Writing a company annual report is often a requirement for many companies and organizations in Malaysia and other countries. It’s justified to say that writing a company report is a time-consuming activity and may not be an easy task for many.
But what if you look at the annual report not as just an obligation but as a unique opportunity to tell your stakeholders a good story? The story behind your business, including all the successes and milestones you’ve achieved over the past year.
With the seven top tips Word Philocaly has prepared for you below, your annual report will become the perfect business card for your company.
Tip 1: Start with a good structure
The secret for writing any large content or document is a good structure. So start thinking up the proper structure before you begin writing. This way, you can be sure that you do not forget anything and that the structure of your company annual report is logical.
Create a clear table of contents and use a logical format in paragraphs. Use titles and subtitles, and put keywords in bold. With this well-planned structure, the reader can quickly scan the content of your annual report and pick out those parts that are of interest to them.
Tip 2: Take the readers into account
It is the primary and vital rule for every communication but is so often forgotten in practice. After all, it is very tempting to write from the perspectives of yourself or your organization. But do you address those things that are interesting to the reader? And do you do so in a way that is appealing to the reader?
So get into the reader’s mind in advance; who are the readers, and what do they want to know? For example, it makes a big difference whether the primary readership is made up of financial analysts or concerned parents, who are very involved in their children’s education.
Find a good balance between professionalism and accessibility. For example, is it necessary to use jargon, or does it deter the reader? In any case, avoid unnecessarily complicated sentence structures and language use.
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Tip 3: Keep it clear and concise
Nobody wants to go through a dull and bulky annual report. Therefore, use the art of omission. Critically assess the intended content of your annual report and discard any redundancy. Too much unimportant information is never good.
In addition, try to keep the company annual report light, accessible, and relatable. For example, you can do this by including several personal stories. Let some of your customers tell you why they are so satisfied with your product or service.
And give space to an employee who enthusiastically talks about a successful product introduction. Practical evidence makes your successes tangible; they are immediately appealing and have a tremendous power of persuasion. Therefore, integrate them into your annual report.
Tip 4: Ensure a good balance between texts and images
Long pages full of text make no one happy. Keep the design light with photos, full-page images, and memorable quotes. Create an attractive cover that immediately appeals to readers. Use nicely designed charts instead of pages with grey tables.
You can present facts and figures visually appealing by using beautiful infographics and icons. At a glance, the readers see what it is all about. With a distinctive design, fresh colors, and original illustrations, you can complete the entire picture.
Tip 5: Connect with your corporate identity
It is so apparent, yet in practice, we regularly see examples where things go wrong. Please be aware that the annual report is one of your company’s communication tools. Therefore, make sure that you consistently implement your corporate identity in your annual report. In this way, your annual report also contributes to a clear recognition of your brand and company.
Tip 6: Think multimedia
Company annual reports published in printed documents have always been a standard in most industries in Malaysia. However, the digital age offers many additional opportunities to show your annual report to the world.
Making your annual report available in PDF format on your website shows little creativity. Why not tailor parts of the content of your annual report to the internet? For example, you can create an animation of your production process or of a short interview in which the director looks back on the past year.
Your website and the social media channels you use offer many additional communicative and interactive possibilities. You can also reach a wider audience online, your annual report is easier to access, and you help the environment by saving a lot of paper. So, do you want to get more out of your annual report? Then, think of a combination of print and web.
Tip 7: Hire an excellent company annual report writer
Last but not least: engage a good writer who has experience writing an annual report and knows how to encourage all parties to provide input. Word Philocaly has a lot of experience writing exceptional annual reports which are engaging and truly read by all stakeholders.
Word Philocaly’s Company Annual Report Writer in Malaysia
Save yourself a lot of time, money, and energy, and let a professional copywriter in Malaysia write your annual report every year. Send us a message today!
