Using What We Know: Gen Z’s Fluency, From a Gen Zer
I’m an 18-year-old girl who is currently in high school. And I believe that I’m at the forefront of a formative movement in new uses of language. My age group…
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Do Your COVID-19 Policies and Procedures Meet Federal Communication Guidelines?
Plain language can help you create clear documents to share your COVID-19 policies and procedures. Here are four tips that you can use to meet federal guidelines.
7 Resolutions for Clear Writing in 2021
To make 2021 the year for clear writing, follow these 7 plain language tips that help clear up confusion and clean up your content.
Meet Ava — Our Newest Zuulisticator
We’re happy to share that we have a new communications intern supporting Zuula this fall. Ava McKinney is a senior in high school in Richmond, Virginia. She’s passionate about language…
Messaging Comes Alive for a Compassionate City
Have you heard the news? Richmond, Virginia, is officially a Compassionate City! And, we were honored to collaborate with Mollie Reinhart and team to help create the foundational language. Empathy…
Tips for Communicating When People Are Afraid
When you need to communicate with people who are in a state of fear, being careful with these emotions is essential. Here are clarity tips to help!
Receive Free Clarity Consultation In April on COVID-19 Content
In times like these, clarity matters more than ever. And we want to help you make your message count. Throughout April, we’re offering free 1-hour consultations on any content you’re…
Deanna Lorianni Talks Plain Language During COVID-19
Huge thanks to Brian Chandler and our friends at Commonwealth PR for featuring our Co-Founder Deanna Lorianni! In this video, Brian and Deanna chat about: Language tips for sharing clear…
Bring Certainty to Communications During Uncertain Times
Many confusing details and emotions are in the air right now over the coronavirus. And that uncertainty can feel overwhelming, causing fear of what the future holds and how people…
5 Communication Tips for COVID-19 Messages
Communicating during a pandemic is essential. And lots of messaging is happening with different levels of clarity. You can control how effectively you share your voice in what often feels…
Zuula Launches Free Women Empowerment Series, Own Your Voice
Own Your Voice is a workshop series designed to help women overcome the roadblocks, expectations, and challenges they face as women communicating in the world. Our goal is to help you tap into your inner voice and needs, and develop…
Writing and Horses Together in The Same Workshop? You Betcha!
We’re excited to announce our newest partnership with Through the Gate! Our new workshop series pair writing sessions with equine-assisted personal development to deepen our communication skills and empower our voices.
Improve Your Writing With Our Free Workshop on August 14!
Your writing skills directly affect your workplace efficiency. In this free workshop, we’ll help you brush up on your grammar and change habits with tips for delivering crisp, on-point business writing.
Fluff No More! Tips to Streamline Content and Be Concise
If people aren’t reading your content, you may be sharing too much fluff. And by doing so, you’re boring, confusing, or overwhelming your readers. From your paragraphs to your word choice, follow these editing tips to create the clear, compelling…
Content Creators, Beware the Fluff Trap
A fluff trap happens when content loses its focus and gets too wordy, too confusing, and too full of unnecessary details. Let’s explore two of the sneakiest but most common ways content creators can find themselves in fluff traps.
Cut the Fluff — the Case for Being Concise
“Perfection is not when there’s more to add but no more to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Whether you’re creating a company blog, printed brochure, email, or more, the…
Show, Don’t Tell — How to Win Audiences Through Experience
“Show, don’t tell” invites readers to experience your messaging, rather than just hear about them. Showing often involves intriguing details, informative visuals, and an inviting tone.
Information Accuracy Still Matters
Clear, compelling communication is about more than proper grammar, structure, and word choice. When writing, you want to make sure that your message is not only well put — but also true.
More Is More: Three Editing Tips to Go Big on Transparency
An editor’s role in communications is to refine and sharpen content, and ensure transparency. And when removing opaqueness in business, more is better. By opening up the doors and being forthright in your messaging, you can attract like-minded people to…
Why Your Messages Are Hurting Your Company’s Transparency
Transparency seems to be everywhere these days. In fact, nearly 90% of people believe that transparency in business is more important than ever. From B-Corps to privacy policies and more, consumers are pushing for clarity in business.
