Emails, reports, Ads, white papers, product instructions, web pages, push notifications, social media posts… all examples of texts you might write as part of your business.
Words are (still) important. Especially in a world where less people work together physically and so many customer transactions are online or otherwise remote. Not to mention artificial intelligence. With the recent surge in ChatGPT and other AI content generators, writing your own words (or at least, delegating them to another human) is fast becoming a key way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the market.
So, let’s quickly run through some top tips for business writing… and if you find yourself wanting or needing more, we have a free taster webinar coming up, crammed with tactics and information for more effective writing (more on that later…)
Business writing tip #1: Know your audience
As with all communication, it’s not so much ‘how you want to say it’ as ‘how will the audience hear it’. Tailor your message and the way you express it to fit your readers’ preferences and priorities. What will work best for the reader? Professional tone or informal? Detail-heavy or just the headlines? What do they value?
Business writing tip #2: Plan what you’re going to say, and how
What is it you want a specific piece of writing to achieve? Does it need to be instructional, informational, transactional, or persuasive? What are the key points you need to get across? What order do they need to be in? Each key point should build on – or at least, logically follow – the last so that the whole makes sense to the reader.
Business writing tip #3: Be factually accurate
This may seem a bit obvious but wherever your message relies on facts, check them before sending/publishing. For some readers, even a simple error can be enough to sow doubt and undermine your whole text.
Business writing tip #4: Think about tone of voice
The tone of voice of your writing should reflect the broader image of your business you want to project. Do you want to come across as formal, informal, ‘business casual’… And what do any of these mean in practice for your readers? Do you use first names, or official titles? Do you use contractions, abbreviations and generally write as you (and others) speak, or do you need to maintain a little distance and write with strict grammatical rules?
Business writing tip #5: Be concise
Your inbox is full, isn’t it? So is everybody else’s. If you want to have an impact, get to the main point quickly. Avoid your message being binned (digitally or physically) by putting the core message in the first line or two.
Business writing tip #6: Finish on a call to action
Be clear about what you want the audience to do as a result of reading your words.
Business writing tip #7: Edit and proofread your text
The first version of any written message or document is a draft. You might think you’ve nailed it first time but it’s guaranteed that if you come back to your doc after a break, you’ll find changes you want or need to make. And then there are the inevitable spelling and grammar errors. Also, consider asking a trusted colleague to read it and provide feedback – an alternative perspective always helps.
And if there’s a final, bonus tip to add, it’s practise! The more you write for your business, the better your business writing will be.
If you want more direct guidance and input on great business writing, check our free, taster webinar, “How to elevate your business writing” on 22 March 2024, at 10.00am; sign up here. Or give us a call on 01582 463463; we’re here to help.
