LendingTree Content Overview

Whether you’re writing a meticulously-researched financial article, or a series of snappy paid social ads, these tips should help you work your words right. While some of the rules change based on the medium, there are a handful of constants you should keep in mind, no matter what you’re writing (we’ll get to those).

A thorough reading of this content guide should help you comfortably slip into the LendingTree voice and tone.

This is a resource for you to use often. We’ll keep updating as our company continues to grow and evolve. For content guide related questions, email the creative team’s copywriters.


Last updated on July 17, 2018

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Writing Our Purpose

The messaging we craft for this company is born out of the following purpose statement, it is the cornerstone of our content:

Helping simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

If you read between the lines of this purpose statement, one emotion should stand out: empowerment.

Empowerment is at the heart of everything we do at LendingTree. We believe in empowering our employees and our customers, but there’s a catch with empowerment—you can’t tell someone they are empowered. They need to feel it.

It’s kind of like safety. You can tell someone they are safe, but they’ll feel safe if you show them that you’ve locked the door and remembered to turn the oven off.

With a few exceptions, you should not use any version of “empowered” in copy. Instead use language that fosters empowerment. How do you do that? It’s in the purpose statement.

  • Choice. LendingTree exists because our founder wanted an easier way to shop for a mortgage. Having the option to choose is empowering. We give customers unmatched choice in an industry that was historically choice-averse. Remind customers they have options, they’re in control, and that we helped surface those options.
  • Education. The one drawback to options? Decision paralysis. We help our customers avoid that by making sure they’re informed. It’s not just, “here are your options,” it’s “here are your options, and here’s why you might want to choose one or the other.” Making an educated decision is empowering.
  • Support. Empowerment doesn’t come without a little encouragement. Our customers should feel supported in their decisions. Sometimes that’s a pat on the back for making a decision, or having a great credit score. Other times it’s a reminder that they’re not alone in their debt, or their financial confusion.

So how do we stick to these purposeful themes? We keep our copy:

  • Clear. Explain products and processes as simply as possible. Talk to people where they are. Instead of explaining how they might save money over 30 years, tell them how this decision will affect their immediate future, like their monthly payments.
  • Helpful. Be an advocate for the customer. We are experts in the financial products we sell and market, so it’s on us to use that knowledge for good. We’re that salty old guy you meet at the Home Depot who knows the store, the tools, where to find them, and how to use them. Write copy that helps.
  • Sincere. Keep copy friendly and approachable, but be careful not to veer into jokey and silly. People aren’t really interested in puns and pithy one liners when it comes to taking on massive amounts of debt. There are some exceptions to this (mostly in social), but for the most part we want to be fun more than funny.
  • Impartial. The word “impartial” resonated with focus groups, and why wouldn’t it? Knowing your source is impartial is empowering. It’s why people subscribe to ConsumerReports. Write copy that appears impartial to lenders and credit card issuers, don’t obscure how LendingTree makes money. Honestly calling out or addressing how we are paid only strengthens our impartiality, which in turn strengthens our usefulness to customers.

Our Audience

Who are we writing for?

After months of tireless research, the folks on our consumer insights team figured out our customer segments. These are the people most likely to use LendingTree now, or in the future.

Why’s this research important? We can craft better messages when we know who we are talking to. Use the overviews below to target your copy for maximum effectiveness. For deeper insights on these customers, contact the consumer insights team.

Primary Segments

Proactive Deal Seekers

With high expectations, goal-driven personalities, and hectic lifestyles, Proactive Deal Seekers are persistently striving to improve their situations. They take their time to read ratings and reviews prior to purchase, and are willing to haggle to get a good price. Constantly comparing, they love the thrill of hunting for a bargain! They are drawn to “gourmet living” and like to try new things. They are highly aware of LendingTree, and find online comparison shopping tools to be extremely important in their search for a deal. Often, they will look to “test the waters” of what loans they can qualify for.

