JIVE Content Style Guide-v3

V3, cloya, 20160627
2016
Intranet Content Style Guide
Style guide for
writing Intranet
content for the
IEHP JIVE
software.

Back to Table of Contents Page 1
Intranet Content Style Guide
Table of Contents
STYLE GUIDE FOR WRITING INTRANET CONTENT FOR THE IEHP JIVE
SOFTWARE. 0
WHAT IS A STYLE GUIDE? 3
STYLE GUIDE ACCESS 3
AP STYLEBOOK 3
JIVE INTRANET CONTENT STYLE GUIDE 3
STYLE GUIDE QUESTIONS 3
CONTENT STYLE GUIDELINES 3
USE AMERICAN ENGLISH 3
CAPITALIZATIONS 4
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 5
PUNCTUATION 6
NUMBERS 8
WRITING PROFESSIONAL BIOS 10
JENNA JIVER, COMMUNITY MANAGER (USE FIRST-PERSON PERSPECTIVE FOR PERSONAL
BIO AND THIRD-PERSON PERSPECTIVE FOR PUBLICATION BIOS.) 11
USING ORGANIZATION/INDUSTRY WORDS 12
STRUCTURE AND TONE 12
WRITE WITH THE READER’S END-GOAL IN MIND 12
WRITE CLEAR, CONCISE HEADLINES AND SUB-HEADLINES 12
WRITE A RELEVANT FIRST PARAGRAPH 12
WRITE IN ACTIVE VOICE 13
KEEP IT BRIEF 14
MAKE YOUR CONTENT EYE-SCANNABLE 14
MAKE YOUR CONTENT SEARCHABLE 15
USE HYPERLINKS TO CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED CONTENT 15
ENCOURAGE A CULTURE OF EDITING TO PRODUCE ERROR FREE CONTENT 16
USE PRE-PUBLICATION CHECK LIST 16
USE CAUTION WITH MESSAGING HOT POINTS 16
USING STRAIGHT-TALK 16

BE REASSURING 16
BE THE EXPERT 17
TIPS & TRICKS 17
PERSONAS 17
FORMATTING 17
LISTS 17
LINKS 18
INTERNAL LINKS/EXTERNAL LINKS 19
PULL QUOTES 20
ADDITIONAL FORMATTING DO’S 20
KEYWORD PLACEMENT 20
FIRST OR TOP HEADINGS (H1) 20
SUB-HEADINGS (H2, H3, ETC) 21
BODY 21
CONTENT LINKS 21
IMAGES 22
PHOTOS/CAPTIONS 22
STANDARDIZATIONS 23
FONT 23
TEMPLATES 23
ADDENDUM 1 24
CONTENT WRITING CHECKLIST 24
ORGANIZATION 24
SENTENCES 24
PARAGRAPHS 24
APPEARANCE 24
TONE 25
ATTITUDE 25
ADDENDUM 2 25
ADDENDUM 3 27

WHAT IS A STYLE GUIDE?
This Intranet Content Style Guide provides basic guidelines regarding written
content on our JIVE Intranet website. Writers, editors and site owners should use
this guide as a resource for common writing, formatting and stylistic references
when creating content. Common topics covered include grammar, punctuation,
word usage and styling of content elements. A uniform standard in voice and tone
is also often addressed.
STYLE GUIDE ACCESS
AP Stylebook
Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) uses the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. Please
note that Inland Empire Health Plan is referred to as IEHP throughout this Style
Guide.
The AP Stylebook is our overall authoritative source for guidance on written
content, with notable exceptions and organizational-specific guidelines listed in this
JIVE Intranet Content Style Guide.
JIVE Intranet Content Style Guide
Our Intranet Content Style Guide is currently available in PDF format and can be
found on the JIVE Intranet. Search for JIVE Style Guide.
Style Guide Questions
For questions or support regarding the JIVE Content Style Guide, please contact the
JIVE Community Manager at loya-c@IEHP.org.
CONTENT STYLE GUIDELINES
Use American English
Like this:
 You may want to bring a favorite toy as a security item for your child.
 He handed out 500 organic mint-flavored lip balms to conference attendees.
Not like this:
 favourite or flavoured

