Messaging
Base is built by and for real people, so our voice mirrors everyday conversation: clear, direct, optimistic. We explain new concepts without jargon and celebrate the builders and creators behind Base.
Every sentence is an onramp, and we write so that everyone can understand the value of being onchain and takes action.
We lead with active verbs, trim adverbs, and swap buzzwords for words people actually say out loud.
Each sentence should answer "why should I care?" in practical terms. We state the benefit first, the tech second. When addressing the community, we write like a human, not a press release.
Critical Style Conventions
Taglines
Copy
The next internet won't be built by big platforms. It'll be built by people.
Creators, coders, communities. People who want something better. That's what's appening on Base.
And it's just getting started.
We're bringing the world onchain, and you're invited.
The internet is broken.
We're building a new one.
One where you own what you create, connect with anyone, anywhere, and build what actually matters.
A better internet starts here.
Tired of being a guest on someone else's platform?
We are too.
That's why Base is built for you.
Your content, your data, your feed. Yours to shape, yours to share, yours to scale. No gatekeepers telling you what's possible, and no centralized platforms taking all your money.
This time, the internet belongs to you.
Make it yours.
The internet as it exists today is built to keep you scrolling, not creating.
To spend your time, not to reward it. It's time to change that.
Base gives you the tools to build something real.
Because your ideas, your posts, your work, all mean something.
It's time to build something you believe in.
Post something. Not for likes, but for value.
Not for an algorithm, but for you.
On Base, your content doesn't vanish into a feed.
It lives. It earns. It's yours.
Post. Own. Earn.
Writing Guidelines
Emphasize Base's vision and mission
Base has a grand vision to bring a billion people onchain and a mission to build a global onchain economy that increases innovation, creativity, and freedom.
Highlight how Base aims to make this decentralized future more accessible for everyone, everywhere.
Highlight progress and what's next
When discussing Base's ongoing developments, celebrate recent milestones and accomplishments. Outline the priorities and initiatives planned for the current or upcoming period, grounding them in Base's overarching vision and mission. Invite collaboration from the community, fostering an environment where external perspectives can contribute ideas and feedback.
Focus on concrete examples over abstract concepts
Avoid excessive abstract language about "web3" or technical language around "blockchains", etc.
Ground writing in concrete examples of what Base enables: Affordable transactions, seamless user onboarding, simple developer tooling, etc.
Use clear examples to illustrate concepts
While some technical depth is unavoidable, aim to make abstract onchain concepts accessible through clear examples and analogies. Compare new paradigms to familiar ones to build understanding. Use specifics and walk through sample user flows to demonstrate core value propositions.
Whenever possible, celebrate builders
Base exists to empower those building a decentralized future, and building can be defined with a wide net: Creators, artists, developers, writers, etc. Frequently highlight and celebrate the projects, people, and communities utilizing Base.
Be a bridge
Assume your audience includes crypto newcomers. Use analogies and examples to make clear connections between the tools and platforms people know and the future Base is building.
Tone and voice
"Although tone and voice are often used together, they are not at all the same thing. Voice is the overall personality of your brand and can be described in adjectives like helpful, witty, or friendly. […] your brand's voice will not change. However, tone, or tone of voice, is the attitude of your writing for a particular content piece." - Shelby CrawfordTone
- Progressive and future-thinkingConversational and humanDirect (e.g., using "offers" over "that aims to offer")Optimistic but realistic (not overly idealistic)Appreciative (not prideful)WittyChampioning of buildersRelatable (using cultural references familiar to the audience)
Voice
- Brief and punchy, with clarity and impactAvoids overly technical jargon or corporate talkAcknowledges challenges directly but remains solutions-orientedNot too casual, but still conversationalProvides unique, thought-provoking insightsEngages in trending topics wisely (and rarely)Offers compelling reasons to return through memorable and engaging contentMinimal use of emojis (one at most)
Here's an example of writing that feels appropriate in both tone and voice:
The old internet was for the few. The new one is for everyone. Welcome to an onchain internet that's open, global, and built by people who actually care.Millions of builders are already creating what they love. Tools, apps, communities, movements.Base is for everyone.
Tone in Writting: A Simple Guide
”…voice is what you say, and tone is how you say it.”
A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone
“When you hear an author talking inside your head, “voice” is what that author sounds like. […] You can develop your own voice in your writing by paying special attention to rhythm, diction, and punctuation.”
Point of View
First, second, or third person? Omniscient, limited, or objective? Check for consistency.
Clarity, Concision, and Flow
“The goal is to make your paper as simple and clear, as immediately intelligible to the reader as possible. This doesn't mean that you should ignore subtle and sophisticated complexities in your theory - but the challenge is to state those complexities simply and clearly. Avoid making your subject seem more complex than necessary (for example, if something "creates habits", it's probably neither necessary nor helpful to say that it "exhibits a habit-formation process").” ~ R. WicksTips for Improving Clarity
Sentence Clarity
Strategies for improving sentence clarity include using transitional words, properly placing subordinate clauses, and choosing action verbs over 'be' verbs (e.g. is, are).
Plain Style
Because we specialize in reducing complex topics into concise summaries that are digestible to the average user, Base encourages contributors to write in plain style. For example: opt for simple words like use rather than utilize.
Passive and Active Voice
Base prefers active voice. Sometimes passive voice can be rhetorically effective, but in most cases contributors should change passive to active voice. For example: "Base is for creators, builders, traders, and more."
(WRONG) “Experiences that are sticky, that make it easy for anyone to get started, and that offer a seamless user experience that abstracts onchain complexity as much as possible are what we're looking for.” (passive)
(RIGHT) “We're looking for experiences that make it easy for anyone to get started and offer a seamless user experience that abstracts complexity as much as possible.” (active)
Naunces
Naunces are short, punchy phrases that are used to grab attention and make a statement. For example: "Base is for creators, builders, traders, and more."
