Marketing and SalesDigital MarketingContent Marketing
Title: Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
Author: Ann Handley
Categories: Digital Marketing, Content Marketing
Summary:
Ann Handley’s Everybody Writes offers a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to improve their writing skills for digital marketing and content marketing. The book covers a myriad of practical tips, guidelines, and insights to help create engaging and high-quality content. Handley emphasizes that writing is a fundamental skill necessary for succeeding in the digital marketing space, and provides actionable advice to refine one’s writing abilities.
Introduction: Embrace Writing as Vital Communication
Handley begins by stating that in a world driven by content, everyone is a writer. She argues that writing is not only for professional writers but a crucial skill for anyone involved in digital marketing. Her thesis is simple: great content starts with great writing. Understanding this principle can be a game-changer for businesses aiming to build strong relationships with their audiences.
Actionable Tip:
Embrace the identity of a writer and make writing a priority in your daily business activities. Set aside dedicated time for writing each day to improve your skills.
Part I: Writing Rules: How to Write Better (And How to Hate Writing Less)
This section dives into the essentials of good writing:
1. The Path to Writing Well:
Handley introduces the concept of “The Ugly First Draft” (TUFD), encouraging writers to focus on getting words down without worrying about perfection.
Actionable Tip:
Allow yourself to write TUFD without self-editing. Allocate a specific time to revise and polish your draft afterward.
2. Grammar and Usage:
Clear and correct grammar is fundamental. Handley includes a chapter on common grammatical errors and how to avoid them, emphasizing clarity and simplicity.
Actionable Tip:
Use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor to catch grammatical errors and improve sentence structure before publishing.
3. Voice and Tone:
Finding and maintaining a consistent voice is crucial. Handley differentiates between voice (the unique way you express yourself) and tone (the attitude or emotion behind your writing).
Actionable Tip:
Create a style guide that outlines your brand’s voice and tone, ensuring consistency across all content pieces.
Part II: Writing Rules: Grammar and Usage
Here, Handley offers practical advice to enhance your content’s readability and professionalism.
1. Shorter Is Better:
Long and convoluted sentences can lose readers. Aim for shorter sentences and concise language.
Actionable Tip:
Practice rewriting lengthy sentences into more succinct versions. Use readability tools to assess and improve clarity.
2. Strong Starts and Finishes:
Opening lines should hook your readers, and your conclusions should reinforce your main points compellingly.
Actionable Tip:
Craft powerful opening sentences and revise your conclusions to ensure they leave a strong impression.
Part III: Story Rules
Handley emphasizes the power of storytelling in content marketing:
1. Know Your Audience:
Understanding your audience’s needs and preferences is the cornerstone of effective content. Handley suggests creating detailed buyer personas.
Actionable Tip:
Develop and document at least three buyer personas representing different segments of your target audience. Tailor your content to meet their needs.
2. Tell Stories:
Stories are more engaging than plain information. They create emotional connections and make content memorable.
Actionable Tip:
Incorporate storytelling elements in your content. This can be done by sharing customer success stories or your brand’s journey.
Part IV: Publishing Rules
This segment focuses on the practical aspects of content publishing:
1. Content Hubs:
Handley advises that businesses should maintain “content hubs” such as blogs, where they can regularly publish valuable content.
Actionable Tip:
Establish a blog on your website and commit to a consistent publishing schedule (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly).
2. Social Media Integration:
Content should be tailored and repurposed for different social media platforms to maximize reach and engagement.
Actionable Tip:
Create a content calendar that includes tailored posts for different social media channels. Use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule and manage content distribution.
Part V: 13 Things Marketers Write
Handley covers specific types of marketing content and provides insights on making each type more effective:
1. Blog Posts:
A well-structured blog post is essential for SEO and audience engagement. Handley provides a template and tips for crafting effective posts.
Actionable Tip:
Follow a template for blog posts that includes a catchy headline, engaging intro, informative body, and compelling conclusion with a call to action.
2. Email Newsletters:
Handley suggests focusing on delivering value rather than overtly selling in newsletters.
Actionable Tip:
Segment your email list based on audience interests and tailor your newsletters to provide value-driven content specific to each segment.
3. Landing Pages:
Landing pages should be clear, focused, and designed to convert.
Actionable Tip:
Edit your landing pages to remove any distractions. Use clear headlines, bullet points, and strong calls to action to guide visitors towards conversion.
Part VI: Content Tools
In this part, Handley discusses various tools and technologies that can aid content creation and marketing:
1. Content Management Systems (CMS):
Selecting the right CMS is vital for managing and publishing content effectively.
Actionable Tip:
Evaluate different CMS options, such as WordPress or HubSpot, based on your business needs and integrate the one that best supports your content strategy.
2. Writing and Editing Tools:
Handley lists several tools like Google Docs for collaboration, Evernote for note-taking, and CoSchedule for editorial planning.
Actionable Tip:
Incorporate these tools into your workflow to streamline the writing, editing, and publishing processes. For example, use CoSchedule to plan your editorial calendar.
Part VII: The Content Marketing Love Triangle
Handley envisions the intersection of content, social media, and SEO as a “love triangle” that drives successful digital marketing strategies:
1. Content:
High-quality, valuable content is the foundation. It must be shareable, engaging, and optimized for search engines.
Actionable Tip:
Apply SEO best practices to your content, including keyword research, use of meta tags, and internal linking.
2. Social Media:
Utilize social media to amplify content reach and engage with your audience directly.
Actionable Tip:
Develop a social media strategy that includes regular posting, engagement with followers, and analysis of social media metrics.
3. SEO:
SEO ensures your content is discoverable. It involves both technical aspects and content quality.
Actionable Tip:
Regularly audit your website for SEO performance and make improvements based on analytics and keyword trends.
Conclusion: A Content Star is Born
Handley concludes the book by reiterating that great writing is within everyone’s reach. She encourages continuous learning, practice, and adaptability in an ever-changing digital landscape.
Actionable Tip:
Commit to ongoing education in writing and digital marketing through books, courses, and industry updates. Join writing groups or online forums to exchange feedback and stay motivated.
Concrete Examples from the Book:
- Handley shares a method called “The Story Spine,” a storytelling technique used by Pixar, which can be applied to marketing narratives.
- She provides a real-life example of how the company HubSpot uses detailed buyer personas to refine their content strategy.
- Handley discusses a case study of how Coca-Cola uses its “Content 2020” strategy to focus on content excellence, integrating storytelling, and user-generated content to engage their audience.
- A breakdown of a successful email newsletter from Ann Handley’s own marketing efforts, showing how value-driven content led to higher engagement rates.
By implementing these strategies and tips from Everybody Writes, marketers and writers can significantly improve the quality and impact of their content, ensuring that it resonates with their audience and meets business goals.