Consider the IEHP Audience
Capitalizations
Item Guideline Example
Proper nouns Capitalize first letter of
each word.
National Board Medical
Examination, Rancho
Cucamonga, California, Bradley
Gilbert, Mayor Rigsby, President
Obama, Barton Road, Memorial
Day
Popular
names
Capitalize South Side, Medical Center,
Inland Empire
Derivative
nouns
Capitalize if it is derived
from a proper noun.
Shakespearean, English
Compositions
titles
Capitalize principal words
such as in titles of
movies, songs, books.
A Certain Kind of Light, Material
Safety Data Sheets, Mad World
Titles Capitalize formal titles
when used before a
name. Lowercase if used
alone or when set off in
commas.
President Morales, Professor
Smith, Dr. Gilbert, president of
IEHP, will attend the conference.
Medical
terminology
Capitalize industry
specific words if a proper
noun and acronyms.
Parkinson’s disease, COPD, CABG
Socio-
cultural and
religious
designations
Capitalize Spanish, African-American,
Caucasion
File
extensions
Do not be capitalize. .pdf, , .zip, .mp4, .gif, etc.
Emphasis Avoid using uppercase for
emphasis.
Like this:
Gift Shop Grand Opening
Not like this:
GIFT SHOP GRAND OPENING
Street names Capitalize when part of a
formal name without a
number; lowercase when
used alone or with two or
more names.
Spell out and capitalize
First through Ninth when
used as street names; use
figures for 10th and
Campus Avenue
alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.
7 Fifth Ave., 100 21st St.

above. Always use figures
for an address number.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Use full terms where possible, minimize abbreviations. The table below provides
guidance on the appropriate use of abbreviations when used.
Days of the
week
Use sentence case. Do not
abbreviate, except in
tables.
She attended class on
Tuesday.
Biology: Tue, Thu (in table)
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Abbreviating to FAQ is
acceptable. Does not need
an “s” to pluralize. No
periods.
FAQ
Degrees or
after a name
Do not use periods when
abbreviating academic
degrees and titles after a
name.
MD (not M.D.) or DrPH (not Dr.
P.H.)
BA, BS, MA, MS, NP, DO, DD,
PhD
Before a name Use a period. Dr., Gov., Lt., Rep.
With dates
and numerals
Use periods after
abbreviations.
2016 A.D., 200 B.C.
Headings No periods in
abbreviations in headings.
IEHP Receives Recognition for
Best Work Place in the IE
Street names
only with a
numbered
address
Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a
numbered address: 1600
Campus Ave.
Directional
(compass)
Abbreviate compass points
used to indicate
directional ends of a street
or quadrants of a city in a
numbered address.
Do not abbreviate if the
number is omitted:
No periods in quadrant
abbreviations unless
customary locally.
222 E. 42nd St., 562 W. 43rd
St., 600 K St. NW.
East 42nd Street, West 43rd
Street, K Street Northwest.
NW, SE

Punctuation
Commas Use commas to separate
elements in a series. Also
known as a serial comma.
Like this:
Dermatology stocks
foundations, facial scrubs
and creams.
Not like this:
Dermatology stocks
foundations, facial scrubs,
and creams.
Put a comma before the
concluding conjunction in a
series.
I had orange juice, toast,
and ham and eggs for
breakfast.
Use a comma also before the
concluding conjunction in a
complex series of phrases.
The main points to consider
are whether the students
are skillful enough to
compete, whether they have
the stamina to endure the
internship, and whether they
have the proper mental
attitude.
Use commas to separate
independent clauses with
coordinating conjunctions:
but, yet, for, nor, or, while,
and.
She applied for the job, but
was not qualified for hire.
Use between equal adjectives. My new, red cabinet has a
scratch on it.
Use commas after a long
introductory phrase used to
begin a sentence.
After ten weeks of training,
the intern was ready to
apply for a job in the world.
Commas set off non-
restrictive phrases and
clauses. This means that the
clause or phrase can be
eliminated and the sentence
would still have the same
meaning.
The team’s coach, Jacob
Thomas, shouted at the
referee.
Commas separate age and
address from a person’s
Phil Botomist, 32, is now the
Clinical Labs newest

