Writing Playbook

EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDE
Numbers
Figures
Currency
Dates
Time
Formatting
Bullets
Dashes
Double spacing
Italics / bold / underlining
Language
Abreviations
Capitalisation
Punctuation
Hyphenation
Pronouns
Other
Index
TONE OF VOICE
Principles
Confident
Thoughtful
Natural
Proofreading
Before and after examples
Writing for impact

Writing for impact

These tips focus on generally writing well, not just sounding RSM. They help us to write concisely and engage our readers.

  • Write for an international audience Some expressions are confusing to those who speak English as a second language. To make sure everyone understands our communications, we avoid jargon, sayings, regional phrases and metaphors.
  • Include signposts To create a user-friendly experience, use subheadings to break up blocks of text and help the reader to navigate our content.
  • Use bullet points When a sentence feels like a long list (longer than three points), use bullet points to make it easier to digest.
  • Liven up headings and titles To draw people in, speak directly to the reader and include verbs (doing words like ‘create’, ‘move’ and ‘helping’). And remember our RSM way of using issue-based headings – these include an interesting topic or problem.
  • Include facts Wherever possible, back up what we’re saying with evidence. That could be stats, research results and quotes from trusted sources like the Financial Times.

Writing Playbook