Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, author of Everybody Writes
Content & audience
Communication
Writing is thinking. Get the thoughts out without judging them, then edit for one single reader rather than an audience.
the ability to write is to think about what it is that you want to say and frame it in a way that's interesting for somebody else
The 12-Step Writing GPS
A complete end-to-end writing process that takes content from initial goal-setting through publication. The framework treats writing as a systematic craft rather than an…
Empathy-First Content Framework
Start with empathy. Continue with utility. Improve with analysis. Optimize with love. This four-phase framework ensures content is built on understanding the reader's…
Everybody Writes / Total Annarchy Newsletter
Newsletter as Personal Letter Framework
Treat your newsletter as a personal letter to one reader, not a news broadcast to a list. The most important part of 'newsletter' is 'letter.' By focusing on the letter,…
Total Annarchy Newsletter / Everybody Writes
Content Rules: 11 Rules for Content Creation
Content Rules provides 11 guiding rules for creating content that engages customers and drives business results. The framework integrates storytelling, authentic voice,…
The 'So What?' Drill-Down Test
Repeatedly ask 'so what?' of every claim, statement, or message until you drill down to the real reason it matters to the reader. Most content stops at the surface…
Everybody Writes / MarketingProfs Talks
Shed high school rules. There is no one right way to write. The rigid formulas you learned in school are training wheels, not permanent fixtures.
Applies when writers feel paralyzed by grammar perfectionism or rigid structure rules that prevent them from finding their authentic voice.
Positioning
Brand Storytelling Framework (The Rudolph Method)
Every brand story needs a hero, an enemy, and a transformation. Using the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer narrative as an analogy, Handley shows that effective brand…
MarketingProfs / Brand Storytelling Talks
Lead with the most important words. Place the most critical information at the start of a sentence, paragraph, or page. Don't bury the lead.
Use in headlines, email subject lines, opening paragraphs, and any marketing copy where attention is scarce and skimming is the norm.
Use familiar yet surprising analogies. Analogies are a potent tool in writing. Choose analogies that are recognizable enough for readers to connect with but unexpected enough to spark interest.
Applies when explaining complex ideas, abstract concepts, or technical products to a general audience. Analogies bridge the gap between unfamiliar and familiar.
Your online words are your currency. Choose words well and write with economy and style and honest empathy for your customers. In the digital world, writing is often the first and primary impression of your brand.
Applies to all digital content: websites, social media, emails, landing pages. Every word you publish shapes how customers perceive your competence, trustworthiness, and…
Count the you's on your website. Go to your webpages and count how many times you say 'you' versus how many times you talk about yourself. If the balance tips toward you talking about yourself, rewrite.
A practical diagnostic for website copy, landing pages, and about pages. Reveals whether content is truly reader-centric or self-centered.
Everybody Writes / MarketingProfs Talks
Count the 'you's versus the 'we's on any page. If 'we' outnumbers 'you,' rewrite. Reader-centric content talks about the reader, not the brand.
A quick diagnostic for any webpage, email, or marketing asset. Provides an objective, quantifiable measure of reader-centricity.
Everybody Writes / MarketingProfs Talks
Ann Handley
splits writing into two passes and drops the quality bar on the first to zero. Get the thoughts out without judging them, then shape what came out for one specific reader. The blank page is what happens when you try to do both at once.
attacks the same anxiety from the other end. Set a timer for 33 minutes and 33 seconds and forbid yourself everything except the copy, with no obligation to write a word. Boredom does the recruiting, because writing becomes the most interesting thing left in the room.
From The Ugly First Draft
