When you write business content, your reader is more important than you. Otherwise, you’re just journalling.
Being authentic or being self focused?
This morning, I read an article by a business owner who doesn’t use capital letters at all on her website. She says it’s not really her and she wants to feel authentic when she writes. And that’s all well and good—it’s important to be authentic in business. The problem is that this mindset is all about her, not about her readers.
Capital letters aren’t a trendy writing fad. They’re an important aid for the reader to make the message as clear and simple to digest as possible. Business writers who break these writing rules choose to make life a little harder for potential customers to retain what they feel is authenticity (or ‘coolness’ or whatever their objective is).
However, this choice could be detrimental to their business.
Put the reader first—always!
Choosing a ‘voice’ for your written communication is about the reader first and you second. What do your readers need from you? How do they want you to speak to them? (Especially in web content, where you can’t make readers work hard—they won’t take the time!)
I’m not saying there isn’t room for fun in business writing. I encourage the creation of interesting and dynamic language in the corporate world. A great example is Virgin. The Virgin ‘voice’ is casual and fun, matching the business owner’s style and approach to life.
However, the Virgin message is always clear and the company doesn’t use the voice where it’s not appropriate, such as in annual reports and safety reports. The message is never lost or difficult to extract. Virgin doesn’t sacrifice readability for coolness; its expert communications staff know how to achieve both.
Ultimately, the key is to know which rules to break and which rules to respect—and when. This comes with training and practice. And knowing what your readers need from you.
Are you making life easier or more difficult for your readers?