Savvy Online Explorers

Savvy Online Explorers live hectic lives, like to try new things, and have the wherewithal to demand instant gratification when they see something they want. They have a thirst for financial knowledge that can lead to wary distrust when all the information isn’t readily available. They comparison shop but will walk away from a deal if it does not come with top-notch service and a seamless user experience. With a relatively low awareness of LendingTree, they are skeptical of our impartiality and value proposition. They are the most likely segment to desire an ideal My LendingTree-type experience and active monitoring/recommendations.

Secondary Segments

Reluctant Relators

On a budget with lower income, Reluctant Relators are less likely to make investments and are risk averse. Relators prioritize existing relationships over making new deals and have significant brand/product inertia. They get new recommendations through word-of-mouth but are typically brand loyal and stick to what has worked in the past. They are aware of LendingTree, and do like to comparison shop, but they are not comfortable shopping for financial services online. They find getting a mortgage traumatizing, and prefer speaking to a live person (preferably one they already know) who can help guide them through the process.

Stable Conservers

Financially experienced and shrewd, Stable Conservers are confident in their financial wellbeing. They are older, higher-income empty nesters with investment accounts and high credit scores. They are value-conscious with a focus on quality and longevity. While they are highly aware of LendingTree and do like to comparison shop, they find shopping online for financial services overwhelming and opaque. They need less help in making financial decisions, but when they do need help, they find brick-and-mortar locations more trustworthy.

Ambitious Newcomers

Young and eager to get ahead financially, Ambitious Newcomers are working to consolidate debt and improve their credit scores. They lead frenetic lives with kids in the household and want to provide for their dependents. They seek advice from friends and family and like to try new things when they can. While they are less drawn to comparison shopping for financial services and have low awareness of LendingTree, they are early in their financial lives and may not see the value yet. They do have the tendency to start a loan process just to see what they can get and do feel that the best rates are found online.

These descriptions only scratch the surface. Again, if you want more information—including average credit scores, demographic makeup, and household income—talk to the consumer insights team.

A note on reading habits

Here’s something that’s true of all our segments (and all internet users in general). It’s painful to admit sometimes, especially after sweating over the same sentence in a new ad for the zillionth time, but most online readers skim and scan. Studies of eye movements while reading have shown that people interact with words online differently.

People read books in a left to right “Z” pattern but read websites in an F pattern. That “F” is your headline, subheadline, and then a long scroll down the page as they skim and scan (often checking the length to see if the whole thing is worth reading). Keep this in mind when creating content. Break things up in chunks, include lists, incorporate imagery, avoid large blocks of text (unless it’s an article).

There’s a reason this guide has a TL;DR section. There will always be the people who pull on a door clearly labeled “PUSH.”

Voice and Tone

To write in the LendingTree voice, with the appropriate tone, it’s important to first know the difference between the two.

Our voice is the constant. It’s empowering, confident, pro-consumer, engaging, impartial, human, and friendly.

Think of our voice as a really good waiter. Friendly, but not overly so. Knowledgeable about the service should you need it, but won’t bore you with the specials if you’re clearly not interested. Helpful and supportive, but not overbearing.

We’re not the waiter that leans on the table, chats you up like we’re best friends, and comments on if you cleaned your plate like a good boy.

In the last 22+ years our voice hasn’t changed much, nor should it—after our teenage years, most of our voices are locked in. But our tone? That’s more flexible.

Our tone shifts with the medium, audience and product. Someone looking for a bankruptcy solution shouldn’t receive the same fun and breezy tone as someone looking for a rewards credit card. A person asking us a question on Facebook might get a different tone than the person who calls our contact center.

The Elements of Style

To nail our voice and tone, you’ve got to master the fundamentals. Make sure your content contains these elements.

  • Be direct. Use active voice instead of passive (here’s a refresher on those two). Keep sentences short and to the point. Re-read your content when you’re finished writing and see if you can deliver the same message in fewer words.

  • Helpful. Be an advocate for the customer. We are experts in the financial products we sell and market, so it’s on us to use that knowledge for good. We’re that salty old guy you meet at the Home Depot who knows the store, the tools, where to find them, and how to use them. Write copy that helps.

  • No slang or jargon. When you’re surrounded by finance language all the time, it’s easy to slip some in to your content. Normal people don’t talk about “refis” or “HELOCS” or APRs. Assume your audience is unfamiliar with our vocabulary. For more words to avoid, check out the naughty list.

