help Archives - Tanya Brody

Why Your Company Needs a Style Guide

June 2, 2016 by Tanya Brody Leave a Comment

I firmly believe that every company, regardless of size, should have a style guide. This may sound like an extra layer of work that small businesses really don’t need to deal with at “this stage,” but I disagree.

It’s better to establish a style guide now, while you’re creating your voice and brand. If you wait until you’re well-known, you’ll have so many different practices in place, it might be hard to agree on a set of guidelines that everyone can follow.

So the first question you may have is…

What is a Style Guide?

A style guide is a document that sets the writing standards for everyone in your organization. It covers everything from the tone and voice of the company’s writing style to formatting and hex codes for the company’s chosen brand colors.

Please note: There is a difference between a content style guide and a design style guide. A content style guide refers specifically to anything written to promote the company. A design style guide refers to logos, brand color pallets, typography, icon sets, etc.

There are places that content and design style guides intersect, like pallet colors, formatting and whether your company uses a ™or ® in its logo or next to the company’s name in all marketing collateral.

Because I am a copywriter, I am talking about a content style guide in this article.

What Does a Style Guide Do?

A style guide acts as a reference point. New writers should review it and everyone should have a copy or a link handy. That way if they can’t remember whether the company uses the Oxford comma, they have somewhere to look.

A style guide also:

Keeps your company’s tone, voice and messaging consistent across all platforms.
Helps maintain your company’s brand identity.
Shows quality and professionalism.
Helps you write more effective content.

Why Do You Need a Style Guide?

Aside from the reasons above…

It puts your audience first

Let’s face it, everything you do in your marketing should be about communicating effectively with your audience. That includes your style guide. You should be shaping your style guide around what your audience wants from you and your products, as well as the problems you’re solving for them.

Your style guide will document the language and tone you use, your overall messaging and how and where you communicate with your audience.

It establishes your company’s voice

Every writer has their own “voice” and that will come across in your marketing. But having a style guide will give all of your writers a common voice to write in. Think of a choir. Every singer has his or her own unique sound, but when they sing together and listen to each other, you hear one overarching “voice” that carries through the whole piece.

Your audience will get used to hearing your company’s “voice” so you want to establish that early on. It will breed familiarity with your audience and consistency within your marketing.

It makes it easier on you and your employees

If everyone is held to the same standards, there will be less conflict over which way something should be written or whose concept of the “company voice” is right. It’s easy to update if company standards change.

It also acts as the “source of truth” whenever anyone has a question about how something should be written, or asks “why do we do it that way?” A good style guide can settle a lot of arguments.

Your writers will thank you. Your editors will thank you. Your entire marketing department will thank you. And most importantly, your audience will appreciate it, even though they don’t know it exists.

What Goes into a Style Guide?

Some of that will depend on your needs. I’ve seen style guides that are one page long and give basic guidelines. I’ve seen others, like MailChimp’s style guide, which is a mini-website. (Check it out, it’s really well done.)

Every style guide should contain:

Your chosen style manual

Most major media outlets use either the Chicago Manual of Style or the AP Stylebook. (There are arguments on which is better, I won’t go into any of that here.) Many companies adopt one of these style manuals as the basis for their own style guides. It gives them something to start with in terms of grammar and spelling. You can get an online subscription to both of these.

Your chosen dictionary

Why should you choose a dictionary? Because people have preferences. If you prefer the Merriam-Webster but one of your writers prefers the Oxford English Dictionary, you may have inconsistencies in your spelling. So choose one and make that the permanent reference point.

Voice and tone

I always ask my clients about their company voice. It helps me get a better feel for how they want to be represented. Here are some of the questions I typically ask:

Is your company:

Formal
Informal
Laid back,
Down-to-earth
Funny and cute
Matter-of-fact
Practical
Business like

Do you have a particular person you want to sound like? (Your CEO, a celebrity, a politician?)

Do you want me to write in:

The first person (I, me, I’m)?
The second person (you, yours)?
The third person (the company is, the company does)?

Would you prefer I write in an active or a passive voice? (Personally, I find this matters a lot in how your audience perceives you. I always prefer active, but I’ve written for companies that use the passive.)

Does your company use a lot of jargon? If so, does your audience understand that jargon or will I need to clarify it?

