Business Writing vs. Technical Writing

What is Technical Writing?

In technical writing, the reader is the focus of the content. And the material is presented in a way that is easy to understand. Time is money in the business world, and money drives all commercial interactions. Therefore, technical writers and readers share a mutual connection that they must respect. The author acknowledges, respects, and addresses the reader by supplying papers in specified forms and using unambiguous language to communicate assessable information. The reader, on the other hand, fully comprehends the material and responds accordingly.

According to the traditional definition of technical writing, "Technical writing is a way of documenting processes, such as in software manuals or educational materials." Traditionally, it was restricted to mean some form of a user guide. Today, technical writing includes all documents related to sophisticated technical procedures. Reports, executive summaries, and briefings are also included in this category.

What is Business Writing?

The term 'business writing' refers to writing done in a professional capacity, specifically for a living. It's a well-thought-out piece of writing that effectively and concisely delivers important information to the target audience. It comprises client proposals, reports, notes, emails, and so on.

When it comes to business writing, the goal is to evoke an action from the reader. It's a piece of writing with a specific purpose: to assist the reader in understanding something better or taking action. Therefore, it has to have substance, be easily readable, and be free of grammatical errors.

The information you're trying to communicate is critical for effective business writing. The generated content will fail if it contains inconsistencies, errors, irrelevant information, or unnecessary repetitions. Business writing, at its core, is about imparting information and evoking actions. Therefore, completeness, relevance, and accuracy are all required.

Difference And Similarities Between Business And Technical Writing

Writing abilities are required almost in every career field, especially for business. That's why the most common writing style is business writing, which is sometimes confused with technical writing. It happens because of their shared objective of making complex ideas understandable.     

Differences Between Business And Technical Writing

1. Business writing is often referred to as a pre-sales document, whereas technical writing is an after-sales document.
2. Business writing is a sales tool, whereas technical writing is a helpful tool.
3. Business writing aims to attract potential clients, whereas technical writing is done to sustain a business.
4. In business writing, the writer focuses on creativity, whereas technical writing is limited to facts and figures.
5. The language of business writing is informative, whereas technical writing has illustrative language.
6. There may be an element of verbosity regarding word usage in business writing. However, technical writing uses simple and easy-to-understand language.
7. There is no fixed style guide in business writing, whereas in technical writing, it is critical to follow the industry-standard writing style.
8. For proofreading, technical experience is not mandatory. Whereas, in technical writing, a review checklist and relevant technical knowledge are necessary for proofreading.
9. In business writing, technical knowledge is not necessary for the writer because they only write based on the brief given. In technical writing, the writer must possess both technical knowledge and in-depth information about the product they are writing.
10. In business writing, the writer doesn't need to use the product personally to write about it. Whereas in technical writing, it is the opposite.

Similarities Between Technical Writing And Business Writing

1. In business and technical writing, the most important thing is the clarity of purpose.
2. The information must be appropriate, accurate, rational, and relevant. The goal of the content is not met if the information is unnecessary or erroneous. The fundamental objective of the generated content is to offer useful information to the intended audience.
3. The writers avoid unnecessary jargon and ambiguity in both types of writing types. The best approach to get your point through to the reader is using a straightforward writing style. Only experts will understand acronyms and other overly technical terminologies.
4. Both business and technical documents are edited and drafted by the writers. Reviewing is the next step after it has been drafted. Any faults or mistakes in the paper will be corrected throughout the review process. To improve a written document, you always require input from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Key Tips For Writing a Business Document

Business writing is more popular than technical writing these days. The reason is that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of online businesses is rising. So, business developers always need writers and freelancers to write business letters, business proposals, business emails, press releases, etc. Due to this, a large number of freelance writers search for business writing tips every day. Keeping this trend in mind, we have highlighted some important tips for writing an effective business document.

1. Who is Your Audience?

You must be familiar with your audience if you want to connect with them successfully. Because if your content is not tailored for your target audience, it will fail to achieve its goals.

2. Nature of Message

Decide what you want to accomplish before typing a single word. Planning is half the battle. Know what the expectations are for you and what the expectations are for your target audience. Know your theme, and then follow through consistently.

3. Think Like a Reporter

It's easy to miss the obvious when you're immersed in a subject. For instance, it's amazing how many hotel and restaurant websites omit the most basic details. Incorporate the Five Ws and an H into your content. These are the questions you should be answering in your document.

4. Never Use Clichés And Buzzwords

Clichés and overused buzzwords are all too common in corporate writing these days. For example, what kind of business doesn't consider itself to be "service-oriented?" What does a firm focus on if it isn't "solutions-focused"? And so on.

Clichés are statements that appear out of nowhere and spread rapidly, to the point where they have lost most of their original meaning. Countless articles have been written on easy solutions, win-win situations, or going above and beyond the call of duty. But, unfortunately, they all eventually blend into one another, becoming just another brick in the wall.

5. Stay Away From Jargon

Acronyms and jargon are found in virtually every industry. When readers are well aware of the jargon, it makes it easier for the writer. However, if you're writing for individuals outside your industry or area of expertise, it's best to exclude industry jargon to avoid creating misunderstandings.

6. Use Short Sentences

Brief sentences and short phrases have a greater chance of grabbing the readers' attention. In addition, readers tend to be in a rush when reading content digitally. So, eliminate all the extraneous material to keep your audience interested.

7. Simple And Plain to Read

Before opting to read a text in its entirety, people frequently scan it for important information. Make their lives simple. When you can get by with everyday words, don't use complex and uncommon words. For example, instead of "fostering improvements to our customer service environment," say "enhance customer service."

8. No Abbreviations And Symbols

Avoid using abbreviations and symbols as most readers may not be aware of them. Additionally, abbreviations and symbols can break the flow of the readers if they are uncommon. But, certain standard and well-known abbreviations can be used because they are more recognizable than their full forms—for example, NATO.

9. Use Active Voice

Using active voice in your content is a quick and easy method to make it more lively. Sentences written in active voice tend to be shorter than passive voice sentences, and they inspire greater confidence in the reader. In addition, everyone is curious as to who is in charge of what.

10. Must Proofread

It's a good idea to utilize spell checkers, but they're not without flaws and limitations. So before printing or sending your documents, be sure you've checked your work for errors.

Important FAQs Regarding Business And Technical Writing

1. What is an Example of Technical Writing?

Instruction manuals, how-to guides, and how-to videos are all forms of technical writing. Technical writing can also entail authoring journal articles, support materials, and certain other technical paperwork.

2. What is a Technical Writer's Salary?

In 2019, the median income for technical writers was $72,850. However, while the top 25 percent had $93,590, the bottom 25 percent earned $56,570 in the same year.

3. What Are Examples of Business Writing?

Business writing involves business proposals, business letters, press releases, emails, freelance writing, resume writing, manual writing, case studies, etc.

4. What is The Best Business Writing Tip For Freelance Writers?

The best tip is to have in-depth, relevant, and accurate knowledge of the topic to be written.

5. What Are The 10 Cs of Business Writing?

The 10 Cs of business writing are credibility, conciseness, concreteness, clearness, consideration, conversational, correct, courteous, and coherent.

Conclusion

Business and technical writing both are requirements of modern times. However, business writing has become more in demand after the pandemic, as business developers have started online businesses on a larger scale. So,  business writing skills and business writing tips have become the topic of interest for freelance writers. Nonetheless, the importance of technical writing has not vanished. Both of these are important to learn and achieve a significant goal for your business.