Communications for an organisation or group use the style, voice and tone of the organisation. In some cases, this may be a formal style; in others, it may be a more engaging approach. Content on the same topic may change according to the audience – for example, a flyer for students might be chatty and informal, and written in the first and second person (we and you), whereas a report to university management will be formal and written in the third person (the university).

Public relations, marketing and advertising are often promotional and laudatory, and sometimes exclamatory, seeking an emotional response. The vocabulary, structure and point of view are tuned to suit the potential consumers of the product. The language and style of each pitch set the tone of communication, to forge the relationship with target readers:

Communications writers may also write informational materials. For example, government agencies or nonprofit organisations often need to communicate information to the public (eg a health warning, the start of roadworks in a particular area).

Informative writing may also have a promotional element (eg a charity will inform supporters about how their money has been spent to persuade them to continue donating).

A feature of communications writing is the call to action – the message to the audience of what they should do as a result of reading the content. This may be implicit (eg treat yourself the way you deserve, quitting smoking will help you to live longer), or explicit (eg click here to subscribe, use an alternative route on 23 June).

Communications writing often uses a mix of first-, second- and third-person perspectives to draw audiences in:

See News articles and press releases for more information about writing a press release.