Writing
Voice and tone
Our brand voice
How we express ourselves is just as important as what we say. Brand voice brings a brand to life in written and verbal communication. A strong brand voice can become as recognizable as a company’s logo. And just as consistent. We have developed a distinctive, compelling voice that can help all of us write and speak in a way that is specific to the Fannie Mae brand. Everything we communicate — from product details and employee announcements — can be infused with our brand voice. Every piece of written or spoken communication that comes directly from Fannie Mae is an opportunity to put our voice to work. Brand voice isn’t what you say — that’s messaging. It’s how you say it — the tone, style, and word choices you make.
General writing tips — voice and tone
Voice is our distinct identity or style that comes through word choice and phrases. We have a consistent voice when we speak to each audience, and this is what makes our brand unique. Think of it like a personality. Tone is the mood or feeling that’s evoked by how you interpret what’s written. We use different tones for different situations. Here are fundamentals of how we can communicate with clarity when writing and speaking.
Do
Focus on the audience. Our customers and their needs are our focus, so you should address them directly when you write. Be real. Be approachable.
Use real words. Be clear and direct. Everything should be said in a down-to-earth way that is easy for people to understand.
Don’t be overly formal. Make a connection with people and work collaboratively. Use second-person pronouns, like you, we, and us. And it’s okay to use contractions, sentence fragments, and lead with conjunctions in the right context.
Keep it simple. Be straightforward and get the job done. Strive for brevity with simple sentences that can actually help you communicate more.
Use active language. To convey that we get things done, use active voice, like “we drive results.” Use gerunds (-ing words) to express forward momentum.
Be concise. Break it up with call-outs, sidebars, checklists, charts, graphs, short headlines, and single-sentence paragraphs.
Don't
Use presumptuous or arrogant language.
Use jargon, complicated industry-speak, or acronyms.
Use stiff or formal third-person narrative.
Use passive structures like “results are driven by...”
Jam too much information into a piece — it defeats the purpose. Dense text is hard to get through and decipher.
Consumer-specific writing tips
Voice
Do
Be clear: We use plain language and basic sentence structures to simplify complex concepts.
Be human: We lead with understanding and empathy and use everyday, conversational language to explain, educate, and help.
Be authentic: We’re here to provide information that’s helpful for consumers, partners, and the market.
Be straightforward: We explain things in a way that someone unfamiliar with our business could understand.
Be helpful: We are industry experts who educate our audience by using accessible language and terms.
Don't
Be overly-complex — in language or structure.
Be flowery: We’re competing for consumers’ time and attention, so it’s important to get to our point as quickly as possible. Trim unnecessary words or explanations that we may think are important but may not have an impact on the reader.
Tone
Do
Be appropriate for the situation: Think about a dress code — sometimes dressed up, sometimes dressed down, but always matches the topics.
Be positive: We can be enthusiastic while still maintaining our professionalism.
Be friendly: Our content is a conversation where we speak with our audiences, not at them.
Don't
Be overly-formal: Our goal is to make content for consumers that’s engaging, welcoming, and supportive — not intimidating or confusing to read.
Scold or be negative: It’s not productive to make audiences feel guilty or fearful.
Be arrogant: The goal is to educate, not impress our audiences by using high-level vocab words to show how smart we are.