Business writing involves all kinds of writings done in a professional setting. And emails count too. There are different tones you can adopt in your business writing materials. Of course, it all depends on the message you want to convey and the feeling you want to send to the reader.
For example, you may want to create a campaign that increases sales and you want to persuade the consumer that your business has the best products.
However, business writing is not only about increasing sales and revenues. It is about the information you share with the people, but also press releases, reports, user manuals, specification guides, and so on. Practically, every written piece is done within a business. To reach the consumer but also comply with financial or legal obligations, you need good writing skills. But how could you improve your business writing? Here are 8 tips.
- Research is key
- Avoid fluffy words
- Clarify your goal
- Meet the needs of your audience
- Formal vs informal tone
- Use active voice
- Rational, not emotional
- Edit and proofread
1. Research Is Key
Many people imagine that business writing is not as difficult as it seems. However, we have seen so many cases of businesses that shared fake information. Researching the topic you will write about carefully is essential. It prevents misunderstandings from appearing. Also, in the era of social media, everyone can write a negative review of your business and affect your brand image.
So, it is crucial to be aware of all the major issues that surround your topic. This way, you will avoid future embarrassment. Research is key in every writing niche, including college. Writers from dissertation services say that this is one of the most important steps of the writing process, so make sure you don’t skip it.
2. Avoid Fluffy Words
One of the major mistakes brands make in their communication is using fluffy words. Indeed, you want to impress the audience and turn them into loyal followers. However, you will not succeed if you use words they cannot understand. So, it is important to avoid using fluffy words and express your ideas in a simple but coherent way.
3. Clarify Your Goal
There are many reasons why you may have started on a business writing piece. But which is your goal? What do you want to obtain? Do you want to persuade the audience to do something? Do you simply want to inform the people? It is important to clarify your goal before you actually start developing your writing. Knowing the objective of your written piece will allow you to select the relevant information and choose the right tone.
4. Meeting Needs
As a business, you want to increase your brand awareness. You want to catch the attention of the people that might be interested in supporting you. These are the customers, the ones that buy your products or services. And to improve your business writing, you need to meet their needs. Whatever piece of writing you might want to write, keep in mind the needs of your audience.
5. Formal vs Informal
Many businesses think a formal tone is the one that sends the idea of professionalism. Well, this was the case a few years ago. Nowadays, everything has changed. People are looking for a friendly tone and voice. So, whenever appropriate, adopt an informal tone in your business writing. Keep in mind that it’s important how you send the message, but also what you say. And professionalism does not equal formalism.
6. Active Voice
Another tip that will help you improve your business writing is using an active voice. Manybusinesses use the passive voice too much. But this creates distance between you and your writing. And, as a business, you want your audience to feel your vibe. Using an active voice sends a different feeling.
7. Rational, not Emotional
There are many moments when an official statement is required from businesses. And the audience waits for it. Maybe you want to justify a controversial decision you have made. Maybe you want to announce this decision. And giving arguments for it is necessary. Well, these arguments should be based on rational reasons. It’s true, emotions are also involved in the decision-making process. But, as a business, you should try to be impartial and put rational choices over emotional ones.
8. Editing and Proofreading
Because of lack of time, many businesses skip this step. But publishing an article, text, or whatever it may be with grammar and spelling mistakes is not what you should do. Even though these types of mistakes are natural and they happen, you should take all the precocious methods for this to not happen. Keep in mind that every material you make public contributes to your brand image and awareness.
Final Thoughts
If you want to improve your business writing, these 8 tips are exactly what you need. It is important to not lose sight of what you want to achieve as a business. For example, you might want to increase your brand awareness. You may want to meet the needs of the customers and create informational guides. Either way, take these tips into account and apply them when it’s appropriate.