Let’s Talk: Plain Language Can Make Your Content More Conversational
So, you’re creating content and want to start a meaningful conversation with your audiences. While a variety of language tools can help you reach them — such as first-person voice…
Strike Their Funny Bone and Add Humor to Your Content
My favorite joke goes like this: Did you hear about the corduroy pillow? It’s making headlines. Sure, the ol’ corduroy pillow is corny and generates more eye rolls than laughs,…
A Chat Between Friends: Three Tips for Sharing Conversational Content
When managing communications, content writers naturally want to create messaging that feels knowledgeable in order to elicit authority and trustworthiness. To win over audiences, they may rely on touting credentials…
Building Genuine Connections: Turn Your Content Into a Conversation
“Dear sir, the holistic approach to your multilevel needs requires that we utilize new technological platforms.” Wait, what? Who in the world talks like that in real life? Pretty much,…
Taking a Stand: Gillette And Socially Conscious Marketing
In today’s business world, the majority of consumers believe that businesses and CEOs should state their values and share their opinions. Within this environment, a growing number of companies are…
Transform Your Messaging With Values and Vulnerability
To get noticed in this content-heavy world, your brand and messaging need to appeal to people on a personal level. With customer experiences defined by meaningful, personal connections, anchoring your…
How Sharing Your Values Can Deepen Brand Messaging
“[Building relationships] is about really aligning with a sense of deeply held values and a sense that you’re willing to take risks for those values as a marker of authenticity.”…
Let Your Content Speak: The Importance of Tone in Branding
If your organization were a person, branding would be their sparkling personality. And that person’s tone of voice, or way of speaking, should be one of the most memorable parts…
The Benefits of Turning Your Terms and Conditions Into a Brand Asset
In my last blog on terms and conditions, I talked about how these documents are more than a legal requirement — they’re a brand asset. Why? Because every piece of…
Yes — Your Terms and Conditions Are a Brand Experience
Oh, those dense terms and conditions. Companies need them. Customers should read them. And yet, legal teams are often the only ones prioritizing these essential communications when services and products…
Unite Your Communications: Train Your Employees to Write on Brand
A huge part of your brand’s success relies on content consistency across channels. From marketing materials to interoffice emails, every time you communicate you have an opportunity to reinforce your…
Your Company’s Language Is a Brand Asset — Own It in 2019!
Looking for ways to help your company stand out in 2019? Start by exploring how your language and communications are essential to the brand experiences you create. While many companies…
Focusing On Loss: A Case For Negative Framing
Across content and channels, how you frame your message matters. In most circumstances, you want your reader to have a favorable, affirming experience. When your writing helps them feel good,…
Positive Framing: Your Content’s Confident Handshake
We’ve all heard the idea that a person’s handshake can tell you much about them. Whether you’re networking or meeting a new friend, subtly demonstrating confidence, reliability, or another quality…
The Power of Positive Framing in Writing
“A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.” – Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, Words Can Change Your…
Headlines and Opening Sentences: Make Your First Impression Count
Your goal as a writer or content creator is to engage your audience. If you can’t hook your readers early, you risk losing their attention and will probably push them…
Clarity 2018: Plain Language in Modern Times — Our Takeaways From Montreal
Last month, we joined language experts and enthusiasts from across the globe in Montreal to attend Clarity 2018: Plain Language in Modern Times. Hosted by Clarity International, the conference theme…
Why Every Brand Strategy Must Include Content Governance—and How AI Can Help
** We’re pleased to share this guest post from our business associates at Acrolinx! ** If you’re serious about brand strategy, you’re trying to build a truly valuable brand. That’s…
Structuring Content for Action: Build a Compelling Narrative
In a world of mediocre content, engaging writing is a breath of fresh air. But how do you differentiate your content from all the flat, jargon-filled writing out there? If…
Create and Control Your Content With Style Guides
So, you’re creating content (white papers, reports, emails) and have many employees supporting ongoing communications. But what happens when different language styles emerge, like e-mail or email? Do employees know which…
Is Your Website Content Caught In The Dead Zone?
As a content creator, you want your company’s website content to engage and inspire. You likely have a vision of your website as a destination, not just a dropbox. Certainly…
Create Empathy Around Workplace Writing
Oh, workplace writing. Some people love it, and some people hate it. But, in one manner or another, nearly everyone must write and communicate. I’m sure we all have colleagues,…
Practice Empathy to Improve Your Invoicing Procedures
Every business transaction is an opportunity for a professional and straightforward interaction. Yet, without sufficient understanding of your recipient, your transactions can also create opportunities for confusion and frustration. And…
Acrolinx Partners With Zuula to Provide Verbal Brand Guidance and Training to Content Creators
Burlington, Massachusetts – Richmond, Virginia | August 28, 2018. — Zuula, a leading expert in verbal branding and communications strategy, has signed a partnership agreement with Acrolinx, the world’s only Content Strategy Governance platform.…
Three Questions To Help You Write With Empathy
“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.” – Alfred Adler Business communicators know that every person…
Avoid Ambiguity: A Clarity Checklist
Ambiguity in art can be a powerful and inspiring tool. For example, I love Chet Baker’s rendition of “My Funny Valentine” because of its ambiguity. There’s a sweet, yet blue,…
Create Engaging Content By Clearing Out Ambiguity.
