Writing. It may not have been your favorite class in high school—heck, you may have even been able to avoid it all together—but it’s always been there. Whether it was writing a paper, an email or even a social media post, writing has been a part of all of our lives from the very beginning.

While writing definitely might not be on your list of “Top 5 Favorite Things To Do,” it absolutely has a place in marketing. Where there is writing, there is marketing, and where there is marketing, there is business. Check out our reasoning why great writing means great business.

Writing shows you’re professional.
First and foremost, clear and concise business writing demonstrates your professionalism to the outside world. Whether you write for your own resume, email or portfolio, or if you write for an organization or company doesn’t matter.

When you practice great writing, you present yourself—and whoever else you may represent—as a professional influence in the business community. Have you ever seen a bad piece of writing? Maybe you read someone’s application email, or saw a business advertisement that didn’t make sense or had poor grammar and spelling. Poor writing reflects poorly on those who share it, so practice your writing skills to represent yourself well.

Writing helps you market yourself.
Of course, when you demonstrate yourself as a professional individual, writing also helps you market yourself. Are you currently in the job market? Maybe you’re trying to get a new partner organization. Perhaps you’re trying to sell a product or service to potential customers. Strong writing helps you market these goods to whomever you’re trying to sell to.

The fact is, writing is an extremely powerful marketing tool because it can capture people’s attention, draw them in and elicit a call to action. And with great marketing comes great business, whether for yourself or a company.

Writing tells a story.
People love stories. Whether they’re sad, happy or funny doesn’t matter—as long as people are entertained. Practicing your writing efforts helps you practice your storytelling. What’s a story from your own life employers should be interested in? What story does your business have to tell? What’s a client story from someone you helped?

Storytelling is powerful because it makes readers feel engaged and connected. When you learn how to write great marketing pieces, you become a better storyteller, and positively influence your business.

Writing promotes growth.
Lastly, great writing promotes growth within yourself or within a business. Because writing leads to marketing, and marketing leads to good business, writing in essence has a strong influence on how well a business can do.

The more professional, interesting, thought-provoking written content you can put out into the world, the more clients, employers and businesses you will draw the attention of. And of course, the more attention you get, oftentimes means the more positive growth you will receive.

Even if writing wasn’t your favorite class, it’s still a great way to improve yourself and your business. Practice your writing and see how your marketing efforts excel and generate growth.