Last updated: April 2023

PickFu brings consumer research to the masses in an easy-to-use online platform. Well-written content helps us do that, and it helps our customers make smart, data-driven business decisions.

We write for our customers, to inform and educate them so they can get better at what they do. They are e-commerce sellers, mobile app developers, self-published authors, packaged goods companies, marketers, and product designers, to name a few.

This is our editorial road map for content that’s clear, consistent, engaging, and useful. We update it as language, usage, and styles change over time.

When in doubt, we defer to Associated Press style. We have our own style preferences and house rules too. Among them: PickFu is always one word, capital P and F.

We know our stuff when it comes to consumer research.

That said, we never want to come off as preachy, salesy, or dry. We write the way we talk, using everyday, positive language and a friendly, approachable voice.

We avoid corporate lingo and prefer clarity above all. But we do appreciate wit, a clever turn of phrase, and a well-placed GIF now and then.

These guidelines apply across all our channels, from print to social media.

Embrace the certainty of active voice.

Write short. Shorter sentences and paragraphs are easier to read, especially online where most of our content lives.

Avoid unnecessary words (very, really, actually), redundancy, and cliches. Go easy on dependent clauses. Each sentence should build on the previous one, not rehash what’s been said.

Jargon is exhausting. Use common words whenever possible to explain concepts.

Write in first-person plural and talk to readers in second person: We work with third-party providers. You can split test images, logos, and more.

Spell out on the first reference with the abbreviation or acronym in parentheses: Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is important. Here’s how to improve your PPC ads.

If an acronym is universally familiar — DIY, for example — there’s no need to spell it out.

In general, default to sentence casing for all web elements, YouTube video titles, and blog posts.

Follow the capitalization style of company and brand names: eComEngine, JungleScout, LinkedIn, Mailchimp, Walmart, WordPress, YouTube

Capitalize App Store when referring to Apple’s platform. Lowercase app store when using generically.

Don’t capitalize job titles in running copy: Join PickFu industry liaison Anthony Cofrancesco for a discussion on optimizing your Amazon listing.

Don't capitalize email addresses or URLs unless they are case-sensitive.

Don't put PickFu in all caps.

Italicize the following:

In general, spell out one through nine in text and use figures for 10 and higher. Do the same for ordinals: first through ninth, 10th, 75th, etc.

Spell out a number when it starts a sentence: Twelve respondents voted for Option A.

We make exceptions online in headlines and subheads, email headlines and subject lines, and social media posts. In these cases, use figures: 7 SEO tools you should know

A company is an it, not they.

An audience is a they, not an it.

Use data as a singular noun.

Use they/them as a singular noun if you don’t know or are unsure about a person’s pronouns.

Default to American spelling: organize, not organise

PickFu’s customers, poll respondents, and employees encompass a broad range of demographics. Here’s how we approach writing about people, including ourselves.

If it’s relevant:

These guidelines apply to the content and page structure across the PickFu website.

Use sentence case (capitalize the first word and any proper nouns) for page titles, individual pages, and Help Center documents.

Use clear, action-oriented words so readers know what to do or what will happen when they click a button or open a link.

For buttons, use sentence case: Preview your poll

Use uppercase bold text when referring to a button, drop-down option, or other web user elements in copy: Click the Audience button to narrow the field.

Use uppercase bold text and the > symbol to guide readers through drop-down menu selections: Click Sign in > Settings > Payment to view.

Capitalize PickFu products and features:

Include a brief but descriptive title (using sentence case) and an introduction, if necessary, to explain the purpose of the form.

Use sentence case for form fields.

Don’t say, “Click here for more.” Instead, use and link relevant keywords: Read our guide to micromarketing for more details.

We publish a healthy amount of content on the PickFu blog each week, mostly evergreen articles and how-to guides spanning the industries we serve. Refer to the PickFu terms section of this guide for more on PickFu-specific terminology.

Our blog posts are typically 2,000 words, sometimes longer.

Your introduction should get to the point with little fanfare and let the reader know what’s coming. If there is an SEO target keyword, use it in the introduction.

Break up the copy into manageable sections with subheads. Paragraphs of roughly 150 words or less are easier on readers’ eyes.

