Messaging & Writing Goals

Messaging

Aim to convey Green River's core values of teaching and serving students in all written content.

The positioning of the College is three-fold:

  • An excellent, open-access education that equips tomorrow's leaders, innovators and knowledge workers for success.
  • A college pursuing discoveries and innovations that are key to our student's future.
  • Instruction that addresses current problems and creates new opportunities in Washington and the world.

Writing Goals and Principles

With every piece of content we publish, we aim to:

  • Empower. Help people understand Green River College by using language that informs them and encourages them to make the most of the educational, personal and professional development options we have available.
  • Respect. Treat readers with the respect they deserve. Put yourself in their shoes, and don't patronize them. Remember that they have other things to do. Be considerate and inclusive. Don't market at people; communicate with them.
  • Educate. Tell readers what they need to know, not just what we want to say. Give them the exact information they need, along with opportunities to learn more. Remember that you're the expert, and readers don't have access to everything you know.
  • Guide. Think of yourself as a tour guide for our readers. Whether you are leading them through our marketing website, apps, or educational materials, communicate in a friendly and helpful way.
  • Speak truth. Understand Green River College's place in our learners' lives. Avoid dramatic storytelling and grandiose claims. Focus on our real strengths and real student/faculty/staff/alumni stories.

In order to achieve those goals, we make sure our content is:

  • Clear. Understand the topic you're writing about. Use simple words and sentences.
  • Useful. Before you start writing, ask yourself: What purpose does this serve? Who is going to read it? What do they need to know?
  • Friendly. Write like a human. Don't be afraid to break a few rules if it makes your writing more relatable. All of our content, from splashy homepage copy to system alerts, should be warm and human.
  • Appropriate. Write in a way that suits the situation. Just like you do in face-to-face conversations, adapt your tone depending on who you're writing to and what you're writing about.