Stuff In The Bluff Presentation
Fall 2023 Technical Editing
The Client
Stuff In The Bluff
My client, Kim Jones Sneed, owns the advertising, marketing, and promotion company Stuff In The Bluff and the affiliated website www.StuffintheBluff.com based in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Both focus on news, events, and entertainment in and around the city.
The Process
Because Ms. Sneed did not have an in-house style guide, we worked to develop the guide from scratch.
Users of the In-House Style Guide
A style guide helps guarantee that no matter how many people contribute to the content, it remains consistent.
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How Would it Help?
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Email Announcements
We reviewed several recent marketing email campaigns.
Job �Announcements
The Style Guide
The Content��
Our discussions helped form the basis for the style guide content including
From the Style Guide
This style guide is a reference tool to ensure that writers and editors at Stuff In The Bluff maintain a unified and professional voice across all content and materials. Whether you're creating marketing emails, web content, social media posts, or ad copy, this guide will help you convey consistent messages.�
Key Takeaways
What I Learned
Consider existing content
It was important for me to review existing content to identify any successful patterns or inconsistencies. Understanding what has worked well in the past helped me in creating the style guide.
Email �Announcements
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Facebook Banner
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Stuff In The Bluff
What I Learned Continued
Consider the target audience (for the guide)
Taking into consideration who would be using the guide, we worked to tailor the language appropriately.
Ms. Sneed didn’t want the guide to be a complicated set of rules that are hard to follow.
The goal was to be clear, concise, and helpful.
What I Learned Continued
Listen to the client
Ms. Sneed knows what her needs are. She also knows her clients and the audience. We had different opinions about some of the content. So, I would say be prepared to choose your battles. Example: AP style deviations.
Collaborate on the content
The content wasn’t all from Ms. Sneed and it wasn’t all generated by me. We worked jointly. Ex. accessibility section.
Questions?
Thank you!��Bobbie Handcock�bhandcock@ualr.edu