Use images that support the text and add visual interest.

For article headlines, use sentence case (capitalize the first word): Your complete guide to monadic testing; 6 ways to optimize your eBay listings.

For H2 and H3 subheads within an article, use sentence case.

Be specific in headlines and subheads. Include relevant keywords, if possible.

Use parallel structure in subheads, that is, the same verb tense and sentence type throughout.

Use bulleted lists to present steps or sets of information, with a brief introduction for context.

If the order of information in a list is important, use numbers instead of bullets.

Use parallel structure and be consistent with punctuation.

In general, don’t use end punctuation unless the items in a list are questions or if a bullet contains more than one sentence.

Use descriptive text and relevant keywords instead of Click here or Read this when linking.

Set links to open in a new tab: If you can’t decide on a main image, run a PickFu split test with your target audience.

Guest blog posts of at least 1,000 words — both those that we submit to partners’ sites and those we publish on the PickFu blog — should include no more than two external links.

When quoting respondents’ comments, use double, not single, quotation marks. Correct any typos and missing punctuation within comments as long as doing so doesn’t change the meaning. Add (sic) after a word or passage only if the misspelling is intentional, such as in this example.

If you pull out a portion of a respondent’s comments, include enough context so that the quoted phrase makes sense: The color of the bottle in Option A could use “dulling and/or shadow,” said one respondent. Another said the text on the bottle “needs to be fixed to match the curve.”

Always use the word Option in conjunction with A, B, C, etc. Use Option in brackets if the word is missing in comments: “I prefer Option B over [Option] A,” said a respondent. Sometimes a respondent might use a phrase like Choice A. You do not need to edit the response; however, in our own writing, use Option.

When quoting a person, use their full name on first reference and their first name for subsequent mentions: Andrew Warner recently hosted John Li on his podcast. John told Andrew how PickFu started as a side project.

Include attribution for images from external sources that aren’t stock photos, including screenshots of other companies’ web pages: Source: Big Cartel

If an image needs explaining, write a short caption of no more than two sentences and attribute the source, if necessary: The site builder offers plenty of personalization options. | Source: Big Cartel

We often write about PickFu customer polls and include screenshots of the polls. These can usually stand alone without a caption.

For every image, write alt text that briefly describes it. Alt text is important for readers who can’t see images online, and it helps with SEO.

We send emails to our customers to guide them through the polling process and direct them to other resources as their poll results come in.

We also send a monthly email newsletter with tips, product updates, and other content to keep our customers informed and engaged.

Our general style guidelines apply. Keep it friendly, concise, and informative. Be stingy with exclamation points.

Use sentence case and be descriptive but brief.

Do not include end punctuation unless the subject line is more than one sentence, is a question, or deserves an exclamation point.

Text should flow in succinct paragraphs and blocks of copy with subheads.

Use clear, action-oriented words.

For buttons, use sentence case: Enter to win a free poll

Capitalize the first word with the sender on the next line:

Happy polling, The PickFu team

We use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share content and PickFu news and engage with current and future customers and partners.

We write on social media the way we do on our other channels: friendly and approachable but still business-appropriate.

Keep it concise. Abbreviate words if necessary to stay within character limits, but maintain our professional voice. For example, it’s fine to use info instead of information, but b4 would not be acceptable for before. Find a different way to shorten.

Follow the capitalization style of the handle: @PingPongPayment, @pickfupolls

Include hashtags for industries relevant to PickFu, such as #ecommerce, #mobile, and #publishing, but don’t go overboard with them.

For multiple-word hashtags and branded hashtags (#PickFu, #WhichOneWon), capitalize separate words for readability.

Use selectively!

See exclamation point. We use emoji or GIFs when it feels appropriate. When you know, you know. 😉 Put emoji outside end punctuation, not inside.

Use sentence casing for YouTube titles and descriptions.

If HTML styling is not available on a certain social network, use quotation marks where you’d otherwise use italics, for example, when quoting words or phrases from text, or for book, podcast, and article titles.

Use all caps for emphasis, but only occasionally. This is best for posts that have a time peg: Sale goes live TODAY

Do not use www in running copy unless you can’t access the site without it (which is rare).