  • Be confident. We are an impartial, knowledgeable, positive resource for our customers. Use positive and encouraging language. Never shame a customer or talk down to them. Meet them where they are in their financial journey and lift them up with inspirational, empowering language.

Avoid “just to be clear” syndrome

“Just to be clear” syndrome is a tempting content trap that will sink your message in bloat. It most often happens when a task goes through revisions. Someone says, “Just to be clear, shouldn’t we include X so the customer understands Y?” and then another person goes, “Yes, and, just to be clear, we should include Y so they understand Z.” Before you know it, your succinct email becomes an ebook. How do you avoid this?

  1. Know the message. What’s the core message this piece of content should communicate? Stick to that. Not every email needs to communicate every benefit of a home equity loan. It’s highly unlikely that a customer will have a single touchpoint on their way to a product. You don’t have to treat your piece of content like it’s the only one on the planet. No one is going to refinance their house on accident; they’ll get more info along the way. Keep sentences short and to the point. Re-read your content when you’re finished writing and see if you can deliver the same message in fewer words.

  2. Think brevity. Author Louise Brooks once said writing is one percent inspiration and 99 percent elimination. Write your content, then go back and eliminate anything that doesn’t communicate or support the central message. Remember, most online readers skim. Get the message across in as few words as possible.

  3. Write visually. We’ve got a whole section on this, but here’s the basics: don’t use words when pictures can do the job (they are worth a thousand words after all). If the UI or imagery or charts effectively explain what a customer should do, let them! Use your words to add value, not unnecessary direction.

  4. Get emotional. Sometimes making a customer feel a certain way matters more than what information you give them. Sometimes it helps to figure out on how you want a customer to feel after reading your content—empowered, educated, supported—and then work backwards from there, crafting a message that elicits that emotion.

    But be careful not to foist emotion on a reader! This often happens when writers slip into the second person:

    You’re sick of the bill collectors. You want to lose your debt. We’ll help.

    Writing like that instantly alienates anyone who doesn’t feel that exact way. Instead you want to evoke that emotion:

    Sick of bill collectors? We can help you ditch your debt.

    While turning it into a question isn’t always the best move, in this case it helps position the customer, gets them to think about their debt situation, then immediately brings us in as a solution. Remember, we’re here to talk to them where they are, and support them as they make big financial decisions.

Technical Stuff

Here’s where we get down to the nitty gritty rules of grammar and mechanics. Sticking to the stuff here keeps us consistent, which is important when you’re trying to maintain an established voice. While LendingTree is not married to Associated Press style, much of our writing mechanics have a basis there. If you have a technical question, come here first. If you don’t find the answer please message the copywriting team at creativecontent@lendingtree.com and we’ll get it added.

2 words or 1?

  • LendingTree not Lending Tree
  • DO NOT make the brand possessive. DO NOT say "LendingTree's" Example: we never say "You can find that on LendingTree's website "Instead say: the LendingTree website
  • My LendingTree not MyLendingTree
  • username not user name
  • password not pass word
  • townhome not town home
  • email not e-mail
  • website not web site
  • site map not sitemap
  • rollover not roll over
  • top bar not topbar
  • sign up (e.g. "please sign up here" and "our sign up process is easy")
  • sign in not log in or signin
  • sign out not signout
  • ZIP code not Zip code
  • Homebuyers not Home buyers

Abbreviations & Acronyms

  • Limit the use of acronyms. Only use acronyms that are universally understood or relevant to our business (e.g. 5pm (PT), SSN).
  • If acronyms are lesser known, clarify them in associated parenthesized copy.
    • Example: "Find out if you may be eligible for an FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loan by answering the questions below."
  • Refrain from using military or corporate acronyms like EOD, EOB, OOO.
  • Use "phone" or "ph" if space is limited (not "tel" or "telephone")
  • Use "fax" (not "facsimile")
  • Use "mobile" (not "cell")
  • Use "international" (not "intl")
  • Q&A (not Q & A)
  • OK (not okay or O.K.)
  • U.S. for "United States" (not US)
  • USA (not U.S.A.)
  • P.O. Box (not PO Box)
  • Attn is the abbreviation for "attention"
  • Mgr is the abbreviation for "manager"
  • Mktg is the abbreviation for "marketing"
  • c/o is the abbreviation for "care of"
  • Spell out months in dates
    • Example: "January 2" and "January 2, 2015"
  • Only abbreviate months in dates when space is limited (charts, diagrams) or when alignment is necessary by using first 3 letters and no period (e.g. "Jan 2").

