Content Style Guide

Guidelines for creating and maintaining content on joshgonzales.ca

Writing Principles

Academic Credibility

• Use clear, precise language
• Cite sources when making research claims
• Explain technical concepts for general audiences
• Maintain scholarly tone while being accessible

Voice & Tone

• Professional but approachable: Academic without being stuffy
• Authoritative: Draw on research expertise
• Helpful: Aim to educate and inform
• Authentic: Share genuine insights and perspectives

Content Types

Blog Posts

Purpose: Share research insights, commentary on consumer psychology, and thoughtful analysis

Best Practices:

• Length: 800-2000 words (optimal for readability and SEO)
• Structure: Use clear headings (H2, H3) to organize content
• Opening: Start with a hook or compelling question
• Evidence: Include research findings, examples, or data
• Conclusion: End with takeaways or implications
• Excerpt: Write compelling 1-2 sentence summary (required)

Example Structure:

# Title (H1 - auto-generated from frontmatter)

Opening paragraph with hook...

## Main Point 1 (H2)

Content with evidence...

### Supporting Detail (H3)

More specific information...

## Main Point 2 (H2)

...

## Conclusion

Key takeaways...

Tags: Use consistent tags:

• Research areas: "consumer psychology", "behavioral economics", "decision-making"
• Methods: "research", "meta-analysis", "experiments"
• Topics: "emotions", "branding", "marketing"
• General: "announcements", "commentary"

Publications

Required Fields:

• Full citation information
• Abstract (if available)
• Links to PDF or DOI

Best Practices:

• Update citation counts quarterly
• Link to open access versions when available
• Use consistent author name format

Projects

Purpose: Showcase ongoing research and initiatives

Best Practices:

• Keep status updated (active/completed/planned)
• Link to related publications
• Explain implications for broader audiences
• Update timeline as project progresses

Media Appearances

Purpose: Document external writing and media coverage

Best Practices:

• Include publication name prominently
• Add date of publication
• Write brief excerpt explaining the piece
• Link to original source

Newsletter

Purpose: Regular insights delivered via email, archived on site

Best Practices:

• Consistent sending schedule
• Mix of original insights and research highlights
• Personal and conversational tone
• Clear value proposition
• Call-to-action (engage with research, reply, etc.)

SEO Best Practices

Meta Descriptions (Excerpts)

• Length: 120-160 characters
• Include: Key topic and value proposition
• Avoid: Clickbait or misleading summaries
• Format: Complete sentences

Good: "New research reveals how specific emotions like anxiety and excitement influence purchasing decisions and brand loyalty."

Bad: "You won't believe what emotions do to shopping!"

Titles

• Length: Under 60 characters (for search results)
• Format: Specific and descriptive
• Include: Main keyword/topic
• Avoid: Excessive punctuation or ALL CAPS

Good: "Understanding Emotional Decision-Making in Consumer Behavior"

Bad: "EMOTIONS!!! How They TOTALLY Control Your Shopping (SHOCKING)"

Keywords

• Use natural language (not keyword stuffing)
• Include topic in first paragraph
• Use variations of main concepts
• Link to related internal content

Internal Linking

• Link to related blog posts
• Cross-reference publications and projects
• Use descriptive anchor text
• Avoid "click here" links

Formatting Guidelines

Headings

• H1: Title only (auto-generated from frontmatter)
• H2: Main sections
• H3: Subsections
• H4: Specific points (use sparingly)

Lists

• Use bulleted lists for unordered items
• Use numbered lists for sequential steps or rankings
• Keep items parallel in structure

Emphasis

• Bold: Key terms, emphasis
• Italic: Publications, emphasis, foreign terms

• Blockquotes: Pull quotes, important takeaways

Links

• Link to sources and citations
• Use descriptive link text
• External links: Open in new tab (auto-configured for media)
• Internal links: Same tab

Images

• Always include alt text
• Use descriptive filenames
• Optimize for web (<200KB)
• Place in content/assets/images/
• Credit sources when necessary

Markdown Format:

![Descriptive alt text for accessibility](/content/assets/images/filename.jpg)

Cross-Posting Guidelines

When republishing content from The Conversation, Psychology Today, etc:

1. Add canonical URL in frontmatter:

   canonical_url: "https://theconversation.com/original-article"
   

2. Note at top of post: The template automatically adds a notice for cross-posts

3. Wait appropriate time: Follow publication guidelines for timing

4. Include full content: Don't link to external site, republish in full

5. Update formatting: Adapt for your site's style

Accessibility

Writing

• Use plain language where possible
• Explain technical terms on first use
• Break up long paragraphs
• Use descriptive headings
• Provide context for links

Images

• All images need alt text
• Describe what's shown, not "image of"
• For charts: Describe the key finding

Media

• Provide transcripts for audio/video
• Caption videos when possible

Publication Workflow

Before Publishing

• Proofread for typos and grammar
• Check all links work
• Verify images display correctly
• Test on mobile
• Review excerpt for clarity
• Ensure tags are consistent
• Add alt text to images

Publishing Checklist

1. Set published: true in frontmatter
2. Set featured: true if appropriate for homepage
3. Run npm run build to test
4. Commit and push to GitHub
5. Verify deployment in Actions tab
6. Check live site
7. Share on social media

After Publishing

• Add to newsletter if appropriate
• Share on relevant platforms
• Monitor for comments/feedback
• Update if needed (maintain version history)

Content Calendar

Regular Cadence

• Blog: 1-2 posts per month minimum
• Newsletter: Monthly (aligned with blog posts)
• Publications: Update as published
• Projects: Update quarterly
• Media: Add as published

Content Ideas

• Research explainers
• Commentary on current events
• Deep dives into specific emotions
• Methodological discussions
• Career/academic advice
• Conference recaps
• Book/article reviews

Brand Voice Examples

✅ Good Examples

"Recent research in consumer psychology reveals that discrete emotions—like fear, joy, and anger—have distinct effects on purchasing decisions, even when overall mood is controlled."

"As a PhD candidate studying consumer behavior, I'm often asked: 'Why do I buy things I don't need?' The answer is more nuanced than a simple lack of self-control."

❌ Avoid

"SHOCKING new study DESTROYS everything you thought about shopping!"

"As the world's leading expert in emotions..." (overly promotional)

"I'm just a grad student, so take this with a grain of salt..." (undermining expertise)

Updating This Guide

This guide should evolve with the site. Update as you:

• Discover what resonates with your audience
• Develop new content types
• Refine your voice
• Learn from analytics

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Remember: Quality over quantity. Every piece should provide value and reflect your expertise.