3D (no hyphen)

AI (no periods): write out artificial intelligence on first reference

aka (no periods)

all right (not alright)

bestseller, bestselling (not best-seller, best-selling)

bitcoin (always lowercase)

canceled (not cancelled), canceling (not cancelling), but cancellation with 2 L's.

cc’d

checkmark, checkbox (one word in all forms)

checkout (noun), check out (verb)

click-through rate: use CTR after first reference

co-founder (when capitalized, Co-founder)

co-worker

coworking: no hyphen when used as a noun or adjective

crowdsource (one word in all forms)

cryptocurrency (one word, can use crypto for short after first mention)

dos and don’ts

drop-down menu (hyphenated as an adjective; do not use drop-down as a noun - use menu instead)

dropship, dropshipping

e-book

e-commerce (when capitalized, E-commerce)

e-reader

email

emoji (singular and plural)

FAQ (singular): Read the FAQ; See the FAQ page for more

follow up (verb), follow-up (adjective)

full-stack (adjective), full stack (noun); also front-end and back-end (adjective) and front end and back end (noun).

hashtag

head-to-head (adjective, adverb): write out on first reference, can use H2H as modifier

heads up (noun)

heatmap

homeowner, homeownership

homepage

internet

judgment

keyword

livestream

login (noun or adjective), log in (verb)

mockup (noun or adjective), mock up (verb)

nonfiction (not non-fiction) in all forms

nonprofit (no hyphen)

OK (not okay, Ok, or ok): OKs in plural form, OK’d for past tense, if you must

online

prepaid

P.S. (not PS)

Q&A (ampersand is OK)

roll-up

sizable

screenshot (one word in all forms): use screenshotted for past tense, if you must 

split test, split testing: no hyphen in all uses — noun, adjective, and verb

startup (noun), start up (verb)

takeaway

touchscreen

true crime (no hyphen as an adjective)

voiceover (not voice-over)

website

whoa

widescreen

workflow

U.S. (not US)

Wi-Fi

There’s no shortage of tech lingo, office jargon, and overused or meaningless words and phrases floating in the world. We admit to using some in the PickFu Slack channel. We draw the line at these:

crush it/crushing it

disrupt/disruption

drill down

epic

evangelist

girlboss/ladyboss/boss babe

guru

jedi

killer

kill it/killing it

level up

lifehack

like a boss

listicle (use list instead)

move the needle

ninja

rockstar

value add

wizard (for a person; it’s OK for a software tool)

3PL (third-party logistics): A 3PL company handles storage, fulfillment, shipping, and other supply chain services for another company.

APAC (Asia Pacific)

business-to-business (B2B)

CPG (consumer packaged goods): Everyday products bought and used daily, including food, drinks, cleaning supplies, and toiletries.

DTC/D2C (direct-to-consumer): A DTC brand sells its products to customers without retailers or other go-betweens, and typically online.

EMEA (Europe-Middle East-Africa)

FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon): A service offered by Amazon to store, pick, pack, ship, and handle customer service for a seller’s products.

FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant): The method by which sellers, not Amazon, handle all storing, processing, and shipping of their orders.

private-label: Made by one company and sold under another company’s brand. FBA/FBM sellers typically sell private-label goods.

AAA: A big-budget game such as Call of Duty.

DAU (daily active users): The number of unique users who play a game in a 24-hour period.

dolphin: Middle-of-the-road player who spends $10-$50 a month on average on games.

hardcore gamer: Someone who devotes a serious amount of time, money, and effort to gaming.

hypercasual: Simple, easy-to-play game that requires little time and commitment.

indie game: Game created by one developer or a small team without the funding of a publisher.

F2P (free-to-play): F2P games are free to join. Users pay for in-app features, rewards, and other extras.

MAU (monthly active users). Similar to DAU, measured over 30 days. Most developers and investors use this metric when referring to the health of a game.

midcore gamer: A skilled player who enjoys gaming but lacks the time to invest in it that a so-called hardcore gamer does.

minnow: A person who spends less than $5 a month on games.

UA (user acquisition): The process of gaining new users for an app or game.

whale: The biggest spender in the gaming ecosystem.

We’ve developed our own terminology and habits when writing about PickFu products, processes, and people.