Everybody Writes

About the Author

Ann Handley, a visionary in the world of digital marketing, is a pioneer in guiding businesses on how to effectively communicate with their audiences through compelling content. As a bestselling author, speaker, and chief content officer at MarketingProfs, she has dedicated her career to helping businesses leverage the power of the written word. Handley co-authored the book Content Rules with C.C. Chapman, another stalwart in the marketing world, solidifying her reputation as an expert in content creation. Everybody Writes, originally published in 2014 and updated in 2022, stands as a comprehensive guide for anyone seeking to improve their writing skills in the fast-paced, content-driven world of today.

Main Idea

Everybody Writes is more than just a guidebook; it is a manifesto that democratizes the skill of writing, arguing that everyone can write well if they follow certain principles. Ann Handley posits that writing is not a mystical talent bestowed upon a select few but a skill that can be honed through practice and the application of specific techniques. The book primarily focuses on writing for marketing purposes but extends its principles to encompass all forms of writing, making it a valuable resource for anyone who needs to communicate effectively in the digital age. The essence of the book is captured in three key elements that make for high-quality writing: usefulness to the audience, grounding in creativity and data, and a strong connection with the audience.

Table of Contents

1. What Makes Good Writing?
2. How to Develop Brand Voice
3. Tools for Establishing Voice
4. How to Adapt Your Writing to Different Formats
5. How to Write
6. Make Writing a Habit
7. The Drafting Process
8. The Final Edit

What Makes Good Writing?

In the age of the internet, written words have become our primary means of connecting with the world. According to Handley, three ingredients are essential for producing high-quality writing: usefulness to your audience, grounding in creativity and data, and a strong connection with your audience.

Usefulness to Your Audience

Handley emphasizes that your writing must serve your reader in some way. Whether it's solving a problem, providing valuable information, or simply entertaining, the content must be crafted with the reader’s needs in mind. Before you start writing, it’s crucial to establish the purpose of your content by identifying three things: what you’re trying to accomplish, what the main idea is, and why it matters to your audience.

"Your content should be clear and specific, and it should let your audience know what problem of theirs you’re going to solve." - Ann Handley

For example, if you’re writing a product description for a new supplement, your goal is to convince people to buy the product. The main idea could be the supplement's benefit—relieving muscle tension and pain. The relevance to your audience lies in improving their overall health and mobility.

• Writing an email newsletter that educates customers about new features of a product, highlighting how these features can solve common problems they face.
• Creating a blog post that offers tips and tricks to improve a specific skill, thus providing actionable value to the reader.

Grounding in Creativity and Data

Beyond utility, Handley argues that writing should be creative and factually accurate. Creativity in writing helps to engage the reader by evoking emotions, making the content more memorable. Data, on the other hand, establishes credibility and trust.

"Humans are better at remembering evocative stories than remembering data or concepts, so a good story will make your brand more memorable to your reader and thus make your marketing more effective." - Ann Handley

Consider a marketing campaign for a muscle pain supplement. A creative approach might involve telling the story of a grandfather who, thanks to the supplement, can now play with his grandchildren again. This narrative not only appeals emotionally but also makes the product more relatable. Ground this story in data by including statistics or scientific explanations about how the supplement works, thereby balancing emotion with logic.