsmith at www.digiresults.com. Life's too short to drink bad wine.

06-24-2011, 09:56 AM	#6
nzmegs Warrior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: UK Posts: 10 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? I seem to be in a minority here. I stick to British spellings becuse that is what I have learned. I do Americanise when I am writing for Americans (of course, that makes sense), but i love the English language and in particular the way British, New Zealanders, Australians and so on speak and spell it. I find the American ways of spelling things just plain weird! PS this is coming from someone with a degree in American studies - so no prejudice!!
	Freelance Writing and Avoiding Employment http://blog.collinsquinlan.co.uk/

06-24-2011, 10:00 AM	#7
max5ty HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: USA Posts: 431 Thanks: 675 Thanked 352 Times in 140 Posts	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? No matter which method you prefer... ...the important thing is that you monetize - or is it monetise?

06-24-2011, 10:36 AM	#8
Tom Oxby Active Warrior Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 85 Thanks: 30 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? Since my main market is the US I write to that market. Here in Canada we are used to seeing American spellings. Only exception is for my travel type sites I put distances in miles/km and temperatures in F/C as that is what visitors will see when they arrive.

06-24-2011, 10:44 AM	#9
BrianMcLeod Fingers of Fury War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Miami, Florida, USA. Posts: 2,164 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 1,458 Thanked 1,643 Times in 693 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Do you Americanize or Americanise your copy? If you intend for big dumb Americans to open their big dumb wallets, use big dumb American copy (spelling, colloquial language, etc).
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