Writing for Business

Week 1: Getting the background

• Discussion of what subjects/aims the group has in mind
• Analysis of different types of business writing, from highly technical to lighter profiles, press releases to mission statements, reviews, diary pieces and news and current interest reports
• Building confidence, assessing your skills, writing under pressure
• How to get overall angles and ideas and spot timelines
• Importance of being accurate, succinct and creative
• WRITE SELF-PROFILE in THIRD PERSON.

Week 2: Understanding the market and the reader

• A study of a cross section of corporate publications
• How to adapt the tone and style of a text to suit another outlet
• Reader profiles of various titles - WHY would they want to read it?
• Different styles of writing
• Who/what is the media/audience delivering to?
• How to find out who they are
• ANALYSIS OF READERS

Week 3: Getting down to research

• Where to get more information/source facts
• Do we rely too much on the Internet?
• Finding the central idea and building on it
• Useful tools: synopsis/summary from longer documents
• Writing the first draft -planning the text
• Timelines
• WRITE A SUMMARY

Week 4: Interviewing and archiving

• Making sure you are clear what you want from an interviewee
• Angling your questions and understanding the answers
• How to encourage better quotes and dealing with difficult people.
• Transcribing, organizing notes, building an archive
• Reworking existing material. Acquiring new angles : listening (radio), watching (TV)
• INTERVIEW IN CLASS AND WRITE PROFILE

Week 5: Finding the 'direction' in Press Releases/Publicity/Marketing Texts

• Mission statements/ USPs/in-house newsletter/CEOs newsletter
• Is it newsworthy? Recognising the story? Timely? A hook?
• Have you enough substance to issue a new text?
• Is it useful and relevant info about your organisation?
• Will it cover 'exciting' new ground
• If it's a 'worthy' story, how to make it news-worthy
• WRITE A PRESS RELEASE

Week 6: Writing the document

• Project Managing a document
• Structure and layout (building blocks)
• Clarity and precise words - style and tone
• Avoiding goobledeegook, fluff or fancy words
• Boxes and sidebars, good quotes, strong headline/intro
• Writing style and tone for a stimulating read
• Finding the right words, creating the best order
• Rules of grammar, punctuation
• WRITE A REVIEW ON A PRODUCT OR SERVICE

Week 7: Delivering press releases/publicity/marketing documents

• Correct style - why would they want to read it? Main faults.
• Relating to the journalist, making it easy for them
• Why are they going to relate to it?
• Delivery style and getting it placed
• Repurposing a document
• Following up
• TALK THROUGH A FOLLOW-UP PHONECALL/EMAIL

Week 8: Going Digital

• Brevity, different style, writing for the web
• Twitter/blogs/facebook - making them work for you
• How to tighten up the first draft
• Adding elements to widen the scope of your text
• Writing techniques
• Importance of social media
• CLASS DISCUSSION FOLLOWED BY WRITTEN EXERCISE

Week 9: Legalities and finalities

• Legal issues and rights
• Copyright, plagiarism
• Editing and proofreading
• Dealing with journalists, pitching/negotiating
• Business letters/emails, beginnings, endings, vocabulary
• Risk management/complaint strategy, helpful words to use
• EDIT CEO'S QUARTERLY LETTER TO STAFF

Week 10: Presenting yourself in a businesslike manner

• Writing a CV/resume/bio
• How to write a speech/presentation
• How to do radio/tv interviews on your product/service
• How to get people interested in your ideas, cold calling
• Building up relationships with the right people for future work
• Places to find help with brand vision and business advice
• MAKING A SHORT SPEECH/PRESENTATION