name. phlebotomist.
Inland Empire Health Plan,
10801 6th
Street in Rancho
Cucamonga, has a new
office location.
Use commas to clarify
confusing material.
What the problem is, is
certain to be clear over
time.
Use commas to separate
attributions from quotations.
The student explained, “My
thesis statement was on the
benefits of coconut oil for
skin regeneration.”
Commas are used with states
and dates.
She comes from Fort
Wayne, Indiana, where
Hoosiers live.
He was born on May 9,
1992.
Commas separate number
larger than 999 when writing
quantities. However, there is
an exception for comma usage
with decades or trade names.
Like this:
1,000 or $10,000.00
Not like this:
1975 or Lenovo3000
Periods and
Parenthesis
Place a period outside a
closing parenthesis if the
material inside is not a
sentence (such as this
fragment).
Place the period on the inside
of a closing parenthesis if the
material inside is a sentence.
(An independent parenthetical
sentence such as this one
takes a period before the
closing parenthesis.)
You have three choices of
meat to choose from, (beef,
chicken, fish.)
We cater to all ages. (Some
exceptions may apply.)
Spacing Use a single space after a
period at the end of a
sentence.
Like this:
Monday will be your
orientation date. Tuesday is
your first day in your new
office.
Not like this:
Monday will be your
orientation date. Tuesday

is your first day in your new
office.
Exclamation
points
Avoid where possible. Use
exclamation marks sparingly
when necessary.
Like this:
We are excited to welcome
you to our family. Happy
times ahead.
Not like this:
Welcome you to our family!
Quotation
marks
Periods and commas always
go inside quotation marks.
The sign said, "Walk." Then
it said, "Don't Walk," then,
"Walk," all within thirty
seconds.
He yelled, "Hurry up."
"When will you be here?" he
asked.
Numbers
Number lists Numerals may be used in lists
to summarize AP style in a
sentence or two.
 4 children between age 2 to
15 years old
 2 children between 0 to 10
years
 3 adults over 21 years of
age
 1 apple
 2 oranges
 3 handfuls of spinach
 4 table spoons of flaxseed
 5 teaspoons of honey
Numbers
under 10
Numeral under 10 should be
spelled out when in a
sentence.
Like this:
Three out of five children
will have growth spurts
between the ages of zero to
10 years old.
Not like this:
3 out of the 5 children will
have growth spurts
between 0- to 10-years old.
Numbers at
beginning of
sentences
Numerals should not begin a
sentence, except if it is a
headline.
Like this:
Member Services receives
429 Member calls before
8am each day.

Not like this:
429 Members call Member
Services before 8am each
day.
Exceptions:
Headlines: 4 billion
children were given lunch
today
Emphasizing facts and
figures: 8 injured in traffic
collision
Time and
time
sequences
 If: On-the-hour times;
Then: Minutes do not need
to be included 3pm instead
of 3:00pm.
 However, do include
minutes when necessary for
consistency within a text or
table that includes other
minute references: 10:00am
to 11:30am.
 12:00am should be
midnight
 12:00pm should be noon
 Across international time
lines
10am to 11am
10:00am - 3:30pm
11pm to midnight
11am - noon
International times: 8pm
ET, 10:30pm PT
Phone
numbers
Use dashes instead of
parenthesis. Write out
“extension” for formal
communications and use an
“x” for brief internal
communications.
Hyperlink phone numbers for
accessibility through mobile
and digital media. Click the
hyperlink icon in most content
windows and then enter
tel:9098902054
909-890-2054
800-860-1298 extension
63373
800-860-1298 x63373
Ages Use numbers when deemed
necessary.
 12-year-old boy was
adopted…
 The girl was only 4
years old.
 Her son is 5 years old.