Industry and LendingTree Terms:

  • CRM – Customer/Client Relationship Management
  • CTA – Call to Action
  • GFE – Good Faith Estimate
  • LP – Landing Page
  • LT – LendingTree
  • PII – Personally Identifiable Information
  • QF – Qualification Form
  • UI – User Interface
  • UX – User Experience
  • VMD – Variable Marketing Dollars
  • VMM – Variable Marketing Margin

Calls to Action

When creating call-to-action links, be specific. This is very important for SEO and also helps the user. For example: "More about mortgages" is better than "Learn more"

When linking an action (or in-text) link, please select an intuitive, but short as possible, linkable area. Use words that describe what the user can expect on the coming page. When linking content, NEVER use "Click here."

Here are some examples of what should be linked.

  • Learn more about home mortgages
  • Use our home affordability calculator
  • You can easily access low cost health insurance or life insurance

Capitalization

Always capitalize:
  • Company names (e.g. "LendingTree", etc.)
  • Products, services, key features, e.g.:
    • "Mortgage Negotiator", "Loan Explorer"

Be consistent. If title case is used for titles and/or labels within pages, sections, etc. just be sure it stays consistent.

Choices within dropdown boxes should be sentence case (lowercase, but start with a capital. E.g. "Single family home", "Multi-family dwelling").

Important nuances:

  • References to products are the exception and should use title case:
  • Example: Auto Loans
    • However, when discussing the generic term "auto loans" as an overall topic there is no capitalization
      • References to navigational tab and menu items should be in title case:
        • Example: "Please select the Advice & Calculators tab"
      • References to parameters like form labels, form fields, table headers are NOT to be capitalized in body copy
        • Example: "Enter your username and password"
      • However, if the above example is used as a label in front of a form field, the first letter of the phrase and reference to the field itself should be capitalized.
      • Example: "Enter your Username and Email Address" or "Change Email Address"
      • NOT "Enter your username and email address" or "Change email address"
      • When including a company logo, for example:
      • "A branch of [LendingTree logo]" NOT "A Service of LendingTree" or "Brought to you by LendingTree"
      • Always capitalize the first word in a bullet list
      Example:
      • House
      • Condo
      • Mortgage
      Buttons should always be title case: "Refinance Now" NOT "Refinance now" Links should always be sentence case: "Refinance now" NOT "Refinance Now"

      Words not to capitalize when using title case:

      • and
      • a
      • an
      • are
      • the
      • or
      • to
      • for
      • in
      • is
      • if
      • on
      • over
      • of
      • with
      • from

      Body Copy

      • Spell out "per" (instead of "/") when space permits, unless when used graphically in creative:
        • Example: "Ten times per month" NOT "Ten times/month")
      • Use second person instead of first person on CTAs, buttons and body copy.
        • That’s "your" instead of "my."
        • Example: "Change your settings" NOT "Change my settings"
        • An exception to this is the FAQs section. Questions can use "my" to appropriately frame the question (e.g. "How long after I purchase my home…?")
        • NEVER misspell a word intentionally or write incoherent sentences for SEO purposes
        • Use gender neutral them/they pronouns instead of s/he or he/she

