Why Concise Writing Is So Important For Business
When you are writing anything, particularly for business purposes, it is important to write your article so that the reader knows exactly what it is about in the first few sentences. Otherwise, the reader will get bored or distracted. Nowadays, people don’t have the time to read reams and reams of words just to get the gist of what you are writing about, be clear and engaging!
Make sure that what you are writing is relevant to your audience
It is no good writing about car mechanics if you are wanting to attract people who dance for a living. Understanding your audience and of course your subject area is vital. Make sure you research your subject well as there is no point writing about things that you do not understand or are irrelevant. Your readers will find you out!
Don’t use tautologies
When you are writing, try not repeat yourself, even if you are using different words. An example of this is using the words world-wide and global together, because they mean the same thing. Other tautologies are: ‘difficult dilemma’, ‘joint agreement’, ‘I’ll deal with this personally’ and ‘postpone until later.’
As you can see, they all mean the same thing but use different words.
Use the active voice
When writing, use the active voice. By this I mean putting yourself or the person/ business you are writing about first. If you use the passive voice, then what you are trying to say can be unclear.
Here are some examples of active voice and passive voice.
Active voice
The manager wrote the report for the meeting.
The committee read the report written by the manager.
Passive voice
The report was written by the manager for the meeting.
The report written by the manager was read by the committee.
Use positive language
A frequent stumbling block in written communications is that the overall tone can come across as being negative, and the reader views the idea being conveyed as something difficult to achieve. To avoid a negative tone, use positive words and focus on what’s possible! Help your readers see any negative as an opportunity.
Don’t waffle
When you are writing something like a blog, keep it reasonably short and add pictures if appropriate so that the reader finds it more engaging. Use the appropriate language for the subject you are writing about. And most importantly, keep the reader in mind at all times.
For more tips and advice on how to write for business, or if you would like to use my proofreading services, please contact me on 07545 583 102.
