Use standard United States postal codes to indicate the names of states. Use all capital letters. For example, Nebraska is NE, not Neb. or Ne.
Abbreviate months with the first three letters of the name of the month. Even if the month does not have a standard abbreviation, you can use this method. For example, December can be shortened to "Dec" and July can be shortened to "Jul" without any discrepancy.
Add periods only if you need them for formatting. If the period comes in the middle of a series of dates, then leave it out. For example, June 30, 2003 should be written 30 Jun 2003. You should include periods when they occur as part of a name, such as Julie B. Jones.
Use an abbreviation when the abbreviation for a company is more commonly known than the full title of the company. For example, TBS (Turner Broadcasting Station) has been identified simply as TBS for years. It is okay to use this abbreviation. However, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is a relatively recent, promotional abbreviation and should not be used without the name also being spelled out.
Use acronyms where appropriate. If an acronym is more commonly known than the actual words that the letters stand for, then it is okay to use the acronym. A common example is the word "SCUBA," which is generally written "scuba" and is short for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus."