How to Say It

To effectively connect with our audiences, we must tell our stories with a distinctive voice that reflects our brand personality. The tone of our stories should be confident and genuine, written in a vibrant, easy-to-read style. We can do both by what we say and how we say it.

Make it appropriate to the intended audience:

·         Prospective students vs. prospective donors

Make it personal:

·         Use first and second person.

·         "You can" vs."students can"

Be true, authentic, persuasive:

·         Claim ownership of Samford's assets.

·         Speak authentically to the strengths of individual programs and the university at large.

Be conversational:

·         Write as if talking to a friend.

·         Avoid sounding stuffy or institutional.

·         When writing about complex research and related topics, find ways to explain the work with analogies, examples, illustrations, photos and graphs.

·         Use active rather than passive verbs.

The Office of Marketing and Communication staff is available to assist with your writing needs for whatever medium you may be using.