 The IEHP Yoga program,
which is four years old,
targets 5- to 10-year-
old children.
Page
numbers
Act numbers
Scene
numbers
Room
numbers
Course
numbers
Use number and capitalize the
word when used with a
number. Do not hyphenate
Page 1, Page 2, Page 3
Act 1, Scene 3
Room 102A
History 101
Monetary Always use lowercase. Use
numbers and the dollar “$”
sign in all except casual
references or amounts without
numbers.
Use “cents” for amounts under
$1 unless it is included with an
amount greater than $1.
For specified amounts the
word takes a singular verb.
For amounts of more than $1
million, use up to two decimal
places.
Do not link numbers and words
with a hyphen.
$1 million
$6 instead of $6.00
5 cents instead of $0.05
unless it is $5.30.
He said $500,000 is what
they want.
He proposed a $500 billion
budget for the new
hospital.
She is worth $1.2 million.
WRITING PROFESSIONAL BIOS
Here are a few tips for creating a great bio for JIVE.
Prepare:
1. How do you want your bio to look? What do other bios look like on JIVE
compared to other websites?
a. Short bios are about 250 words long or one paragraph

b. Long bios are about 2-3 paragraphs in length depending on company
acceptable bios
2. Outline-Highlight qualifications and accomplishments
a. Professional achievements and awards, IEHP projects and
accomplishments
b. Qualifications, skills, education (degrees and certifications), honors,
association memberships
c. A short list of professional and personal information
3. Writing the Bio:
a. The bio should be in 3rd person.
b. Keep it brief, relevant and up-to-date
i. Short paragraphs
ii. Bullet points whenever possible
iii. Include important details that are relevant to your skills and
practice
iv. Briefly explain past education, years in experience and
continuing education history.
c. Optional - include personal or interesting facts to reflect who you are
outside of the office
i. Where you grew up
ii. Special talents
iii. Favorite hobbies
Examples: 145 words
Jenna Jiver, Community Manager (Use first-person perspective for personal bio
and third-person perspective for publication bios.)
I am a mother of five boys, 2, 7, 9, 21, and 22; seven if you count my husband and
dog.
I am a natural leader and an influential communicator with 10 years of public
relations experience and management experience, and over 12 years of experience
in corporate education, employee development and training. I have additional
experience in healthcare, government and non-profit environment.
I offer expertise in communications, public speaking, community relations, program
management, brand management, content management and editing.
In my free time I am mentor for the NextStep Mentoring Program for at-risk young
women. I also volunteer as the VP for Robert and Francis Fullerton Museum of Art
and the co-chair on the RAFFMA Marketing and Membership committee. I am a
proud alumna of CSUSB. My hobbies include PC gaming and activities with my
family. I enjoy Opera, Jazz, Blues, and Classical music.

USING ORGANIZATION/INDUSTRY WORDS
Ebooks or e-books: e-books
Email or e-mail: email
Health care vs. healthcare: At IEHP, we use healthcare as one word.
Nonprofit vs. non-profit: nonprofit
Not for profit vs Not-for-profit: Not-for-profit.
Styleguide vs. style guide: AP uses style guide, however, AP combines stylebook
X-ray vs. x-ray: follow AP Style Guidelines, capitalize the “X”
Web related words:
 websites  web page
 PHP, not php  HTML, not html
 online, not on-line
 Intranet, not
intranet
 Internet, not
internet
 JavaScript, not Javascript because JavaScript is
a trademark
 e-learning, not elearning
 The web, not the Web unless referring to the
World Wide Web
STRUCTURE AND TONE
Write with the reader’s end-goal in mind
Some key questions to ask are:
 What are they looking for?
 What knowledge do you have that your readers want?
 Why should they be interested in what you have to share?
 What are the demographics?
Write clear, concise headlines and
sub-headlines
These are the first words your reader will
view. They will decide from the headings if
they need to continue to read the rest of the
section. Additionally, a good headline will also
help JIVE relevant search results.
Write a relevant first paragraph
Use the inverted pyramid style. This means
listing all relevant information up front. Get
CEO, Gilbert Shares
Ideas on LEAN
Improvement
Dr. Bradley Gilbert shares his ideas on
LEAN improvement at the March TQM.
He announces the new 5-Star Strategic
Priorities and explains how IEHP Team
Members can contribute to the five
initiatives…
Read More >>

