Hey!
Thanks for stopping by.
Unless you’ve landed on this page by accident, you’re here because you’ll be writing wonderful words for us at Timetastic.
Either way, we’re glad to have you.
In this guide, you’ll find some handy pointers that’ll give you an in-depth understanding of who we are and what we stand for.
Whether you’re penning a punchy tagline for an ad, or churning out chunks of text for a blog post, this guide will help you write like you’re one of us.
Consistency is important to us.
Because consistent communication makes a strong brand. We’ve worked hard to keep things in line. So, please – take some time to read before you write.
Our persona
Our product is helpful, and so are we.
Saving people time. Keeping things simple. Making life easy. That’s what Timetastic is all about.
But... all work and no play makes a dull brand.
Nobody believes in a healthy work-life balance more than we do. Besides our work, we don’t take things too seriously. We like a bit of fun.
This comes out in our witty and understated sense of humour. We don’t mind a bit of self-deprecation, and subtle sarcasm is fine. No cynicism, though.
We’re knowledgeable, but not know-it-alls.
We know what we’re talking about, but we don’t bang on about being ‘experts’, and we definitely don’t call ourselves ‘gurus’.
We have opinions, but we’re not opinionated.
We don’t sit on the fence. But even when we’re being subjective, we like to be objective – citing sources to support our opinions where necessary.
We’re confident, but not assertive.
We make our points with strong conviction, but we don’t aggressively assert ourselves. Uppercase is for shouting, lowercase is for talking.
We’re always honest – no matter what.
Everything we do begins and ends with the truth. Because without it, what have we got? Exaggerated claims and fake news. That’s what.
What we say
Typically, we cover a variety of topics such as holiday, benefits, HR, company culture, work-life balance, and employer-employee relations.
But that doesn’t mean we shy away from other subjects – as long as they’re relevant.
Our product makes taking time off work easier for everyone. And sometimes, the topics we discuss give us a good opportunity to show it off.
Where it feels natural, we like to weave our product into the narrative – explaining the benefits and the problems it solves. That being said, we never shoehorn it in where it’s not relevant. Context is key.
It’s our job to uncomplicate the complicated.
We like our language plain and simple. Long words don’t impress anyone around here. Keep your ideas big, and your words small.
Instead of facilitate, say help. Instead of solution, say fix. Instead of enable, say let. The simpler the words, the better.
Our language is inclusive of everyone. Leave all your business speak, buzzwords, and jargon where they belong – in the boredroom.
We’re all about saving people time. So why write ten words when five will do? Say what needs to be said, but don't beat around the bush.
Article length should be dictated by the topic, not an arbitrary word count. We’d choose quality over quantity any day of the week.
While writing search friendly content is good, it shouldn’t be the primary aim. Write for people first, then optimise for search engines.
How we say it
Imagine you’re talking to someone across a table. Not your best buddy, but not a complete stranger. More like an acquaintance.
Now imagine how you’d talk to them. It’s relatively informal. A casual discussion. You ask questions, you get to know them.
Remember: you’re not talking to everyone. You’re having a conversation with one person – the person sat across the table.
That’s why we address them directly, using ‘you’ and ‘your’. The bottom line is, we’re getting personal. Building a relationship.
We write how we speak, and we speak how we write.
Read your writing back to yourself again and again. If you’re using words that you wouldn’t use in everyday conversation, then it needs a rethink.
While you’re there, check the rhythm – does it read well? Or is it clunky and awkward? Good writing flows seamlessly from one word to the next.
An easy way to make it flow is by using contractions. Instead of are not, say aren’t. Instead of do not, say don’t. Instead of will not, say won’t.
Always write with conviction, and be cautious of qualifiers. Words like may, could, and might don’t carry impact. Instead, say will.
Draw from personal experience; use examples, analogies and anecdotes to make the subject relatable for the reader.
And last but not least, always write in an active voice – not a passive voice. This makes your writing clear, concise, and easier to understand.
Editorial guidelines
Before writing, remember these to follow these rules of best practice:
- Write in an active voice, not a passive voice
- Don’t just address the subject, address the reader too
- Sentence case headings without punctuation, unless it’s two sentences or expressive
- Write in small paragraphs to make the text more inviting
- Use a combination of short, medium and long sentences
- Use contractions where possible
- Run it through Hemingway Editor – aim for readability grade 5-7
- Use headers so the reader can scan the content and find what they need
- Only include links to high-quality sites
- Use bullet points for long lists
- Read it back yourself (and out loud). Does it have rhythm and flow?
- Use social proof to support your points – tweets, posts, etc.
- Avoid being generic at all costs – give specific examples to add context
- Refer to people as people, and avoid using formal titles like staff, employee, colleague or coworker