Thinking about these things can unify your writers into one company voice pretty easily.

Company branding

This section will deal with things specific to your company like:

How do you spell your company’s name? A lot of companies are combining two words into one these days, so this matters more than you’d think. MailChimp, FindLaw and SunEdison are all good examples.

Product names and how to spell them: Similar to company names, a lot of products have two words combined into one. Some companies use unique or clever spellings of common words for their product names.

Trademarks, Registered marks and Copyright marks: If your company or product names have been registered, you’ll want to use the ®. If they’ve been trademarked, you’ll want to use the ™ and so on. Also, some companies require that you use these symbols with every single use of the company or product name. Some only use it once per page. Establish that in your style guide so no one is confused.

Commonly troublesome words

This is where you decide whether you want to use Ebook, eBook, ebook or e-book. Do you capitalize Internet or not? (Editor’s note: Since I published this post, the AP Stylebook has changed its practice of capitalizing Internet from upper case to lower case.) Is it ecommerce or e-commerce? Go through all of the terms you use regularly and settle on one spelling.

This is also where you establish your company’s jargon. Some industries have more than one term for the same item or issue. Choose one and stick with it. Everyone will be happier.

Grammar and punctuation

To Oxford comma or not to Oxford comma? That is the question. If you choose a media style guide, this may be answered for you. If you don’t, you’ll need to answer this question.

What do you capitalize? Product names? Employee titles? Do Your Headlines Use Capitals At The Start Of Each Word? Or do You Only Capitalize the Standard Words?

Do you use abbreviations? If so, what abbreviations do you use? Do you write out the name or phrase that you’re abbreviating once somewhere on the page, then put the abbreviation in parenthesis next to it, like this: Search engine optimization (SEO)? After that, do you only use the abbreviation? Your writers will want to know.

Audience personas

Your marketing department (or your copywriter) should create fully-fledged audience personas for their own purposes. You should have the basics listed in your style guide for everyone to refer to so they have someone in mind when they write.

These can include:

Your target audience or archetype.
Persona name.
Where they see your message (social media, print media, radio, TV, etc.).
Their problems and pain points.
The types of solutions they may be looking for.
How your products solve their problems.

Formatting

This is where your content and design style guides will overlap. In many cases, your writers need to know some of your design standards. Such as:

Hex codes for approved colors, especially if your writers will create buttons for blog posts or landing pages.
Approved fonts.
Do images get captions?
Image placement.
Image width and height.
Can text wrap around images?
When and where should writers use bold, italics or underlining?
Do you use specific bullet shapes? If not, does it matter what the writers use?
Formatting for numbered lists.
Formatting for attributions and references.

Approved and unapproved content

Your writers will need to research. Where can they go? What types of sites can they use? For example, one content company I worked for insisted that we couldn’t use information from other content companies. They preferred we used professional and scientific studies whenever possible. They encouraged us to use sites with endings like .edu and .gov.

Some other examples of approved content sites might be:

Industry guides,
Market research sources,
Competitors

Sites you may want them to stay away from can include:

“Clickbait” sites
Taboo competitors
Unreliable sources within your industry
Controversial authors, opinions or sources

Examples of right and wrong

If there is any confusion about how to write something in any section, show a specific example.

For instance:

Our company name is FindLaw.

Please do not use Find Law, find law, Findlaw or any other variation.

How Do You Write a Style Guide?

Get input from your regular writers. (Or from the freelance copywriter you hired.) They’ll have established patterns and opinions on how things should be done. And people are more likely to follow your standards if they have a say in how they’re created.

Keep it simple. I know I listed a lot of information you should use here, but once you answer a lot of these questions, you’ll be able to distill it all down fairly easily. 4 pages is a good length.

Adjust your style guide as your company grows. This is a living document. Update it whenever changes are made so you’re always referring to the “source of truth.”

To make it easy for you, I’ve created a basic Company Style Guide template for you to follow. Just fill in the sections and you’ll be good to go.

Download the Company Style Guide Template Now

Does Your Company Have a Style Guide?

How do you use it? If not, why? Tell me about it in the comments.

Yes, You Can Collect Unemployment Benefits While Starting Your Own Business

May 20, 2016 by Tanya Brody Leave a Comment

I know, crazy, right?