straight to the point instead of burying it in paragraphs of text.
A good guide to your first paragraph is to answer these questions:
 What is this content all about?
 Why should the JIVE user keep reading?
Once the questions are answered, organize your content:
• Use the inverted pyramid style.
• List all relevant information up front and visible upon the initial view without
scrolling.
• Get straight to the point instead of burying it in paragraphs of text.
• Categorize to the users’ needs, not by departmental organization or
hierarchy.
Write in active voice
Write the way you would talk in a meeting. More relaxed and yet business minded.
Avoid lots of jargon/fluff yet be welcoming in your approach.
An active voice is when the subject of a sentence/statement does the action to
an agent/object.
• Ex: The chef created the cafeteria menu.
– The Chef is the subject
– The action is he created
– The cafeteria menu is the agent/object.
A passive voice is when a agent/object a sentence/statement.
• Ex: The cafeteria menu must have been created by a chef.
• Passive sentences use permissive and softer words in combination with
actions.
– Must have, should have, could have, may have, would have…
– Was eaten, were typed, have been, has been

–
Active Voice Passive Voice
 I wrote Sol a letter.
 The boy ate the ice cream.
 They practice a routine.
 Sol’s letter was written by me.
 The ice cream was eaten by the boy.
 The routine was practiced.
Keep it brief
Your JIVE content should be only as long as it needs to be. Make your reader’s job
as easy as possible. Remove jargon/fluff and keep your sentences and paragraphs
short. Remember that it is harder to read from a computer screen than from paper.
 Omit non-essential words
 Remove jargon/fluff
 Keep your sentences and paragraphs short
 Use one idea per paragraph
 Readers scan text rather than reading a whole screen
Make your content eye-scannable
Use different tools to make your content reader friendly. Remember the JIVE reader
scans pages as opposed to reading in a linear fashion. Tools include: headings, sub-
headings, numbered or bulleted lists, tables, changing font styling, and using bold
or italics to differentiate text.
• Nielsen Norman Group Web Content Reader Tracking study revealed readers’
usually read in an
F-Shape pattern.
– Has three components:
• Horizontal movement
• Second horizontal movement
• Vertical movement

Make your content searchable
This means using key words and phrases sprinkled throughout your headlines,
sub-headlines, and paragraphs. This means you have to anticipate words and
phrases your readers are looking for. Additionally, type keywords into your
metadata and tag your content with at least 3 to 5 tags.
How does Search work?
Use hyperlinks to cross-reference related content
Create hyperlinks and use them to guide your readers to where they can learn
The Search
Engine sends
programs called
spiders (or bots)
from its Intranet
server to crawl
the Intranet.
When a spider finds a page
on your site, (often via a link
from another site or a word
search), it collects
information from the HTML
tags hidden behind the
content and on the content
of the page.
Then, the spider follows
the internal links on your
site and repeats the
indexing process for the
other pages on your site.

more about an important related topic. Research suggests that the reader is more
visually drawn to a link when it is embedded in 4-5 words. Avoid using “Click Here”
to link out to another site. Instead use Call to Action phrases.
Learn more >>
Read more >>
Watch the Video >>
Join Now >>
See Our Progress >>
Make a Donation >>
Register >>
Back to Top ^
Financial Expenditures (xls)
Safety Metrics (pdf)
Holiday Party (jpg)
Letter Template (doc)
Encourage a culture of editing to produce error free content
Check, check and double-check your content. Additionally, when possible use peer
editing to check for grammar errors or accuracy of facts. Also, use tools such as
spell check or grammar check to catch common writing errors. Remember to keep
your content up to date and accurate. You want to remain creditable to your reader
by keeping accurate, grammar correct, and up to date information.
Use Pre-Publication Check List
Print out the attached check-list at the end of the Style Guide in the Addendum.
Use Caution with messaging hot points
Hot points can change the tone of your site.
 Stay formal, but friendly.
 Do not use slang words/trend abbreviations of any kind.
 Always use first person ‘We’ and ‘you’.
 Keep language simple, clear and active.
Using Straight-Talk
 Be clear, concise and direct.
 Be focused and get to the point. Be sure to plan your key messages and
action points before you create the content. Stick to one theme at a time.
 Think about the audience - Is price, service or reputation important to them?
How can you be as simple as possible without losing impact?
 Consider your content options - A straight taking voice wouldn’t be suited to
long-winded articles or hour long seminars. Think direct and opt for short
videos or snippets of copy.
 Don’t use a passive tone - Stay active and use first person.
 Avoid repetition and try to keep bodies of copy to short paragraphs and no
jargon.
 Steer clear of clichés and overused metaphors - they will dilute your voice.
 Don’t be rude, dumb-down the content or be aggressive.
Be Reassuring
 The content should be relatable, sincere and understanding.

