Voice & Tone

Because our key takeaway focuses on our welcoming community and inclusion, our voice, tone and words need to reflect that same spirit. Use the following guide to inform your writing and support our brand.

1. Use the second person: “You” and “your” rather than “they”, “the student” allows the copy to speak directly and warmly to the reader, illustrating our welcoming approach
2. Focus on the person, not the institution: Use phrases like “You’ll get the focused attention of your professors” instead of “Stan State professors focus on the student”. This makes the student part of a relationship instead of being acted upon by the institution.
3. Keep the content clear and direct:
   • Use conversational language (including contractions) to show that Stan State is approachable and welcoming. Avoid idiomatic or overly casual phrases that don’t reflect an academic institution (e.g. “Hey, did you know…?” or use of exclamation marks).
   • Use short, simple sentence and bullet points make copy easy to read and digest
   • Examples:

     Stan State is not:	Stan State IS:
     Students are required to develop professional presentations.	You’ll have the chance to develop professional presentations to better prepare for your future career.
     This class is designed to provide students with the skills they need to achieve their educational goals.	This class helps you develop the skills you need to achieve your goals.
     Financial aid is available to assist students with tuition.	You’ll get help identifying the financial options that will help you make school affordable.

4. Use an active and dynamic voice: Active sentence construction can evoke the passion and emotion that will connect to our students and reflect our Warrior spirit
   • Active word choice can also reflect our brand: strive, drive, powerful, Warrior spirit, pride, and other active words should be used throughout copy
5. Leverage narratives, not just facts: No one can tell our story better than students, alumni, employer partners and others in the Warrior community. Using these narratives in place of or to support marketing copy can help express who we are and the benefits of being part of our community. These narratives can also include relevant statistics or proof points.