You’ve Got Style. Flaunt it.

Spend enough time reading blogs about writing, and you’ll inevitably come across a few (dozen) articles advocating the virtues of a few “hard and fast” grammar rules (like this one, from the always-great Ragan.com).

The authors usually claim that “these are mistakes nearly everyone makes,” then tout them as nearly unforgivable errors, worthy of time in Dante’s ninth circle.

Sure, some errors are obvious, embarrassing, and damaging to your brand, such as using the wrong “there.” Others are less so, like using “less than” when you really mean “fewer.”

There are, however, many “errors” that are actually just matters of style.

The Oxford Comma (or serial comma, for you dramatic types), for instance, is hotly debated among word nerds. Its Wikipedia page is nearly as long as our tenth Prime Minister’s page (and term).

Canadian Press (CP) style, for instance, avoids using the serial comma whenever possible. Here at the house of Odvod, we follow our customized CP style, so we don’t use the extra comma.

That’s our style. Just like it’s our style to add a bit (okay, a lot) more sugar to our coffee than most people.

If you do the same, great. You’re not wrong. You’re just following your own style. By doing so, you’re giving company a distinct voice — one that can be heard across every medium.

If you put your punctuation outside your quotation marks, It’s not wrong, either — it’s just your style. Read a Harry Potter book and you’ll notice the most successful author in recent history does the same thing.

The only thing you need to worry about is consistency. If you use Oxford Commas, just be sure to use them all the time. If you relegate your punctuation to a life outside quotation marks, don’t be selective about it.

Just as your company’s voice is unmistakably its own, your chosen style is a unique affectation. Stick with it. It’s just as much a part of your brand as everything else.