It’s what you say, not how you say it.

Good business writing is not about writing.

It may sound odd, but effective business copywriting is not simply about grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary or clever metaphors. That’s the easy bit. It’s not even about creative concepts or catchy headlines. That’s the fun part.

The hardest, and most important part is understanding the business issues:

• Who are you trying to reach? (target audience)
• Why should they care about what you’ve got to say? (benefits)
• What makes your business so special? (differentiation)
• Why would they believe you? (evidence)
• What exactly do you want them to do? (call to action)

In other words, the most important thing is what you say, not how you say it.

Even with the most important business decisions, buying is more emotional than rational. People generally invest in people they like, trust and relate to personally. The rational justification often comes later.

That’s why it’s important to know your audience, understand what they’re looking for and speak in their language. It’s different for every business.

Here are some of the approaches I’ve taken. Here are some nice things people have said. Here are some shiny logos.