When you start a business, your plate gets piled high. Regardless of what industry you fall under, you’re much more than an owner. You handle client interaction, outreach, staffing, accounting … and the list goes on.
One position that many new business owners don’t typically think of right off the bat is copywriter. But unless you immediately outsource to a freelancer, you’re probably going to find a good chunk of your time being spent writing things such as:
Now, business writing is handled in different ways depending on the type of piece you’re composing. And one place novices usually get things wrong is in what point of view they write in. Most specifically, they get mixed up between second and third person.
That said, I’d like clear up the mess and help you make sure you’re getting it correct. I’ll begin by defining each:
Second Person: This is the point of view you take when you are speaking directly to the reader. You address them directly as “you.” Example: You will love our product because it will save you time.
Third Person: For our purposes, we will simply define third person as when you do not refer to the reader directly. Instead of saying “you,” you speak of them as if they are not part of the conversation. Example: The buyer will love this product because he will be able to use it to save time.
Which to Use When
By nature, we tend to write in third person. That’s because it’s drilled in us all through high school and college. It’s considered a faux pas to ever address the reader in a work of academia. However, when it comes to business writing, the opposite almost always applies.
Hope that clears things up for you. Let me know if you have any questions!
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download a free copy of the PR Checklist – a 24 point list of Press Release Dos and Don’ts here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/pr-checklist/
Lucy Kanyako
Thanks for the clarity.