If you are dealing with a clients content, writing a blog post, press release or most general content, then I'm with you. Quality is key, relevant style guides adhered to, with editorial approval and then professionally proof read.
But for some channels such as a forum, elements of social media, and particularly for small and micro businesses, then personality out weighs sterile corporate style content. Human input that is deemed to be approachable, is more likely to generate engagement.
I think we can forgive minor indiscretions when it comes to grammar on forum posts, as long as a post is topical, and there is a point to it. That said, completely agree when a business turns out low grade churn or continual self promo across multiple forum and social media sites, and that will definitely have an impact on the public perception.”
We may be more in agreement than you think. Obviously, blog content requires a higher degree of care than forum posts, and I daresay mistakes creep into my own content occasionally, but the casual disregard for grammar that I see in the UK is extremely odd. Most CVs I've received in my time, from graduates, had at least one mistake in them.
While professionals, from accountants to business consultants, can be severely impacted if they come across as semi-literate, I accept that plumbers, car mechanics and baby-sitters may not be so judged on the quality of their written communication. I wouldn't judge them harshly either.
I come from a country where English isn't the first language. I am deeply grateful when people help me improve my English. It's very surprising when local speakers shrug off mistakes, laugh about not being bothered to correct them and insist they'll continue making the same mistakes in future.
It's not just about customers' perceptions of you - SEs, too, are influenced by quality of text. And they can associate your posts with your site (especially if you have a signature lnk).