Up until last week, I thought so too. But as of last Tuesday, (as I mentioned in my last post) I am officially enrolled in the CLIMB program here in Minnesota. CLIMB stands for “Converting Layoffs Into Minnesota Businesses.” The program pays enrollees to work on their own businesses for at least 32 hours a week.

“Working on your business” can include product development, making sales, working on client projects, your own marketing, (so I’m getting part of my 32 hours in by writing this blog post) training, bookkeeping or anything else that is part of running your business.

And the best part is, none of this work counts against receiving your unemployment benefits.

Up until now, I’ve received about $300 in unemployment on one particularly slow week. That’s it. Because normally, if I work for myself while receiving unemployment, any money I make gets deducted from my benefits.

The unemployment system here in Minnesota requires you to report your earnings when you do the work, not when you’re paid for the work. They deduct the amount you’ve “earned” from your eligible benefits, whether you have money coming in or not. This means my finances have been pretty tight for the last couple of months.

But now, all of that has changed for the better.

I found out about the CLIMB program through a friend who was dealing with the unemployment system here in Minnesota about the same time I was. She mentioned it when we got together one morning for breakfast to commiserate and share resources.

I applied for unemployment benefits as soon as I was laid off (as one does). So I was well into the “must spend 30 hours a week looking for work” situation. But the more I looked, the more I realized I wanted to work for myself again. Once I found out about the CLIMB program, I jumped at the opportunity.

To get these benefits, I had to qualify for the Dislocated Workers program. I attended a session where about 30 laid-off workers were walked through filling out and submitting an application to the program. (It was a bit weird, honestly.)

The Dislocated Workers program helps people who have been laid off from highly qualified jobs get the extra training they need get their next job. The program connects them with educational opportunities and (in some cases) pays for the training.

Once I was accepted into this program, I was assigned a Dislocated Worker counselor, who enrolled me in the CLIMB program. I presented him with my progress up to that point. I had already formed an LLC and I gave him the accompanying documentation. I also reported on my current clients.

He explained the entire program to me, then put me in contact with the CLIMB program representative. It took a couple of months, but eventually everything went through.

Last Tuesday, the CLIMB representative called to tell me I am officially enrolled and will receive my current unemployment benefits every week until they run out (sometime in October).

The great thing is, making money doesn’t affect my benefits. It’s encouraged. The CLIMB representative even gave me some “motherly advice.” She said to use my benefits to pay bills and invest everything I could back into my business.

Now, I know I can pay my bills, regardless of when my clients pay me. This is a huge weight off of my shoulders. I’ve lived on credit cards before. It’s not a fun game.

If you’ve been laid off recently and are thinking of starting your own business, find out whether your state has a Self-Employment Assistance program, or something similar to Minnesota’s CLIMB program.

According to a couple of people inside the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) program, Minnesota is a leader in innovation when it comes to unemployment benefits. Many states are following our lead.

According to the U.S Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency website, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor have launched a new website to support state workforce and unemployment agencies who offer Self-Employment Assistance programs. https://sea.workforcegps.org/

Several states, including Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Oregon already have Self-Employment Assistance programs. Check with your state unemployment agency to see if they have this program and whether you qualify.

According to the Small Business Association website, you must:

Be eligible for and be receiving unemployment benefits
Be unlikely to return to your previous employment
Have a viable business idea, be willing to work full time on developing your business and be able to start and sustain your business until it becomes self-supporting.

I expect qualifications will vary from state to state.

Are you starting your own business after being laid off? Tell me about the resources your state is offering in the comments below.

Ask for Help – Let Your Community Support You as You Start Your Business

March 21, 2016 by Tanya Brody Leave a Comment

Photo via VisualHunt.com

Your own business.

It’s been your dream for years. You’re going to go it on your own! You’re going to show “the Man” that you can cast him aside and do much better by yourself. You want to be “the Man,” but you’re going to treat your employees far better than you were ever treated, once you get to that point.

Meanwhile, you’re a rugged individualist who can do it all. You’re ready. You have a plan. You’re going to make this happen!

Stop for a second.