 Identify with the audiences’ (parents) daily concerns and needs. Be on their
side and honest.
 Use phrases and language that is commonly used in patient circles to
encourage trust. Avoid jargon at all costs.
 Don’t use a passive tone Stay active and use first person.
 Talking sales Don’t project a ‘buy this now’ vibe. Overusing sales talk will
discredit the brand and lose the customer.
 Don’t make it overly emotional or passive.
Be the Expert
 If you are citing a source, content should be knowledgeable, respected,
informative and trusted.
 Don’t make the content overly scientific, pretentious or without a human
side.
Tips & Tricks
 Explain research, don’t just state facts Put expert knowledge and research
into a human, recognizable context for readers to understand.
 Keep sentences short and concise, no long speeches.
 Limit jargon. If you do have to explain legal terms or medical phrases, do it
visually or cite external sources to explore.
 Don’t use a passive tone Stay active and use first person.
 Limit referral to trusted sources - Include renowned and recognized sources
of research and reference. This intensifies your status as expert.
PERSONAS
 Who is our target audience?
 What are their pain points?
 How do they like to be communicated with?
o Examples - Everyday case studies.
o Interviews - Personal insight.
o Info-graphics - Stats and figures present a visual at-glance.
o Testimonials Give real life weight to our product’s relevance.
o Reviews Offer an in tune overview of the market’s views and
opinions.
o How to guides - Guide audiences through the ease and function of a
system or app tool.
FORMATTING
Lists
(Ordered and unordered) Use ordered when sequence is important. Use bullet
points to list features or addition points. This varies in bootstrap components.

 First word on bulleted lists should be capitalized, the rest in sentence case.
 No period on bulleted lists if all list items are sentence fragments. If one or
more list items is a complete sentence, use ending punctuation and add to
other list items to preserve consistency (all list items must be able to stand
on its own as a sentence).
Example:
 Complete sentences:
 Developing population specific and culturally appropriate
plans of care to educate patients and families about their
individual cancer diagnosis, possible clinical trials and
personalized treatment.
 Supporting and navigating patients through the treatment
process by reinforcing education and facilitating
communication between healthcare providers.
 Identifying and addressing any barriers to treatment.
 Participating in weekly cancer conferences as a patient
advocate with a diverse group of health professionals to
assist in developing a treatment plan for newly diagnosed
cancer patients.
 Coordinating support groups and related programs/classes.
 Referring patients to national organizations as well as
appropriate resources within individual communities.
 Supporting the survivorship clinic, which coordinates follow-
up care when cancer treatment is completed.
 Teaching cancer prevention and acting as community
ambassadors.
 One complete sentence (requires all items to have a period):
 Metastasize. Cancer cells can break away from a malignant
tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system to
form tumors in other parts of the body.
 Are cancer.
 May be a threat to life.
 Often can be removed, but sometimes grow back.
 Can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs.
 Sentence fragments:
 Your age, overall health and medical history
 Extent of the disease
 Cause of the disease
 Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or
therapies
 Expectations for the course of the disease
 Your opinion or preference
Links
 Use sentence case for hyperlinks, except in CTA buttons in header and footer
in which case use title case.
 All hyperlinks and jump links should use one consistent color.

 All email addresses should be “mailto:” links and have the email subject pre-
populated.
o Jump links may be separated by a vertical pipe ( | ). If using a list of
2-5 links, use pipe or vertical list. For more than five elements, use a
vertical list without pipes. Very long lists should be formatted in a
column vertical list.
Example:
 __________ | _________ | ___________ | _________ |
_________
Yoga | Zumba | Aerobics | Conditioning | Weight-lifting
o Single-column list
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
o Multiple columns
_________ __________ __________
_________ __________ __________
_________ __________ __________
_________ __________ __________
_________ __________
_________ __________
Internal Links/External Links
 External sites have to link into a new window.
 JIVE spaces should open in the same window.
 PDFs should open in new windows if using.
 Use keywords that relevant to the topic and drive the user to the specific
intended action. Keep hyperlinks to five words or less.
Example:
Before: Click here for a pdf of the admissions requirements.
After: Read more about our admissions requirement.
Before: View our admissions requirements here.
After: View our admission requirements.