“There is no greater impediment to the advancement of knowledge than the ambiguity of words.” —Thomas Reid Today’s business content is replete with words — and reaching your audiences can…
This Is Your Brain On Ambiguity.
As humans, we have a tricky relationship with ambiguity. Used effectively, ambiguity (messages with more than one interpretation) can create clever, insightful, and amusing communication — making it a staple…
Clarify Procedures and Instructions With a “Show, Don’t Tell” Approach
Every form of communication can benefit from show-don’t-tell writing. Sure, this style can improve storytelling and foster audience engagement — but it’s also a powerful tool when providing instructions. And when…
Show, Don’t Tell: Paint a Picture With Language
In writing, we use the concept “show, don’t tell” to ignite our reader’s imaginations and transport them into the world of our story. We build sensory experiences with descriptive and…
Matching Your Tone to Your Target Persona
Reaching your audience and capturing their attention requires a fundamental understanding of your persona’s interests and values. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, you’ll need a grasp on technology, social…
User Personas: Know and Reach Your Audiences
So, you’re creating content and need to reach your audiences. But how do you know what voice and message to use in order to reach them? A key step to…
Make Your Personas Real by Asking Users What They Really Need
To create and build supportive client/customer relationships, you need to know what your users find relatable and helpful. But how do you turn the needs of hundreds or thousands of…
Case Study – Plain Language Transforms Policy Approach
Employee policies are a necessary tool for protecting a company from organizational and reputation challenges — especially when operations span countries or address sensitive material. But if your policies are…
Plain Words Clarify Ideas and Signify Progress
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” —Albert Einsten Plain language may seem like a relatively new concept, but the communications niche has been around…
The Poetry of Business Writing
April is National Poetry Month — a time to celebrate poems and their ability to help us understand life with a fresh, inspired mind. On my best days, I read and write poetry to connect with others and the universe,…
WordCraft® Makes Grammar Lessons (gasp!) Fun
Close your eyes for a second and think back to when you were in school learning grammar. Imagine your teacher. Imagine the lessons. Did the experience inspire you? Did you…
Sorry Sales Reps, but Your English Teachers Were Right
As a former high school English teacher, I have seen my fair share of poor grammar. My students would ask, “Who cares about grammar?” I would say, “Well, it’s the…
Develop Your Voice Before Your Content
Ensuring your audiences hear your voice in a crowded content world requires clarity and credibility. In fact, one of the top brand voice choices for 2018 is “authenticity.”
Don’t Let Writing Skills Hold Back Your Brand
These days, you don’t have to be a writer to spend an incredible amount of time creating content. In fact, the average office worker composes 40 emails each day — and spends 2.5 hours writing and reading emails.
Grammar and Clarity Matter — Even in Operations
Don’t think writing skills matter in your company’s operations? Think again. Even when organizations actively implement plain language and clarity standards, they can overlook the importance of internal communications.
A Case for the Serial Comma
How much does a comma cost? Probably more than you expect. In early February 2018, the serial comma — that little comma before a conjunction (and, so, but, etc.) within a list — cost Oakhurst Dairy $5 million. The drivers…
A Brand Refresh and a Growing Team
In 2008, we started Zuula to serve companies with thorough writing and editing services. Over the past decade, we’ve evolved to become a communications strategy firm supporting clients nationwide and globally.
Content Tips: Choose Your Point of View
Choosing which point of view you use in writing is a powerful (and deceptively simple) way to tweak your message. When you change grammatical person, you quite literally change how your audience interprets and understands your point of view.
Writing as Currency
Between crafting emails, writing reports, reading content, providing social media updates and more, we spend a lot of our time creating and absorbing writing. And the value of this currency is built on far more than grammar proficiency or correct…
7 Ways Your Content Writing Is Flabby
Slimming your writing without losing its power takes practice and focus. By following these 7 tips, you’ll say bye-bye to flab and hello to effective content with just the right meat and bones.
3 Tips to Align Plain Language With Your Content Strategy
Today, content strategy is the backbone for how you should be reaching your audiences. With endless amounts of content published every day on- and offline, defining your strategy to create and share it all is essential.
Is it Your Topic? Or Your Tone?
Knowing characteristics (and more!) of your company’s personality – and infusing them into your language – will bring your content to life through a strong verbal brand.
What the Heck Is Parallel Structure?
Parallel structure is especially helpful when sharing lists of items by – yep, you guessed it – creating parallelism in your syntax. Yet, rarely does anyone actually learn to how to use it – or know that parallel structure even…
Why Every Financial Advisor Needs a Verbal Brand
Just like any relationship, real conversations based in real language play a huge role in how we connect. But the financial services industry has some catching up to do.