        Numbers

        • Do not spell out numbers (including 1-10) when referring to dates, times, financing samples or LendingTree offerings. Use the actual number.
          • Example: "The conference will be held December 5, 2012"
        • However, in body copy different than mentioned above, spell out one through nine.
          • Example: "The following three examples" and "Five days after you complete a form"
        • Always spell out a number if it’s at the start of a sentence. If that looks weird, find a way to reword the sentence.
        • For thousands, add a comma; if using a K to denote thousand, always capitalize the K. ($35K not $35k)
        • To denote millions and billions, be precise about not using spaces and ensure the proper capitalization usage:
          • $2 million or $2MM (There are two "MMs" for million)
          • $3 billion or $3B
        • Do not display decimals for rounded dollars, unless you’re comparing rounded to non-rounded numbers
          • Example: "$4.00 is less than $4.75") or if the two are presented in the same area or content (table, chart)
        • Always include a time zone for the U.S. in two capital letters between parenthesis. Unless copy refers to a local event, please use (ET) as time zone default. Do not include minutes if BOTH times are on the hour.
        • Don't use periods for time: 12:30pm not 12:30 p.m. or 12:30PM
        • For dates, the preferred format is 01/02/2012. If space is limited, use 01/02/12
        • Phone and fax numbers should consist of 10 numbers separated by 2 hyphens: 877-700-7862
        • Only for international numbers, use the leading "+" and country code: "+1 415-321-1234"

        Punctuation

        In general, we don't use the Oxford Comma (or ‘serial comma’) at LendingTree, but it can be used if the sentence would be unclear without it.
          • Example: Write "A, B and C" Not "A, B, and C"
          • Example: You successfully signed up for our service, free credit monitoring, and custom savings recommendations
        • Use a colon (:) after labels Fax:, Phone:, Email:
          • Do not use (:) for labels on form fields
        • Bulleted lists should be made up of terms or phrases – not sentences – when possible
        • Short sentences in bulleted lists do not require ending punctuation.
          • Example: don’t put a period on this
          • Or this
          • A rare exclamation point is OK!
        • Avoid using punctuation in page titles
        • Avoid the use of exclamation points
          • The more there are on the page, the weaker they all become.
          • Example: "Getting a great deal is easier than ever" NOT "Getting a great deal is easier than ever!"
        • Do not use ellipses (…)
        • Do not use apostrophes after an acronym
          • Example: Q&As and PDAs Not Q&A's and PDA's
          • An exception: An apostrophe should only be used after an acronym if it's possessive.
          • Example: "the Q&A's length became too long"
        • Ampersands (&) can be used in titles or when space is limited. In regular paragraph copy, the word "and" should always be used.
        • Apostrophes/contractions (don't, can't, it's, we'll) can be used in copy to achieve a more casual tone.
        • Example: "Can't find what you're looking for?" However, when writing formal or legal copy, do not use contractions. You would say "who is" rather than "who's"
        • If bulleted paragraphs start with a title word/phrase, use an en dash instead of a colon to separate.
          • Example:
          • The following are different loan types:
          • Refinance – Description of a refinance…
          • Home Purchase – Description of a home purchase…
          • Auto Finance – Description of auto finance…
        • It's OK to use sentence fragments (e.g. "You bet." or "Sound too good to be true?"). However, please limit this and do not stack them one on top of another.
        • Don't use a period after a linked sentence fragment (e.g. "Learn more about refinancing")
        • Avoid the use of a slash (e.g. this/that). Use "and" or "or" instead. If a slash is used, don’t include spaces (e.g. "this/that" not "this / that") An exception can be made if the length affects readability (e.g. "single family home / manufactured home")
        Use an en dash (–) (HTML code: &ndash) in cases where part of the sentence needs to be separated out. Use parentheses sparingly. Do not use the double dash (--) or the single short dash (-). Please include a space on both sides of the en dash. Example:
        • "Sample here – sample here."
        • Use an en dash instead of a semicolon (or just rewrite the sentence). Semicolons have no place in marketing copywriting.

        Quotes

        Use "double quotes":

        • Direct quote (e.g. the President commented: "sample".)
        • Do not use curly quotes (and other non-ascii characters) in HTML. So:
        • Right: "Quote"
        • Wrong: “Quote”
        Curly quotes are OK when used graphically on the web or in print (like in this document). Avoid using 'single quotes' unless you use a spoken quote within a quote (e.g. "She said, 'I got 4 great loan offers within minutes'").