Pull Quotes
Information to be included in a pull quote:
 Name, affiliation/title, credentials
 Testimonial should be sentence case structure
Example:
“I received the best care at Dignity Health…the nurses are so
compassionate.” ~Tina, patient
“At San Antonio, we strive to bring excellence to our patient care.”
~ Charles Zhang. MD, DO, PhD, executive director of pediatrics
Additional Formatting Do’s
 Include source references and author details as footer text. (Author name,
publication/source, year)
 Keep paragraphs to 4 lines or less.
KEYWORD PLACEMENT
Incorporating keywords in your text can help users find your content in search
engines like Google because search engines are designed to display the most
relevant, useful content higher in results. Keywords help tell search engines what
the page is about and associate it with user searches based on the keywords used.
JIVE pages should be optimized for 1 - 3 target keywords or keyword phrases
based on relevance. The pages should incorporate the target keywords early on the
page and as often as naturally appropriate.
The important point to keep in mind is always write first for your audience. Do not
overstuff or attempt to force your target keywords in your text. More importantly, it
may be confusing or unsettling to your audience if every sentence is conspicuously
stuffed with keywords.
Use keywords effectively to help users find applicable content in topics the
audiences will search.
You should not use more than two SEO keywords per paragraph.
First or Top Headings (H1)
May repeat the page title, but best to use a different heading using the keywords.
Also, the earlier in heading you can insert the keywords, the better.
Example:

Use:
Bladder Cancer: Facts and Myths
Instead of:
Facts and Myths about Bladder Cancer
Sub-Headings (H2, H3, etc)
Subheads are very SEO-friendly and will boost page relevance. They are useful in
helping to break up a long page and improving readability. These subheadings may
also contain the targeted keywords or supporting keywords. Do not overuse
keywords, work them in when naturally appropriate.
Body
Use your targeted keyword in the first 100 words and then repeat as appropriate
with natural flow. You can use variations on your keywords (Example: breast
cancer and cancer in the breast)
Example:
This example illustrates optimization for the keyword phrase “breast
cancer”
Use:
When breast cancer metastasizes, or spreads outside the breast, cancer cells
are often found in the lymph nodes under the arm. If the cancer has reached
these nodes, it may mean that breast cancer cells have spread to other parts
of the body.
Instead of:
When the cancer metastasizes, or spreads outside the breast, cancer cells
are often found in the lymph nodes under the arm. If it has reached these
nodes, it may mean that cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body.
Content Links
We can provide valuable information to our visitors when we link them to useful,
relevant information whether on our own site or external sites. Content links should
ideally feature pages within our own network of sites that may be useful to your
audience, though a few selected external links may also be appropriate if not
overused.
Be cautious in including too many off-site links as they may encourage users to
leave your site.

A few tips to keep in mind when using content links:
 Avoid using “click here” when linking to another site. Use descriptive anchor
text that informs users where they will land. Use relevant keywords when
possible.
Example:
Use:
Learn what to expect during surgery.
Instead of:
Click here to learn about what you can expect during surgery.
 Always have links open in a new window if the page is in another site.
 Use links often and as appropriate in your text, but don’t overuse
 Internal links can be created and linked to anything within JIVE including
people with @Mention. By typing the @ symbol followed by the first word of
what you want linked, you can select and hyperlink within JIVE. Internal
hyperlinks with display an image for spaces, groups, projects, adobe pdfs,
images, video, and office documents.
 To hyperlink to external links, you can select the hyperlink chain icon in the
content tool bar and add the hyperlink. External hyperlinks will reveal a
symbol.
Images
When placing images on JIVE, use “tags”. Alternate text, or tags, creates an HTML
code attribute that is used when an image is not rendered as intended and makes
the image searchable.
Search engines sometimes display this text instead of the description or render that
text when the image doesn’t load. ALT text is also useful in helping search engines
index content for image searches.
A few tips about ALT text:
 Make your ALT text descriptive
 Use keywords in your ALT text, but NEVER spam with stuffing keywords
 Use title tag in your image tag. Ideally, use the same keyword(s) as in ALT
text
Photos/Captions
No captions with featured/hero images. News story images should follow AP caption
format, with exception: Do not include date photo was made.
 Photos that must have captions:
o Bios
o Group photos (students, staff, etc)

