Naming your Guide

• be easy to understand – use simple English and avoid using technical terms if possible
• use active language rather than passive (‘Applying for a scholarship’, not ‘Scholarship applications’)
• help users identify what action the content will help them complete – include a direct action so the user knows it will help them achieve their aim (‘Secure a place through clearing and adjustment’, not ‘Clearing and adjustment process’)
• be clear who the content is for – place the Guide in context so the user recognises it as relevant to their need (‘Types of placements for undergraduate students’, not ‘Placements’)
• be limited to 65 characters if possible so users can read it in entirety on search results

Title: Suspending your studies or leaving the University
Summary: What you need to do to suspend your studies, the process for coming back to University, and what to do if you want to leave your course.

Writing a summary for a specific audience

If your guide is for a specific audience (like postgraduate students or staff who are personal tutors), it’s important to make clear who it’s for in the summary. Some summaries may need to be more explicit than others, for example:

Title: Applying to university after a break in studying
Summary: If you are age 21 or over, you are defined as a mature student. Find out how to apply to an undergraduate course and the different routes into higher education.

This is especially important if you have separate content items which have a similar topic but different audiences, for example, one guide for how a pregnant student can get support and another for how staff should support them:

Title: Getting advice if you are pregnant while studying
Summary: How we can support you if you are student having a baby, or you have a young child.

Title: Actions staff should take to support a pregnant student
Summary: What academic staff should do when they learn a student is pregnant, including how to assess need and make necessary adjustments.

In some cases, referring to your audience in the third person may be the clearest option. This is fine for the summary, as it can make search results more helpful, however you should avoid using the third person in the rest of the guide.

How to provide tour commentary (step-by-step)

Any tour should start with opening remarks about what guests can look forward to. Earn guest’s attention by structuring your tour commentary in a way that puts their interests first.

1. Address important topics

Guests want to head into a tour feeling confident that a guide will deliver a memorable experience. With your approach, aim to be both informative and engaging with your guests from the get-go.

2. Bookend points of interest

Lead with the most commonly asked questions and topics that are featured in your tour listing. Consider mentioning whether food will be available and where guests can find washroom locations along the tour route.

You’ll also want to address anything that isn’t concrete, like whether they’ll have time to explore and photograph a famous landmark. Just like with GPS in your car, it’s much easier to know where to turn if you know the route plan.

3. Address any questions

After your pre-amble confirms the tour type, make space to connect conversationally with your guests. You can ask guests where they are from, the reason for this vacation and try to find out what people are most looking forward to seeing.

As a bonus, this minimizes potential disruptions halfway and provides good tour commentary. In addition, if there happens to be transportation for the bulk of the group, ensure you instill the importance of time management.

4. Showcase your enthusiasm

Charm and inspire guests before the tour kicks off, with your excitement for what’s to come. And while this may not be your first time providing this tour, trust that they will feed off your energy and excitement.

Picture yourself taking a moment to take in sweeping views or savour a tasty treat while on a food tour. These moments of acknowledgement let your guests know that they can carve out a few moments too.

5. Leave guests feeling inspired

You may already be a charismatic tour guide. Perhaps you’re delighting travelers with your wild and wondrous stories. But there’s always room for adding in a bit of variety into your daily routine and a fresh perspective for how you deliver guided tours. When guests wrap up a tour, your goal is for them to feel like they learned a little and had a lot of fun.

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How to Write a Book and Publish It

Publishing Resources

Resource:

https://www.bath.ac.uk/guides/creating-a-guide/
https://www.checkfront.com/blog/tour-guide-storytelling/
https://thewritepractice.com/how-to-write-a-book-complete-guide/