Before you communicate
Know what your audiences want from you.
Know what your program needs from them.
Strengthen the areas where these two meet.
Plan when and how frequently to best connect with your audience.
Set goals and regular ways to measure your efforts.
Determine when it’s best to join forces with other program areas.
As you create your content
Use the best voice and medium to reach your audience.
Use a warm and friendly tone.
Use lively and active language, as well as humor—when appropriate.
Be clear in message and purpose.
Be concise, accurate, and organized with your information.
Be creative, within constraints.
Make sure you are offering something valuable.
Make sure you are offering something actionable.
Create an outline. Write the draft. Edit. Revise.
And proofread, proofread, proofread!
After you’ve created your content
Measure your communications against your predetermined goals.
If necessary, gather more feedback (qualitative and quantitative).
Note areas to improve.
Improve.
Things to avoid
Monotony (Have some healthy variation.)
Inconsistency (Avoid variation where it conflicts with AAD guidelines.)
Slang, jargon, and clichés
Passive voice
Excessive punctuation (“!!!”)
Overuse of figurative language and rhetorical devices
Breaking rules of grammar with no strong reason and for no real gain
Unjustifiably complex sentences
Unnecessary repetition
Jokes at the expense of others (including our Ivy peers)
Fawning or condescending tone
Didactic or “preachy” tone
Biased language
Narrow cultural references
Divisive, partisan language
Content with very narrow appeal and very short shelf life
Content that is too static
Questions?
Linda Copman at lsc49@cornell.edu
Kait Provost at kp472@cornell.edu
Angie Giammarino at amg297@cornell.edu