CEC Brand Voice
Writing goals and principles
With every piece of content we publish, we aim to:
- Empower. Help people understand CEC’s mission and vision using language that informs and encourages them. Prepare them with the information they need to extend our message.
- Respect. Treat readers with the respect they deserve. Put yourself in their shoes, and don’t patronize them. Be considerate and inclusive. Don’t market to people; communicate with them.
- Educate. Tell readers what they need to know, not just what we want to say. Give them the exact information they need and opportunities to learn more. Remember that you’re the expert, and readers don’t have access to everything you know.
- Guide. Think of yourself as a tour guide for our readers. Whether you’re leading them through our educational materials, a standard, or an opportunity, communicate in a friendly and helpful way.
- Speak truth. Understand CEC's place in our users’ lives. Avoid dramatic storytelling and grandiose claims. Focus on facts and our real strengths.
To achieve those goals, we make sure our content is:
- Clear. Understand the topic you’re writing about. Use simple words and sentences.
- Useful. Before you start writing, ask yourself: What purpose does this serve? Who is going to read it? What do they need to know?
- Friendly. Write like a human (i.e., how you likely speak). Don’t be afraid to break a few rules if it makes your writing more relatable. All our content, from newsletter copy to convention alerts, should be warm and human.
- Appropriate. Write in a way that suits the situation. As you do in face-to-face conversations, adapt your tone depending on who you’re writing to and what you’re writing about.
Voice and tone
One way we write empowering content is by being intentional with our voice and our tone. This section explains the difference between voice and tone and lays out the elements of each as they apply to CEC.
What’s the difference between voice and tone? Think of it this way: You always have the same voice, but your tone changes. You might use one tone when you're out to dinner with your closest friends and a different tone when you're in a meeting with the CEC Board.
Your tone also changes depending on the emotional state of the person you’re addressing. You wouldn’t want to use the same tone of voice with someone scared or upset as you would with someone laughing.
The same is true for CEC. Our voice doesn’t change much from day to day, but our tone changes constantly.
Voice
At CEC, we know special education uses a litany of complex terminology and acronyms. That’s why we speak like the experienced and compassionate membership association that reflects our members.
We treat every individual and segment seriously. We want to educate people without patronizing or confusing them.
Whether people know what they need from us or have been signed up by their district and haven’t explored our resources, every word we say informs and encourages. We impart our expertise with clarity, empathy, and a hint of humor when appropriate.
All of this means that when we write:
- We are clear but not oversimplified. We understand the world our members live in, muddled by hyperbolic language, upsells, and overpromises. We strip all that away and value clarity above all. Educators face endless challenges and tight timelines at work, so our communications should value their time and avoid distractions.
- We are genuine. We relate to our members’ challenges and passions and speak to them in a familiar, warm, and accessible way. They should never forget that we are here to help them even when we aren’t saying it directly.
- We are relatable. We can talk person-to-person with CEC’s members while maintaining professionalism.
- We are sincere. We embrace our members in warmth and genuinely want to help them. Avoid being overly sweet.
Tone
The tone of voice is the mood or emotion you convey in messages to your audience through specific word choice and writing style. Essentially, it’s how you express your brand voice.
To choose the right tone as you write, consider your audience and what they are experiencing and feeling. Strike the right balance between conveying what you need to say in CEC’s brand voice and communicating in a tone that is appropriate for the situation.
For example, be empathetic with your tone if you are communicating about a tragedy or struggle. It’s not up to us to cheer up our audience but to provide the information they need at that time. Consider what is needed and how to deliver that appropriately.
You or your team may regularly use a specific tone. For example, accreditation uses a more official tone than our social media’s more conversational and fun tone. Both still use our voices but have been modified for specific environments.
Whatever tone a situation calls for, clarity is still your main goal.
Tips for Tone
- Use an active voice as often as appropriate. This helps your readers feel involved (even if they aren’t yet). Your audience should be performing the action.
- “The dog chased the ball” is an example of active voice, as the subject (dog) is performing the action (chased). “The ball was chased by the dog” is an example of passive voice, as the subject (ball) is receiving the action (ball).
- Write as you talk. Read your piece back out loud to yourself and see how it feels. Write as if you are a person, not as if you are the organization itself.
- Don’t be a stickler for the rules. Using emojis, contractions, slang, and breaking grammatical rules is okay. The goal is to communicate in a relatable and easy-to-understand manner, not to ensure you have “proper” or correct grammar. NOTE: emojis can interfere with screen reading devices. If using them, utilize them sparingly and only one at a time.
- Not sure if something is too informal? Ask yourself if you would feel comfortable saying this to your colleagues at work. While you may be relaxed around them, you would still be appropriate and maintain a degree of formality.
- If you’re writing something technical/academic, ensure you are utilizing best practices in accordance with style guides and academic writing.
- Less is more. When delivering a message, be specific, don’t bury the lede, and ensure you can keep your audience’s attention. If you find yourself writing paragraphs, try to distill what you are trying to communicate in one to two sentences.