BRANDING GUIDELINES

BRAND FORMULA

WRITING STYLE TIPS

WRITE FOR ALL READERS

Some people will read every word you write. Others will just skim. Help everyone read better by grouping related ideas together and using descriptive headings.

FOCUS YOUR MESSAGE

Create a hierarchy of information. Lead with the main point or the most important content, in sentences, paragraphs, sections, and pages.

BE SPECIFIC

Avoid vague language. Cut the fluff.

LESS IS MORE

Be concise. Do not use four words when two will do! Avoid unnecessary modifiers.

SHOW SOME EMOTION

Emojis are encouraged when using our expressive tone.

CIRCUMVENT THE UTILIZATION OF TECHNICAL PATOIS

Always use commonly understood terms and avoid jargon and highly technical language.

MAKE IT MEMORABLE

Don’t be afraid to use a combination of text and visual aids to make your point but be selective and ensure the visuals are serving a purpose. Only use visual aids when they support the accompanying text not just to fill space or because they look pretty. (See graphics section for further instruction on the use of visual aids)

USE AN ACTIVE VOICE

Active voice puts emphasis on the actor rather than the action. For example, “Hayley added color lines into her account” is active because the focus is on Haley who is performing an action. “Color lines were added into the account by Hayley.” Focuses on the action rather than the actor. Words like “was” and “by” may indicate that you’re writing in a passive voice. Scan for these words and rework sentences where they appear.

AREN'T CONTRACTIONS GREAT

Contractions align to our conversational tone of voice and are encouraged and can be used in most channels and types of media. Contractions should only be avoided when writing formal documents such as funding proposals, legal agreements and negotiations, etc.

RULE NUMBER TEN

Small numbers ranging from one to ten should be spelled out. Larger numbers (above ten) or with multiple digits (like decimal numbers) should be written as numerals.

STAR SPANGLED VOCABULARY

Since most of our customer base is in the United States, we use English American spellings rather than English Canadian.

INCLUSIVE VOICE

Write with an inclusive voice. Ensure you are using current standards when writing about race, culture and gender. If you are ever uncertain, it is better to ask questions than make assumptions. Use they/ them whenever pronouns are unknown. Don’t use irrelevant characteristics in descriptions (don’t comment on personal characteristics unless they are relevant to the topic of discussion). Use person-first language if you are discussing a characteristic: mention the characteristic as something a person has, rather than is. Additionally, avoid the use of gendered terms and use neutral alternatives when possible (e.g. rather than landlord say property owner).

DON'T SLACK ON THE DATES

  • When it is a stand alone date, the day of the week and month should be included (i.e. Monday, January 21st, 2022)
  • When it is a date range within the same month and year, the month and year only need to be included once (e.g. January 21st - 23rd, 2022)
  • When a date range is not within the same month, but still the same year, the year only needs to be included once (e.g. January 28th - February 2nd, 2022)
  • When a date range is not within the same month or year, both months and years should be included (e.g. December 28th, 2021 - January 2nd, 2022)

KEEP TIMES CONSISTENT

  • The abbreviations am and pm do not need internal periods
  • On-the-hour times should always be written without “:00” (e.g. 7am)
  • All time ranges should use a hyphen as separation (e.g. 7am - 8:30am)

TIME ZONES MATTER

  • Time zones should always be included since we have audiences and clients across the world
  • After the specified time slot, use uppercase abbreviations to display the timezone (i.e. 10:00am - 2:00pm CDT)
Glossary of Terms

SALONSCALE BRANDING GUIDELINES 2022