If you’ve a message you want to get out to the world, you need to know how to write it well.

Do baffling text messages make you LOL? IMHO, we might all agree that #writingisadyingart.

But the opposite is in fact true. Today, writing well is a skill you cannot do without.

We write every day. Whether typing out an email, commenting on a blog or posting on Facebook, with the internet, words have become both personal and company currency.

This is why you need to pay particular attention to how you use your words.

On a homepage, for example, a company has a great opportunity to find customers and present itself in an interesting way. But if a company treats the words on its website as an afterthought, its success is threatened.

Companies that fill their websites with jargon or unclear language will find plenty of customers simply turning away.

Given that writing is so important, how can you make sure your scribbles are up to scratch? Can anyone write, or are some people just naturally gifted wordsmiths?

The good news is that we can all write well, if we follow a few simple rules.

Before you even put pen to paper, start by identifying your goal. What’s the point of your text, and how can you find data to prove that point? Once you know what you need, go find your data.

Say you have to write an article about a restaurant opening. First, think about who is going to read the article: who is the audience? In this case, people who like to eat out, perhaps families or couples. Then search for your data: specific details about the restaurant and the menu, and importantly, the date when it will open. Now you’re ready to write!