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Brand Voice

Our brand voice is fun, informative, casual, and professional. We speak to two distinct audiences: college students who use our app, and university advisors who purchase our product. We adapt our tone while maintaining our core voice characteristics across both audiences.

✓ We Are

Fun
We bring energy and enthusiasm to everything we create, making the experience enjoyable.
Informative
We provide clear, valuable information that helps both students and advisors succeed.
Casual
We're approachable and conversational, making people feel comfortable and at ease.
Professional
We maintain credibility and expertise, especially when communicating with decision-makers.

✗ We Aren't

Childish
We're fun but not immature. We avoid being silly or unprofessional.
Overly Technical
We don't overwhelm with jargon or complex terminology that alienates our audience.
Stiff or Boring
We don't use dry corporate speak that puts people to sleep.
Pushy or Sales-y                                                                    We inform and inspire rather than pressure or manipulate.

Audience-Specific Tone

For Students
(App Users)
Energetic, friendly, and relatable. Use casual language, humor, and speak directly to their needs and experiences.
✓ Example:
"Hey there! Ready to crush this semester? We've got your back with tools that actually make sense. No boring tutorials required—just jump in and get started. 🎓"
For Partners
(Buyers)
Professional, informative, and results-focused. Emphasize value, data, and outcomes while remaining approachable.
✓ Example:
"Our platform empowers students to take ownership of their academic journey while providing advisors with actionable insights. See improved engagement rates and better outcomes across your institution."

Context-Specific Tone

Marketing
Exciting and benefit-driven. Match energy level to audience—more playful for students, more polished for advisors.
Students:
"Your best semester starts here. Find your community, stay organized, and actually enjoy the ride."
Advisors:
"Support student success at scale with intuitive tools that drive engagement and improve retention."
Supporting
Patient, helpful, and reassuring. Acknowledge frustration and provide clear, actionable solutions.
✓ Example:
"No worries, we've got you! Let's sort this out together. Here's what you can do..."
Educational
Clear, encouraging, and step-by-step. Break complex information into bite-sized pieces.
✓ Example:
"Here's the deal: First, set up your profile (takes 2 minutes). Then, explore the features that match your goals. Easy!"
Error Messages
Friendly and solution-focused. Never blame the user, always provide next steps.
✓ Good:
"Oops! Something didn't save. Check your connection and give it another shot."
✗ Avoid:
"Error 404: Request failed due to invalid user input."

Writing Best Practices

✓ Do
• Use active voice ("We created" vs "It was created")
• Start with the benefit, then explain how
• Use contractions to sound natural (we're, you'll)
• Break up long paragraphs for readability
• Use bullet points to organize information
• Address the user directly with "you"
• Keep sentences under 20 words when possible
✗ Don't
• Don't use jargon without explanation
• Don't make assumptions about user knowledge
• Don't use all caps for emphasis
• Don't use exclamation marks excessively!!!
• Don't use passive constructions
• Don't refer to the company as "we" in legal copy
• Don't use idioms that don't translate well

Grammar & Mechanics

Grammar & Mechanics
• Use sentence case for headlines (not title case)
• Use the Oxford comma for clarity
• Spell out numbers one through nine, use numerals for 10+
• Use em dashes (—) for breaks in thought, not double hyphens (--)
• Use smart quotes ("") not straight quotes ("")
• Capitalize proper nouns and product names consistently