These are great ideals, but I’m going to remind you of the thoughts of John Donne, the English poet, who famously wrote, “No man is an island.” None of us exists solely in and of ourselves. We are all part of a community that relies upon us and who we can rely upon.

Use that community!

The Facebook thread from when I admitted I’d been laid off.

When you’re a freelancer or small businessperson, you are Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask your family, friends and neighbors for help. Most, if not all of them want to help. That’s part of being a community.

When I lost my job, I put the following post up on my Facebook wall: “Well that sucked! Apparently I need some more life changes.”

After being accused of “vaguebooking” I confessed that I had lost my job. I will admit that I felt frustrated and ashamed at the time, which is why I didn’t admit to it in my original post.

The outpouring of sympathy and support from my community was incredible. People said they were sorry to hear it, that they had just been through the same thing and totally understood how I was feeling, they sent their deepest condolences.

Most importantly, they asked how they could help. They offered to introduce me to people in their LinkedIn networks. They invited me to visit so I could get away for a little while. And, they started sending me job postings. Seriously.

Several of my colleagues from the company I worked at before this one told me there was an opening for my old position. Numerous folks sent me links to jobs in my field that were available at their companies. Friends and family members who knew I wanted to be a freelance copywriter put me in contact with potential clients.

Not only did this make me feel supported and cared about at a time when I really needed it, it also showed me that my community wanted to help. So I accepted that help.

I followed up on all of the leads for potential clients that were offered. I knew freelance copywriter was the direction I wanted to go, so I figured, what the heck. I may as well give it a try. If I got a good response, I’d know this was the right road to follow.

I even applied for several “real jobs,” including a few I’d take if they were offered. I knew I needed options, so I took all of the options I could get.

It was worth it. It got me out of the feeling of loss and into the feeling of moving forward and on to better things.

Your community wants to help you too!

So as you’re starting your business, ask your friends and family for help. Yes, some of them will shake their heads and call you crazy. I’m sure some of mine are doing the same. But most of them will still be willing to help because they want you to succeed (even if they do think you’re nuts.)

There’s something about a “winner” or a “maverick” that everyone loves. We want to see that person who strikes off on their own strike it rich or make it big, so we can live vicariously through them. Some of us even follow in their footsteps, once we’ve seen it can be done.

The American Dream was founded on this idea of hard work leading to success. We love these stories and we want to be part of them, so we help those who are willing to take that leap of faith.

Obviously the help you ask for will depend on the type of business you’re starting. But here are some things you can ask for that your friends and family will probably be able to help you with:

Leads: Whether you’re looking for customers, clients or sources, someone in your community knows someone who has the answers you’re looking for, or the business you want to get.

Mentors: Know what you want to do but have no idea how to go about doing it? You probably know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who has done what you want to do. And successful people love giving back, because someone did the same for them, once upon a time.

Ideas: Grab some friends, take them out for a drink, pull up the voice recording program on your phone, hit record and start brainstorming. Come up with as many ideas as you can about your potential new business. Some of them will be crazy, some of them you’ll want to shoot down right away. Don’t. Record them all. You never know what may spark another idea that could develop into something very exciting.

Feedback: If you know exactly what you want to do, ask for feedback. Find the people in your community who are in your target audience (you know, those folks who would end up being your customers) and ask them what they think about your plan or your product. They can help you refine what you’re doing and build something there’s a demand for, because they’re the ones asking for it.

A few simple, but frequently overlooked pointers when asking for help:

Thank People for their Help

Really. It’s amazing how often we forget to say thank you, even when someone has done something that gives us that boost we really need.

Follow Up

When people offer their help, they want to know that you’ve accepted it. Not only should you follow up on the leads or offers given, you should tell the person who made the offer that you’ve done so, especially if they’ve directed you to another person or organization.

Give Back

Once you’ve got your product or service up and running, offer it to the folks who helped you out. Support a local charity to give back to your community as a whole or volunteer your time to help someone else when they’re in the same position.

This blog post is a way for me to say “Thank You” to all of the people who have helped me so far. I really appreciate everything that all of you in my community have done to get me started.

This whole 6 in 6 series is also a way to give back. I hope you’ll get something out of these posts that will help you move forward, wherever you are along life’s journey.

How have people helped you with your business? Please tell me about it in the comments.