48 quick hints to craft better business copy

Editor’s note: We are re-running the top stories of 2021 as part of our year-end countdown.

1. Each time you sit down to write, remind yourself of this sobering fact: “Nobody has to read this.”

2. If you must use the word “sustainable”, don’t add tautology to cliché by pairing it with “long-term”.

3. Making it easy to read isn’t the same as dumbing down. Is an iPad dumb because it’s easy to use?

4. Don’t follow “we’re different because…” with clichés about “adding value” and “innovative solutions.”

5. Important message to convey? Read your work to a colleague, then ask them to repeat its main point.

6. To paraphrase Twain, substitute “damn” every time you want to write “meaningful” or “significant.”

7. For an instant idea of how readable your writing is, use the Gunning Fog Index.

8. Don’t worry about how well you write. It’s how well you edit that makes the difference.

9. Don’t tell people you want to “engage” them. Ask them “what do you think?”