Our voice is our core personality. It's who we are and the ideals we strive to embody. Our voice doesn't change.
Our tone is more like our mood. It can change to suit our audience, our message, or a situation, but still be rooted in our voice.
Our voice is genuine, enthusiastic, welcoming, unpretentious, unwavering, tenacious, and dynamic.
Our writing doesn’t need to reflect every personality trait all the time — mix and match attributes to suit your audience, your medium, and the theme of your content.
Platform & Messaging Pillars
Our brand platform defines who we are and what drives us forward, and our messaging pillars define our unique strengths while giving us filters to decide which stories to tell.
Best Practices
Know your audience and your medium.
Are your readers teenagers or seasoned professionals? Are you writing a brochure for a doctoral program or a tweet promoting a social event? Adjust your tone to suit your audience and your medium.
Keep your message clear and concise.
You’re competing with the busyness of daily life for your readers’ attention. Respect their time, and keep your writing short and to the point.
Use everyday language.
Avoid specialized terms and acronyms that your audience may not understand. Using an appropriate vocabulary ensures readers can understand your message.
Know what you want your audience to do.
Whether it’s applying for admission, requesting more information, or registering for an event, give your readers a clear call to action.
Keep it personal.
Use "you" and "your" to relate to your readers and keep them engaged.
Let Bobcats tell their stories.
Use their voices — students, alumni, faculty, and staff — to support your central message.
Back up your message with facts.
Use relevant points of pride, statistics, or rankings to support your message.
Style
Spanish and Other Languages
To communicate effectively with our audience, it's important for us to use Spanish in our communications — especially when we're talking to prospective and current students and their families.
Translation services
If you need assistance translating your materials into Spanish or other languages, you can search for an approved vendor or work with a freelance translator of your choosing.
Facts and Rankings
We encourage you to use relevant facts and rankings to support your message. You can find key information and points of pride about Texas State on our Facts and Data page and our Rankings and Accolades page.
Statements and Inclusions
Texas State publications should include brief statements that address our commitment to equal opportunity, access, and accommodations, as well as our membership in The Texas State University System.
University Policy
UPPS 06.05.01: Guidelines for Publications