        Symbols

        • Use a ™, SM or ® when appropriate only once per page (first appearance) after a trademarked or registered trademarked or service marked product or company name.
        • When in doubt, consult compliance. Don't add ™, SM or ® when you're not sure
        • ™, SM or ® should not be used when referring to LendingTree, etc. on our own website, emails and marketing collateral (with the exception of logos)
        • Never use "@" to represent the word "at" in copy

Writing Visually

Your words won’t exist in a vacuum. Don’t burden them with the work of being the sole communicator of your message. Images, interactive elements, charts, graphs, calculators, even page layout can help tell a story.

There’s a reason it’s called show and tell. They work together. What will your words be paired with? Can a picture help communicate your message? Then use one.

Where the Wild Things Are is only 10 sentences long. Everyone knows the story, but many forget that there are several pages in the middle of the book without words. The visuals and the content work together beautifully, and you remember them both as if they were one message.

That’s how LendingTree content should feel.

Here are three tips to writing visually:

  • Consider the medium. Where are your words appearing? There’s more space for words on a landing page than there are in the My LendingTree app notifications. Think about the actual space your words will inhabit. Don’t use a Microsoft Word doc for reference! A four-line paragraph in a Word doc looks like a fat block of text in an email on someone’s phone.

  • Talk to a designer. If you have an idea how visuals can help tell your story, leave a note for the designer working on your project, or better yet, talk to them over Slack or in person. That helps them get on the same page, and also enables them to use their experience and skill to suggest ways to more effectively communicate your message. The LendingTree designers are a nice bunch, only one of them bites, and he’s working on that.

  • Read between the lines. The beauty of the written word is what you can say without writing anything. Think about what your message implies. How does it work with the images on the page? Is there something you’re leaving out? Is there something you can remove? Try to take a step back from your words and look at the entire piece together.

Writing for Social

More content coming soon!

Our take-charge culture encourages a fast pace, but fast writing leads to sloppy writing. Plan your writing time appropriately. Build in time to think about your word choice.

Do not turn in work or call a piece done immediately after completing it. Wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after writing something, then read it again, line by line. You will very likely change something for the better.

This handy trick works on everything by the way, not just marketing copy. Do it with emails, text messages, Slack, and more. It sounds simple, but a quick review of your words after a few minutes away can make a huge difference.

Five Rules for Great Copy

Didn’t major in English? Don’t worry about it. Follow these five rules to get the most from your copy.

1. Slow Down

Our take-charge culture encourages a fast pace, but fast writing leads to sloppy writing. Plan your writing time appropriately. Build in time to think about your word choice.

Do not turn in work or call a piece done immediately after completing it. Wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after writing something, then read it again, line by line. You will very likely change something for the better.

This handy trick works on everything by the way, not just marketing copy. Do it with emails, text messages, Slack, and more. It sounds simple, but a quick review of your words after a few minutes away can make a huge difference.

2. Know your sh*t

Nothing is too nerdy, too technical, too dull, or too hard for a writer to learn. A good writer can deep dive into a subject and then explain that subject in a way anyone can understand. That’s why they say writing is 50 percent research. Never heard that? Well trust us, people say that.

It’s on us to make sure our customers are informed, and we can’t inform them properly if we don’t know what we’re talking about. Get to know the products you work on—use them if possible. See how competitors write about them, then see if you can do it better.

Good marketing copy is not surface level “dumb” copy. It is the distillation of a deep well of knowledge. Start digging that well—know your sh*t.

3. Be Perspicuous

Perspicuous means to be clearly expressed and easily understood. In other words, always value being clear over being clever. The average American reads at a 7th grade level. Cereal boxes, instruction manuals, street signs, they’re all at that level too.

Present information that’s compelling and straight to the point. Wordplay is fun in creative writing class, but if it gets in the way of your message, ditch it. Also, do not use metaphors if they aren’t immediately simple and obvious.

4. Stay relevant

Know what matters to your customer and write about that. Use our segmentation research to get on their level. If monthly payments and bills mean more than saving thousands over 30 years, then talk about the monthly payments.

Be aware of a product’s pain points. Many people interested in reverse mortgages are worried about losing their house, or shackling their children with debt after they’re gone. Address those things up front—they’re relevant to the audience! Remember, most of the time, you’re not writing for you.

