Non-fiction can be used to describe a variety of texts, including speeches, leaflets, newspaper and magazine articles, reports, letters and guides. Each text has its own conventions for layout, structure and language.
With every text type, two key questions can be considered:
What is the purpose of the writing? (What is it meant to do?)
Who is the audience? (Who is the intended reader?)
Once these questions have been answered the layout, structure, language choices and particular techniques that you should use within the piece of writing can then be established.