There are two types of people in this world: those who love the Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma) and those who hate it. In fact, a recent poll shows the near-even division among Americans regarding this topic: 57% are in favor of the Oxford comma, while 43% are opposed to its use.

A quick Google search will provide you with all the content you'll ever need arguing both for and against this controversial punctuation mark, so I won't bore you with more of the same here. (I also won't regale you with my true feelings on the matter, which are probably too long to include in this post! Just know that as someone who's been writing and editing professionally for some years now-and who majored in English and therefore spent much of my college years debating grammatical nuances-I've thought about it a lot.)

What I'd like to discuss instead is the value of comma consistency. As digital marketers, we're responsible for ensuring a consistent brand experience across multiple channels-and that consistency should include commas. Here are a few comma-related guidelines for digital marketers.

Inconsistency looks unpolished.
Few things are more grating than reading otherwise stimulating copy on a website only to discover that the Oxford comma was used sometimes…but not always. It comes across as rough and, in some cases, can lead to confusion. (I have a theory that the root of all this Oxford comma drama-yes, I said it-could be traced back to someone who just didn't care enough to proofread for consistency. But I digress.)

Make a choice, and stick to it.
In writing for the digital marketing landscape, you (or your company) must make a decision on the Oxford comma-to comma or not to comma? That is the question-and then, for better or worse, stick with it. Communicate your brand's comma style standards to all team members who write for the brand, promoting consistency regardless of who's writing.

Always use an Oxford comma in long, complicated lists.
It just helps to simplify things. You might even use semicolons to really enhance the clarification.

Aim for uniform usage in all instances.
Of course, this consistency thing extends beyond just the comma; consistency of usage is important across the board. Your industry and company no doubt have some catchphrases or terms that get thrown around on a regular basis; it's crucial to make a decision about, say, whether or not to capitalize the word "internet" or to make a particular product name one word or two-and then stick with whatever you decide.

No matter your decision about the Oxford comma, your readers will be able to get on board with it if it's used correctly and consistently, every single time. You owe it to your audience to be as consistent with your messaging as possible-including grammatically.

This can be a pretty controversial topic, so let us know in the comments: What are your feelings on the Oxford comma? Do you love it, hate it-or have you just never given it much thought?