Content Goals
With every piece of content we publish, we aim to:
Represent
Every content decision we make should keep in mind that we are representing Kenshoo as a company. This company has clients, partners, and relationships that are incredibly important to this company’s future. We never want to undo the hard work that has been done to build a respectful company by not taking our word choices seriously. It doesn’t mean we can’t be playful or provocative at appropriate times, we just need to remember time/place.
Position
Whether it’s the words we use, the chosen topic, analysis, or best practice we offer, our clients, prospects, and the market will view these cues as signals to who Kenshoo is and why we exist. We cannot be misaligned to the corporate strategy for the sake of a piece of content. In fact, we should use every opportunity we have to hammer home the value propositions we believe are most attractive and compelling to the market.
Resonate
Every content piece needs to have an audience in mind. If we build arguments on poor assumptions or draw conclusions that most people don’t understand, our content will fall flat. We must keep our pulse on the market to properly impress and inspire. Content that is dull, poorly written, presents worn-out concepts, or simply loses readers/viewers will have a negative impact on Kenshoo.
Voice
Kenshoo’s voice is always the same. It is unique to us and every piece of content we produce should have a “Kenshoo feel” to it.
Tone
Kenshoo’s tone changes based on the appropriate way to treat the situations.
- An urgent tone can help an audience understand that there is something being presented that they should put extra thought into understanding
- A playful tone can entertain and take the dullness out of educating content
- A serious tone can underscore our research as being credible and vetted
- An informal tone can put the audience at ease so they can best digest what we are stating
Content Writing Guidelines
The Basics
Write for all readers
Some people will read every word you write. Others will just skim subheaders. And not everyone is a native English speaker! Accessibility is important.
Short set up
No need to restate things that people already know. Tell them what they don’t know—and get right to the meat of things. Attention spans are waning!
Scale back adjectives
Let the statements speak for themselves.
Subheaders tell the story
A reader should be able to scan the subtitles and learn something.
Be specific
Avoid vague language or generalizations without payoff. Cut the fluff.
Anchored in data
Don’t make claims that aren’t backed up with evidence.
Omit needless words
Keep it short and to the point.
Formatting
Acronymns
Unless you are sure they are universally known, (i.e. HTML, URL, etc.) spell them out the first time you use them and place the acronym in parenthesis immediately following, e.g. Demand Side Platforms (DSPs). For the rest of the piece, you can use the acronym.
Hyphens
Use a hyphen (-) without spaces on either side to link words into single phrase, or to indicate a span or range.
first-time user
Monday-Friday
Use an em dash (—) without spaces on either side to offset an aside.
Numbers
Spell out numbers if used at the beginning of a sentence (i.e. Ten people joined…) but use numbers if in the middle (i.e. The man realized that 10 people joined.)
Quotes
Use the present tense e.g. “says” not “said” (“I like beer,” says Brett.)
Serial [or Oxford] Comma?
Yes. In lists, use it. (Red, white, and blue).
Capitalization
Camel-case for headlines (Full Funnel Search is Tops), but just first word of sentence for subheaders. Proper names should always be capitalized (e.g. Budget Manager). Hot tip: You can find correct spelling for Kenshoo product names here.
Exclamation points!
Use sparingly or never at all.
Fractions
Spell out fractions (with hyphen): “three-fourths”, not “3/4”
Dates
Spell out: January 24, 2012
Bullet Points
Do not use punctuation at the end of bullet points unless they contain multiple sentences.
Taboos
Age, Gender, Sexuality, Disability, Nationality
We are inclusive, and avoid mention of these as descriptors unless there’s a clear use case that matters (and is positive) for the content piece.
Politics, Religion, Scandals, Disasters etc.
Stay away from these. No reason to go there. Pick something else.
Competitors
As much as possible, we avoid referencing them in our content and comms and keep the focus on us. We certainly should never quote or use stats from their materials in ours. We do not go after them or put them in a negative light. No good can come from this.