When to Use Bullet Points in Business Writing

My last post showed how to create effective bullet points using parallel construction. But, when should you actually use bullet points in business writing?

Bullet points frequently appear in resumes, brochures, and on websites.  These are all good locations; however, bullets tend to be underutilized in longer documents, such as case studies, white papers, and proposals. I suggest using them in these situations, also.

The trick is to use a bit of restraint and finesse. A set of bullets on every page is probably too much—but, if you are offering multiple number or phrase-based examples, then bullets (or even multiple sets of bullets) on each page may be appropriate.

Here is a brief example from a fictional case study:

In late 2011, the Illinois Coffee Mug Enthusiasts Association (ICME) relocated to its new offices in Java Park. With the help of Big Bean Movers, the ICME transported 1000 porcelain cups, 12,000 jumbo mugs, 900 boxes of filters, and three espresso machines. The movers completed the relocation in six hours.

Now, if we separate the numbered items into bullets, the paragraph becomes easier to read. In addition, the individually numbered items gain visual influence when standing on their own.

A Note on Numbers in Bullets

You may have noticed that in the first example above, the word three is spelled out; while in the second example, it appears as a numeral 3. Generally, numbers below 101 or below ten are spelled out in non-technical writing.¹ However, I chose to use the numeral 3 for consistency and to increase the readability of the bullets.

Some style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style), have a “flexibility clause” that allows for numbers that would normally be spelled out to instead be written as numerals when they appear with several other numerals.²

Other style guides, such as the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style), doesn’t have a flexibility clause that applies to bullet points.³ Therefore, you should refer to your preferred style guide for guidance if this is an issue in your content.

Further Reading: What Is Parallel Structure?

References

1. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 9.2; Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020), 6.32.
2. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 9.7;
3. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020), 6.32­–35.