Tips for Improving Concision
Avoid redundancies. When in doubt, opt for two shorter sentences over one longer one. The Hemingway App can point out areas for improvement.
Consult the Purdue OWL page on concision for examples of “wordy vs. concise” sentences.
Avoid phrasing that adds little useful information for the reader, such as ending sentences with “…and more.” For example:
(WRONG) ”Base and leading builders are hosting a global hackathon with dedicated tracks like payments, discovery, social, gaming, and more.
(RIGHT) ”Base and leading builders are hosting a global hackathon dedicated to bringing the world onchain.”
Tips for Improving Flow
Avoid sentence fragments.
Vary sentence structure, rhythm, opening words, and length..
Nuances
Capitalization
- In general, follow the Purdue OWL guidelines for capitalization.
For headlines, use title case, not sentence case.
Example: Onchain Summer II is Coming
Punctuation
Oxford Comma - Base uses the Oxford comma. For example:
(WRONG) apples, oranges and bananas (no Oxford comma)
(RIGHT) apples, oranges, and bananas (Oxford comma)
Em Dashes - Write em dashes as ( — ). Add spaces on both sides. For example:
Em dash: "Facilitators accept responsibility to move groups through an agenda, ensure adherence to mutually agreed-upon process mechanics, and — if necessary — suggest alternates or additional discussion."
Consult Merriam-Webster for general guidance on em dashes.
Parentheticals - Where to place that period?As per Typos of the NYT: "When a sentence ends with a parenthetical, the sentence's period goes outside the parentheses (unless the entire sentence is parenthetical)."
Colons and Semicolons - For lists included as part of the text, use semicolons as separators when at least one of the list items contains a comma. Otherwise, use commas.
Tips for Improving Clarity
Basics - Consult the Purdue OWL for basic guidelines.
Numerals - Write out numerals 0 through 9 as words: zero, one, two, three, etc.
Exception: Write 1-for-1, not one-for-one.
Write numerals 10 and above as Arabic numerals: 10, 59, 100, 9888, etc.
Abbreviate 10,000 and above with a K instead of using a comma. For example: write 100,000 as 100K. Abbreviate 1,000,000 and above with an M. Abbreviate 1,000,000,000 and above with a B.
Dates - Write dates (e.g., in blog post titles and images) as "September 2, 2022" (or in shortened form as "Sep. 2, 2022") rather than "September 2nd, 2022."
Time Spans - Write full-year ranges of time as "2009—2022" with an em-dash and no spaces.
Decades - Write out the first reference to a decade as "1960s" and abbreviate subsequent instances as "60s" (no apostrophe).
Clock Times - When referring to the time, always reference both the period of day and time zone, with the period lowercase and the time zone uppercase. Do not use a space between the numeral and period of day, and then use a space for the time zone: "7am ET", "1:30am PT" etc. When not referencing a specific location, default to PT.
Software Versioning Prefixes - Base uses lowercase version number prefixes for software (v1, v1.5, v2.6.4, etc.) rather than uppercase (V1, V1.5, V2.6.4, etc.) While there is no fixed standard, most software versioning at a low level uses Semantic Versioning Specification, aka semver.
What to Avoid
The Base core team does its best to amplify builders who positively contribute to the Base ecosystem. To increase your chances of amplification on social channels, please avoid the following (including in any linked content).Using Financial Terminology
Refrain from financial terms indicating gains, profits, investments, high yields, leverage, lucrative opportunities, etc. Avoid providing investment recommendations or strategies.Mentioning Specific Tokens
Focus on your utility, gameplay, or experience instead of specific tokens, token rewards, etc.No Context of Underlying Project
This might be the first time someone in the Base ecosystem is learning about your project. Avoid solely focusing on specific products, isolated milestones, or new features, without readers understanding the context of your underlying project.Disputable Superlatives
Avoid using unverified superlatives like “the best”, “the first”, “maximize”, “ensure”, etc.Unapproved Partnerships
Avoid references to a “partnership” or “collaboration” with Base and instead reference that your project is launched on, built on, or integrated with Base.Overly Aggressive Marketing
Avoid aggressive marketing tactics (e.g., overuse all caps, overuse of emojis, etc.), promotions, and discounts, as they may send the wrong message within the Base ecosystem.False or Misleading Information
Ensure all information shared is accurate, truthful, and does not mislead readers.Unsupported Data
Share the source of any data presented.Focuses on Coinbase instead of Base
Base is an open, permissionless Ethereum L2 incubated at Coinbase with a commitment to decentralization. Focus on Base itself, rather than an exaggerated nexus to Coinbase.Negative Comparisons
Refrain from putting down other projects or competitors.NSFW Content
Refrain from using offensive, NSFW, explicit language or content in any communication, including your website.Unreleased Products
Avoid teasers of products that are unavailable for immediate use.Incomplete Posts
Include all content (i.e., videos, images, linked content, etc.) in your submitted post.Unlicensed IP
Remove any IP in your post and website that is not properly licensed.Non-Compliant Terms
Do not promote applications that transfer value without terms of service/use that include compliance with applicable laws, including sanctions laws.No Geofencing (in Certain Cases)
Certain applications may be subject to US geofencing requirements and a clear indication in the beginning of your post that the application is only available to non-US users in order to be eligible for amplification at our sole discretion.No KYC (in Certain Cases)
Certain applications may be subject to KYC obligations and a clear indication in the beginning of your post that the application is only available to KYC'd/qualified users in order to be eligible for amplification at our sole discretion.
