Writing Tips

There are multiple levels to storytelling and marketing at the University of Northern Iowa. These guidelines provide an overview that supports the overarching UNI positioning and messaging.

As you develop materials for individual units, programs and services, here are some tips to help everyone stay on brand.

When Writing...

Be authentic.
Write in a positive, engaging voice that honestly reflects the UNI personality. Tone can vary, but writing should be stripped of pretense and jargon. The goal is always to connect with readers.
Be clear.
Avoid higher-ed jargon, bureaucratic language and acronym-heavy prose. Our writing should be inclusive and easy for a general audience to grasp.
Be concise.
Less is more. Use direct language and keep your message brief and succinct.

Be interesting.
Take readers on a journey. Provide emotional, factual and historical context. Show readers how your story fits with social and news trends. Focus on what’s unique, fascinating or unusual about the story you’re trying to tell.
Be specific.
Avoid platitudes and generalizations. Create compelling sentences with substance and facts that meet the needs of your audience.
Be empathetic.
Write in a “people-first” way that’s authentic and understanding. Lean toward usage of first- and second-person pronouns like “you, we, us.” Use contractions like “we’re, you’re” that are more direct and relatable.

Examples of Good Writing

Writing Examples that Reflect General Guidelines:

Be Clear

NOT IDEAL: We are implementing a course of action effectuating a temporary cessation of campus activities as we work to synergize internal and external proposals on health protocols.

BETTER: We are temporarily closing campus while we work to find solutions to safely reopen.

Be Concise

NOT IDEAL: At this point in time, UNI is facing myriad challenges throughout the landscape of higher education similar to that which many other institutions have been experiencing.

BETTER: UNI is facing challenges that are not unique in higher education.

Be Specific

NOT IDEAL: UNI has one of the better business programs in the region.

BETTER: UNI is one of fewer than five percent of business schools worldwide accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Writing Examples that Reflect Personality:

Empowering

Message for students and prospective students

NOT IDEAL: UNI can help you achieve your goals.

BETTER: You have a bold idea and a vision for the future. We have the tools and expertise to make it a reality. Together, we can do amazing things.

Enterprising

Message for external (donors and partners)

NOT IDEAL: UNI’s Tallgrass Prairie Center is working to restore native prairie vegetation around the state.

BETTER: We’re establishing a more sustainable future for Iowans, one acre of prairie at a time.

Engaging

For students and prospective students

NOT IDEAL: UNI is an affordable place to get an education.

BETTER: We know that getting an education shouldn’t break the bank; that’s why we focus on keeping tuition affordable, while you focus on changing the world.

Writing for the Web & Social Media

Perhaps one of the hardest things to nail down when setting up your website is getting the actual written content right. While there is plenty of room for descriptive, complex writing, it is not meant for your website. Muddying the waters of website writing can cost you traffic within seconds.

Here are eight top principles of writing good content that won't weigh down your site.

Know Your Audience

According to Forbes, there is a mind-blowing amount of web data being produced daily: 2.5 quintillion bytes, to be exact. This translates into a powerful competition to secure your demographic quickly, and to do this, you must know your primary audiences.

The primary audiences for UNI.edu include prospective students and parents, prospective donors, prospective employees and legislators. Understanding what these audiences care about should be reflected in your writing to help target them.

Keep it Simple

Short and sweet is what you're aiming for with your writing. While descriptive language might be tempting, your web content shouldn't be anything but to-the-point. Readability is the key to keeping your audience focused.

Stick to essential nouns and verbs. Adjectives and adverbs should be used sparingly and only when necessary. For example, the sentence "our team will produce copy that allows you to integrate your services across multiple channels" is straight to the point. The nouns and verbs show actions and outcomes that easily allow readers to understand the content quickly.

To add unnecessary adjectives to this sentence would only increase reading time and fluff up the writing, as in this example: "Our fabulous team will produce the best, state-of-the-art copy that allows you to integrate your wonderful services across multiple channels." In these examples, less is more.

In addition to paring down your writing, don't forget that the average reader takes in information in small doses and reads at about an eighth-grade level. Aim for sentences under 40 words.

Start with the Essentials

Always begin your web content with the most important information. You have mere seconds to capture your audience. Readers will quickly decide whether your content is what they're looking for.

Your most pertinent information should always lead the page. This should include direct descriptions of what you offer, contact information, and any other supporting details. Less particular facts such as history, while still pertinent, should always appear lower on the page.

Use the Active Voice

Web writing should almost always be presented in the active voice. This will allow the reader to feel like he is being spoken to directly, and it will also allow you to streamline your writing.

A good example of passive voice would be "widgets can be ordered through this link," whereas "click the link below to order your widgets" is active. Using the second person (you) can keep writing personal and reader-friendly.

Avoid Higher Education Lingo

Nothing will turn the average web reader off faster than industry speak. Avoid jargon and use layman's terms when describing higher education.

One of the biggest mistakes when writing for a website is to assume that the language you use every day in your industry is familiar language to your audience. For example, a prospective student looking for information on a specific major may only be familiar with words like ‘accounting major’ or ‘art courses.’ Using other terms such as 'interdisciplinary program', for example, could be confusing without an explanation.

Explain Why

When promoting something on your site, make sure you are showing your reader what they are getting. Nothing is more vague than stating you have the best program or service. Why is it the best? This is where short, descriptive writing will be your friend. Explain the outcomes of your program or service, what it’s designed to deliver and how. The reader will have a visual, and your service or program will have meaning.

Make Text Skimmable

Big, fat paragraphs are a website no-no. For the same reason you won't engage your reader with flowery language, heavy text that isn't easy for the eye to scan will be an instant turn off. Use subheadings, bullets or numerics to describe products and services. Also, make sure you have white space in your text and in your design element.

Practice Optimal SEO

There's a lot to think about when it comes to good SEO (search engine optimization). One mistake people make is to overuse keywords in their web content. Readers don't want to read the same words every two sentences.

While keywords are essential, so is their placement. Try using keywords as essential to each idea, but don't pepper your writing with the same keywords. If the words aren't used naturally, the writing will suffer and so will the readability. Within content, use keywords when necessary and consider using synonyms throughout the rest of the text. Reserve keywords for URLs and hyperlinks.

A Brand Writing Checklist

Is the spirit of "achieve beyond" within how you tell your story?
Does your focus connect back to one or more of the four supporting messages?
Are you drawing upon brand strengths, attributes and values that strengthen your story?
Does your writing reflect the UNI personality?

Is your content and tone adjusted to fit the motivation of your audience?
Are you using facts and proof points to support your story?
Is your writing clear, concise, direct, interesting?