How to Improve Your Business Writing

By Tori 8 years ago

It goes without saying that one of the principal responsibilities of any business content writer is to perpetually strive for improvement and excellence. This is more so because business content writing jobs are subject specific and need sheer focus and specialized knowledge to meet the desired standards. How then do business content writers make their writing effective and clear and also make their communication stand out? Here are a few tips:

Your writing reflects your thinking: As you start writing, always remember that it’s basically your thoughts that you are putting to words. Or in other words, you are putting a face to your thoughts by using appropriate words. Thus fashioning an intelligent and interesting sentence becomes mandatory to communicate effectively, win business, and, more importantly, standing out in the crowd. Remember, all your great ideas fall on deaf ears if you don’t communicate effectively. However, the good news about the business content writers’ job is that you always have the capacity and chance to improve with every assignment you handle. In sum, effective writing is a skill to be gradually cultivated.

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Think, Think, Think

Before starting to write, as a business content writer, ask yourself the three basic questions of communication: Who am I talking to? What am I going to say? How am I going to say what I intend saying? Thus, before putting your pen to the paper or your fingers on the keyboard, ponder on what you intend saying. That is to say that, “don’t start writing away prematurely.” This would result in writing that is less structured, tautological and may seem tiresome to the reader. Try and think of how the reader would react to your communication. If you don’t get a clear answer immediately, it shows that  you’re perhaps writing too quickly. So collect your thoughts before you begin.

Direct Communication is the Key

The most successful business content writing jobs make their point straight away. The unsuccessful business content writer, on the other hand, tends to plant his message somewhere in the middle or even towards the end of his writing. Thus, business content writers would do well to succinctly present their main ideas first and save the reader’s time. It would also sharpen their argument and garner the reader’s attention more effectively. The thumb rule for writing long proposals or memos is to state the main issue and its solution within 150 words in the first paragraph of the write-up’s first page. It’s your opener that will clinch the deal and your talent for summarizing. A weak opener will usually result in a bad or, at best, mediocre communication.

The Key to Successful Communication

  • Avoid excessive verbiage. Use one word when three seem redundant.
  • Edit or cut out every redundant word and/or sentence. Verbose writing makes the reader tune out faster.
  • Avoid industrial jargon and acronyms if possible, as they may seem incomprehensible to the reader and add little value. The use of grandiose language is best avoided when simple language will do.
  • Edit the copy to decorate it rather than hack which destroys it. Before releasing the write-up, read it a number of times and take feedback from colleagues or friends.

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