5. Ask Questions

Before you start writing, ask yourself these questions:
  • Who is this content for?
  • What are the key messages I need to communicate? Can I boil it down in three points or less?
  • What is the customer looking for when they read this?
  • What’s the imagery going to be like? How can I use that to tell part of the story?
  • How do I want the reader to respond to this? What do I want them to feel?
When you’re done writing, ask yourself these questions.
  • Can I remove some words or sentences and still get the message across?
  • Have my words worked with the imagery to show and tell?
  • Will the reader feel the way I intended?
  • Is this something I’d want to put in my personal writing portfolio?

The Naughty List

The following items have been put on the content naughty list. Don’t be fooled—some of them were once on the nice list, but times change, and some things just don’t need to be said anymore (looking at you “click here”).

With little exception, the things on this list should be avoided.

  • Never, ever use “click here” or any variation thereof (click this, go here, click through, etc.). Most of our traffic is mobile, where there are no clicks. Also, the internet is not new, when people see a button or a link, they know how to interact with it. Don’t waste precious word space on “click here.”

  • Avoid jargon. That means spelling our refinance instead of saying “refi” and always spelling out acronyms like HELOC on their first mention on a page.

  • “Learn more” is a boring CTA. Try to find something more descriptive or action-oriented.

  • Do not say “At LendingTree” and follow it with our benefits. That’s all telling and no showing. Just get right to the message.
    • Example: At LendingTree we’re fanatical about customer support!
      • Instead of telling them we’re crazy about supporting customers, just support them. Make them feel supported with good information and marketing that doesn’t waste their time.

  • Avoid using the word “form” when referring to our process. It’s a boring, unappealing word, like scantron or diagram.
    • Instead of “Fill out the form” say “Answer some questions.”

TL;DR

For people short on time or short on attention, here are the absolute must-read items from this guide. (Oh, TL;DR stands for "too long; didn't read.")

Writing our Purpose

The messaging we craft for this company is born out of the following purpose statement, it is the cornerstone of our content:

Helping simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

If you read between the lines of this purpose statement, one emotion should stand out: empowerment.

Empowerment is at the heart of everything we do at LendingTree. We believe in empowering our employees and our customers, but there’s a catch with empowerment—you can’t tell someone they are empowered. They need to feel it.

To empower customers, be clear, helpful and sincere while writing with our purpose in mind.

Our Audience

We can craft better messages when we know who we are talking to. There’s really no short version here. Go read about our customer segments!

Voice and Tone

Our voice is the constant. It’s empowering, confident, pro-consumer, engaging, impartial, human and friendly

The Elements of Style

To nail our voice and tone, you’ve got to master the fundamentals. Make sure your content contains these elements.
  • Be direct. Use active voice instead of passive (here’s a refresher on those two). Keep sentences short and to the point. Re-read your content when you’re finished writing and see if you can deliver the same message in fewer words.
  • No slang or jargon. When you’re surrounded by finance language all the time, it’s easy to slip some in to your content. Normal people don’t talk about “refis” or “HELOCS” or APRs. Assume your audience is unfamiliar with our vocabulary. For more words to avoid, check out the naughty list.
  • Be confident. We are an impartial, knowledgeable, positive resource for our customers. Use positive and encouraging language. Never shame a customer or talk down to them. Meet them where they are in their financial journey and lift them up with inspirational, empowering language.

Technical Stuff

2 words or 1?
  • LendingTree not Lending Tree
  • DO NOT make the brand possessive. DO NOT say "LendingTree's" Example: we never say "You can find that on LendingTree's website "Instead say: the LendingTree website
  • My LendingTree not MyLendingTree

Write Visually

Your words won’t exist in a vacuum. Don’t burden them with the work of being the sole communicator of your message. Images, interactive elements, charts, graphs, calculators, even page layout can help tell a story.

The Naughty List

Never, ever use “click here” or any variation thereof (click this, go here, click through, etc.). Most of our traffic is mobile, where there are no clicks. Also, the internet is not new, when people see a button or a link, they know how to interact with it. Don’t waste precious word space on “click here.”

Have content questions? Contact the creative team's copywriters.