Nov 21, 2021
Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
Tell your story in your own way
Quality content is:
1. Useful
Clearly helps your customers with their problems
2. Inspirational
Inspired by data, well-written
3. Empathetic
Focused on viewing the world through their eyes
You get good at anything by trying
Your audience’s needs come first
Write clear and short. Respect the reader’s time
Readers only read if something is in it for them
Steps for writing
1. Start with your goal
What are you trying to achieve?
2. Reframe
Put your reader into it
Why does it matter to them?
3. Seek out data and examples
Personal experience builds connections
Find other credible sources
4. Organize
Lists, how-to guide, client narrative
5. Write to one person
Put your reader in the story
Help them recognize and relate to an issue
6. Ugly first draft
Write as if no one will ever read it
7. Walk away
8. Rewrite
Swap places with your reader
9. Give it a great title
10. Have someone else edit
11. Check readability
Is it inviting and easy to scan?
Short paragraphs
Number or bullet lists
12. Publish
Answer one more reader question: what now?
The more you think and plan, the easier it is to say
Know your objective before you write
Making a list is easier to start than writing
Serve the reader, not the writer
Anticipate the questions of your readers
Think about your writing from your reader’s perspective. What experience are you giving them?
Create useful content that solves the customer’s problems, eases their pain, and enriches their lives
Write to the customer’s point of view: replace “I” and “we” with “you”
State the main idea first
Trim the fat as much as you can
Good content shows how your product lives in the world, adds value to people’s lives, eases troubles, shoulders burdens, and meets needs
Tell the why behind you feeling a certain way
Show, don’t tell
No one will ever complain that it is too simple
Good writing is about thinking, re-writing, and keeping it focused on the reader
Write for real people with real words
Use bold verbs
A story brand should communicate who you are, what you do for the benefit of others, how you add value to their lives, ease their troubles, shoulder their burdens, and meet their needs
Be honest, human, original, serve the customer, and tell the long term vision
Show how you change the world on a massive scale
Communicate what makes you unique
Tell the story that only you can tell
Share the why and the who, not just the what, on social
Always try to say it again in fewer words
Use humor whenever possible
Share content that is helpful and ties back to what your product does
Your value is in what you do for your customers
Done is better than perfect
Shared from Twos ✌️