o Groups of photos - (such as many photos for an event). Captions or
headings may be used to reference a section of photos instead of for
each individual photo.
Check with the IEHP Communications Standards Manual for photo copyright
requirements and questions.
Standardizations
Font
The standard font for JIVE is set for Verdana. Please do not change the font-family within the
formatted text or document. The font size can be set to a 12 pt font for paragraph content to
provide better visibility for the content.
Headers are also standardized. If you are using a Header 1 (first header) it is set to an 18 pt
blue font. The Header 1 can be changed to a 24pt font in the Welcome message only. Please
do not change the font-family in the headers on any of the content created within JIVE. The
headers and content should also be left justified. If you have a need to center or right-justify
content, please contact the JIVE Community Administrator for approvals.
Templates
With JIVE, three standardized templates are allowed for Space, Sub-space, group, and project
overviews. The Templates have mandatory requirements for top-level division overviews and
secondary sub-space overviews for the business units. For Group and Projects, it is
recommended to begin with an Activity page when creating the overview page is needed
when the group or projects has evolved. Refer to Addendum 2 and 3 for more details about
the overview and sub-space overview templates.
The division/business unit overview pages should include the following widgets:
Left Navigation
Column
Content Area Right Navigation
Column
1. Chief’s/Director’s
Corner
2. Call to Action
Buttons for
critical links
3. Meet the Team
4. Groups
o Team Corner
o Sponsors
o Social
5. Projects – if
needed
6. Additional
widgets if needed
1. Space grid/HTML navigation – if
needed
2. Welcome message – mandatory
3. Blog feed – if needed
4. Slideshow Carousel – if needed
5. View document – if needed
6. Featured content – if needed
7. Recent activity feed – if desired
8. Other pertinent content – if needed
9. “Questions about” space message –
mandatory.
1. Ask widget
2. Quick links or
helpful links
3. Categories
(folders)widget
4. Polls
5. Slideshow Carousel –
if needed
6. View document – if
needed
7. Featured content –
if needed
8. Featured video – if
needed

9. Other pertinent
content – if needed
*For additional information on graphic standards, brand colors, typography
and other brand related standards, consult the IEHP Communications
Standards Manual located on JIVE.
Addendum 1
Content Writing Checklist
Organization
1. Did I organize my content to accommodate the reader’s time?
2. Did I organize my content to provide the reader with what they need or want?
3. Did I use a pyramid or inverted pyramid method to organize my content?
Sentences
1. Did I use a variety of sentence lengths?
2. Do my sentences exceed 15-18 words?
3. Do my sentences require more than four punctuations?
4. Did I use lists of more than three items in a sentence?
5. Did I convey good news in shorter sentences and bad news in longer sentences?
Paragraphs
1. Are my paragraphs longer than eight lines?
2. Are my opening or closing paragraphs less than four lines?
3. Are my paragraphs equal in length?
Appearance
1. Does my content have too much white space in any given area?
2. Is the font I used legible to a reader?
3. Did I use boldface, underlines, capitals, or italics appropriately?

Tone
1. Does my tone convey my meaning?
2. Is there anything in the tone of my content that can be misconstrued by the
reader?
3. Does my tone seem formal, semi-formal, or informal?
4. Does my tone convey that the reader is important?
Attitude
1. Does my content portray my mood?
2. Do I need to change any words to change the attitude of my content?
3. Will I get the response I desire from the reader?
Addendum 2
Overview and sub-space layout with a lot of content.

Addendum 3
Sub-space layout for very little content.

JIVE Content Style Guide-v3

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