The voice of EICC is friendly, familiar, optimistic, helpful, and straightforward. Our words are simple, concise, and conversational. Less is more — we say what we mean in the simplest way. Our priority is to give our audience the information they’re looking for and find the support they’re seeking.

Voice is created through word choice, sentence structure, and point of view.

Writing in the EICC Voice

Be Welcoming

After first reference, use first person plural pronouns such as “we,” “our,” and “us.”

Instead of “EICC offers degrees and certificates,” say “We offer degrees and certificates.”

Be Personable

Create closeness to your audience by speaking directly to them. Use pronouns such as “you” and “your.”

Instead of “Students can register today,” say “You can register today.”

Be Helpful

You may be an expert, but avoid coming across as bossy.

Instead of “You must login to EICConnect to register for classes,” say “Trying to register for classes? Login to EICConnect.”

Be Positive

Use positive words or phrases in your writing like “do,” “can,” and “able to,” rather than the negative “do not,” “can not,” and “unable to.

”Instead of “You can’t sign up for classes without participating in orientation,” say “Participate in orientation then register for courses.”

Be Friendly

Use warm, conversational words. Though informal words are great, carelessness such as spelling and grammar errors are not.

Use this guide to help answer any questions.

Be Clear

Use clear language. Avoid jargon and idioms, which may be confusing to your readers. Write in the active voice, avoiding passive voice when possible.

Instead of “Club applications will be collected by the Student Ambassadors,” say “Student Ambassadors will collect club applications.”

Be Empathetic

Your goal as a content writer is to help audiences complete tasks and understand information. When writing, make sure what you are saying is helping them reach that goal.

Consider why users are reading your content and how they likely are feeling.

Are they current students, frustrated because they can’t figure out which classes to take?
Are they new students, excited because they just finished applying to EICC?
Perhaps they're visiting and confused about where to park.

When writing, be conscientious of the range of emotions your readers are probably experiencing, and adjust your tone.

Measuring Voice: Shared Objects

Voice Parameter	Observable Feature	Tonal Result
Warmth	Adjectives, adverbs, and intensifiers	Emotion
Pace	Verb tense and voice	Energy
Formality	Contractions and word choices	Relationship

Institutional Voice for Web Content

Warm: “Friendly support services”
Brisk: “We support you with a range of services.”
Conversational: “Take a quick tour of our services.”

Readability Best Practices

Testing Web Readability
- app.readable.com/text
- hemingwayapp.com
Flesch-Kinkaid Grade: 8
- Web standard - good for most recruitment efforts
Flesch Reading Ease: 70
Grade Level Formula: X-2
- Subtract two from your audience's expected reading level

Before & After: Revising for Tone

Before | Grade: 11.9 | Words: 204 | 5 of 12 sentences very hard to read.

Here are just a few reasons why we are THE Community’s College:

We are the sixth largest college in the state of Iowa. Our Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott Community Colleges have more than 200 years combined experience providing students with the highest quality education.
Formal transfer and joint admissions agreements make it easy for students to transfer credits to area private colleges and the state universities. Those colleges come to us to create these agreements because they know our students will be successful once they transfer.
Our more than 30 career technology programs are designed to lead specifically into the world of work. Our faculty maintain close relationships with employers, ensuring students are receiving the training required to get a job immediately upon graduation.
Our tuition is always one of the most competitive in the state. We provide many scholarship opportunities, and depending on the program in which you are enrolled, the state of Iowa’s Last-Dollar Scholarship program can pay your tuition in more than 20 career fields.
We hear it all the time, our faculty truly care about their students. Small class sizes and personal attention mean you’re more than just another number. You’re part of a community of students, faculty, and staff, all working together to make sure you reach your goals for the future.

After | Grade: 6.3 | Words: 106 | 0 of 8 sentences very hard to read.

Top Five Reasons to Choose EICC:

Size and know-how: Our three colleges make the sixth largest college in the state, with 200 years combined experience.
Smooth transfers: Move on to the four-year college of your choice, thanks to agreements we’ve already hammered out.
Career ready: Gain the skills you need to get a job as soon as you finish. Our faculty work closely with employers so you graduate career ready
Low cost: Our tuition is affordable and our scholarships are plenty. You may even qualify for Iowa’s Last-Dollar Scholarship to cover it all.
Belonging: Small class sizes, faculty who care, and a diverse student body.

You belong at EICC.

What's improved?

More "you"
Brisk
Conversational
Better readability and scannability

Dos and Don'ts

Friendly language is:

Accessible
Genuine
Welcoming
Empathetic
Conversational
Uplifting
Respectful
Encouraging
Accountable
Loyal

Ex: Congratulations! Welcome to EICC. We can’t wait to see you this fall.

Friendly language is NOT:

Making fun
Inappropriate
Cheesy
Insincere
Cliché
Patronizing
Effusive
Dismissive
Boring
Robotic

Ex: You’ve been accepted to EICC. Visit eicc.edu to review your next steps.

Engaging, professional language is:

Collaborative
Innovative
Smart
Confident
Proactive
Dependable
Motivational

Ex: Today’s world demands your very best. Demand a community college that brings it out.

Engaging, professional language is NOT:

Preachy
Arrogant
Droll
Jargon-heavy
Esoteric
Dismissive
Gimmicky

Ex: If you’re looking to advance in your career without furthering your education, you’re not trying hard enough.

Remember!

It’s important to be conversational and engaging without compromising credibility. Keep that in mind when drafting content for the college.

Best Practices

Don’t bury the lede.

This old journalism expression means that the writer should include the most important information first. Don’t make your audience read two paragraphs before they understand what you’re trying to tell them. Chances are, they’ll lose interest before they even get there.

It’s ok to use contractions.

“Don’t” instead of “do not,” “isn’t” instead of “is not,” etc. We’re speaking to people about their hopes, dreams, and futures — not analyzing data in a peer reviewed scientific journal.

Speak to your audience, not at them.

Engage your reader in a direct, social way. Use first person plural pronouns (“we”/”us”/”our”) and second person pronouns (“you”/”your”) where appropriate.

Avoid academic and technical jargon.

Jargon can bewilder, isolate, and turn away your reader. Ultimately, jargon is unnecessarily complicated language used to impress, rather than to inform, your audience.

Use active voice vs. passive voice.

Using active voice makes your message clear for readers and keeps sentences from becoming too clunky or wordy.

Less is more.

Readability improves when you don’t overwhelm the reader with unnecessary words or unimportant information. As a general rule, strive to be clear and concise.

Break up text into readable chunks.

Try to keep paragraphs to no more than three sentences. Bulleted and/or numbered lists are helpful, but keep bulleted lists to five items or fewer (if possible). This helps with readability as well as a designer’s use of white space.

Have a clear call to action.

Particularly in digital communications, be clear on what action or series of actions you want the reader to take.

Use numbers to help illustrate a point.

Just make sure they’re straightforward, accurate, and easy to understand, like percentages or ratios (e.g., 45% job growth expected by 2030, or one in four students will go on to pursue a bachelor’s degree).

Five Rules for Cutting Long Copy

Hold onto the gold. Don’t cut the best parts … until you must.
Mark filler for death. Remove words of impressive self-importance; repetitions that add no new thought; and unnecessary qualifying phrases.
Reanimate dead and passive voice. Old: “The cat has been left outside again.” New: “You forgot the cat.”
Make every word fight for its life.
Read it aloud to make sure it flows.

Remember!

Don’t forget the power of personal connection. Written copy can’t cover everything —some questions and concerns are best resolved through direct conversation with students.