Why do words matter?

I thought I'd introduce this online style guide by asking the big question up front.

In these days of texting, tweeting, blogging and social media, why bother investing in professional communications?

Well, good writing adds to the overall credibility of our offerings.

Put another way: how you say something is as important as what you're saying. It displays clarity of thought. If you can’t explain your idea clearly and concisely, why should anyone believe that what you’ve got to say is worth listening to?

Rightly or wrongly, muddled writing can be interpreted as a sign of muddled thinking. The clarity of your argument and the message you are trying to communicate are immediately compromised. It also detracts from the impact of the writing, making the readers work harder to decipher meaning.

Typos and spelling are important. Reading decieves instead of deceives doesn't just annoy pedants; what it really says to our audience is “nobody has bothered to check this”.

You can't do more with less

Media channels are multiplying, and the tools to publish across these channels are cheap and easy to use. So although writers have been forced to technically change gear (and widen their output to include podcasts, video scripts, blogs and the like) the same two hurdles stand in the way of producing great content.

• The need to meet deadlines
• Obtaining that 'approved' tick

Getting and keeping your readers attention is harder than ever. Your professional output, whether it's blogs, newsletters, videos or web content, will not be their first priority. They will almost certainly prefer Twitter, Facebook, OK! and YouTube to our official comms.

The only way to square this circle - to produce better comms across wider channels - is to spend more time on less content. These editorial standards not only provide some simple tips for writers, but they also explain why work may required significant edits, or even be filtered out.