When we talk about Content Marketing, we think about a lot: planning, optimization, posting frequency, results. Many people forget, however, that the basis of good content is still good writing.Content is any means by which you communicate with people interested in your products or services.

Content Marketing

“Writing matters more now, not more minor. Our words are our emissaries; they tell our customers who we are.”

If you set out to talk about a topic you don’t know, you must research and think about it a lot. Otherwise, the text is forced and full of information gaps. This phase is called think before ink. Ask these questions before starting to write: <ul><li>What is my purpose with this text? </li><li>What is my point of view on this matter? </li><li>Why does this matter to the people I seek to impact?  </li></ul>

The more you think before you write, the easier it will be to write

As a content producer, the idea is that your text will serve those who read it, not yourself. So before you start writing, look at the topic you are going to write about from the point of view of your target audience. Ask yourself:<ul><li>What experience does this text create in the reader? </li><li>What questions can readers have? </li><li>Am I making the reader go to great lengths to understand what I mean?  </li></ul>

Switch places with the reader

The start of a sentence should make a friendly impression on the speaker, encouraging him to continue reading. The tip is to eliminate unnecessary terms from the beginning of sentences.Phrases to avoid at the beginning of sentences: <ul><li>“In my opinion</li><li>According to… </li><li>It is necessary/essential / suggested that… </li><li>I believe that… </li><li>The purpose of this email/post/article…  </li></ul>

Put an essential idea of ​​each sentence at the beginning of it

Assume that your reader doesn’t know anything, but never that he is stupid.The ideas you write should be clear and easy to understand. This thought is in line with item 1 of this post since clarity of view is often followed by the clarity of writing. Empathizing with the reader also helps to write more understandably.

Be straightforward but not simplistic.

<ul><li> Avoid jargon, clichés, and buzzwords that say little. </li><li>A thesaurus can help you get to the exact word you are looking for. </li><li>Jargon is a term that means what you mean, not what you think it means.</li></ul>

Prefer words of truth

If you do Content Marketing, this tip sounds very familiar. Instead of selling to the reader, the idea is to convince them how your product or service solves problems for the target audience.

Instead of counting, show

Set a daily goal for your writing, especially if you are working on a large project. If you need to write 5,000 words, divide the amount by the number of days available to finish the job.

Rely on word count, not time

<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*Sw1Jp4URydjV2oTwE01BdA" width="680" height="618"><figcaption class="hv hw cz cx cy hx hy ce b fs cg fi" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/@cottonbro?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="ck hz" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">cottonbro</a> from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-white-dress-shirt-reading-book-4861373/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="ck hz" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Pexels</a></figcaption></figure>When we talk about Content Marketing, we think about a lot: planning, optimization, posting frequency, results. Many people forget, however, that the basis of good content is still good writing.American author <a href="https://annhandley.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Ann Handley</a> knows this. And, to teach what she learned by producing materials for different platforms in the last decades, in 2014, she launched the book Everybody Writes.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Everyone writes</h1>The title of the book says a lot about its interior: the idea of ​​the <a href="https://www.marketingprofs.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">MarketingProfs</a> content director is that, nowadays, everyone writes. If you answered an email or posted to Facebook recently, you can already write. Just refine it!The author defines content as any means by which you communicate with people interested in your products or services.<BLOCKQUOTE>“Writing matters more now, not more minor. Our words are our emissaries; they tell our customers who we are.”— Ann Handley</BLOCKQUOTE>And the text is the format you will use to produce much of your company’s content: it is the basis for blog posts, eBooks, publications on social networks, scripts (which can then become videos and slides), and so on.Therefore, I have gathered in this post 7 tips on writing better than we learned from the queen of Content Marketing.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">1. The more you think before you write, the easier it will be to write</h2>It is much easier to write about a subject that we have mastered that we think about daily than about an issue that we have never even read about. Do you agree?But, if you set out to talk about a topic you don’t know, you must research and think about it a lot. Otherwise, the text is forced and full of information gaps. The reader will likely realize that you have tried to talk about something you have not mastered.To help with this task, which the author calls think before ink, Ann Handley suggests that we ask three questions before starting to write:<UL><LI>What is my purpose with this text?</LI><LI>What is my point of view on this matter?</LI><LI>Why does this matter to the people I seek to impact?</LI></UL><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">2. Switch places with the reader</h2>As a content producer, the idea is that your text will serve those who read it, not yourself. So before you get your hands dirty, look at the topic you are going to write about from the point of view of your target audience.Putting the reader first helps to create empathy and anticipate the doubts that the public will have while reading the content, expecting the answers.The author’s tip here is to write your first draft and then go back to the beginning of the text, change places with the reader, and consider the information from his perspective. Ask yourself:<UL><LI>What experience does this text create in the reader?</LI><LI>What questions can readers have?</LI><LI>Am I making the reader go to great lengths to understand what I mean?</LI></UL><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">3. Put an essential idea of ​​each sentence at the beginning of it</h2>According to the author, we tend to start our sentences with secondary information, making the reader think a lot until discovering our central idea. Ideally, each start of a sentence should make a friendly impression on the speaker, encouraging him to continue reading.The tip is to eliminate unnecessary terms from the beginning of sentences. So, instead of saying, “in my opinion, Content Marketing is all quality material made to inform or entertain Leads and customers,” cross out the part in italics and move it to the end or middle of the sentence if it is essential to use it.Other phrases to avoid at the beginning of sentences:<UL><LI>According to…</LI><LI>It is necessary/essential / suggested that…</LI><LI>I believe that…</LI><LI>The purpose of this email/post/article…</LI></UL>Take a test and see how going straight to the point makes the text much more transparent!<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">4. Be straightforward but not simplistic.</h2>Here, the tip the author heard from her journalism professors is worth it: assume that your reader doesn’t know anything, but never that he is stupid.The ideas you write should be clear and easy to understand. This thought is in line with item 1 of this post since clarity of view is often followed by the clarity of writing. Empathizing with the reader (item 2) also helps to write more understandably.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">5. Prefer words of truth</h2>Jargons are technical terms familiar to a specific activity. <a href="https://www.digitalmarketer.com/digital-marketing/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Digital Marketing</a>, for example, is full of words that are not common knowledge: Leads, Landing Page, and SEO are some of them.Why do we use jargon? Many of us believe that they are words that are part of our business, especially in companies that sell to other companies.If this is your case, it is worth thinking that not all businesses that are your potential customers are in the same industry as your company. Writing in this way keeps them away.Avoid jargon, clichés, and buzzwords that say little. I prefer terms that mean what you mean. A thesaurus can help you get to the exact word.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">6. Instead of counting, show</h2>If you do Content Marketing, this tip sounds very familiar. Instead of selling to the reader, the idea is to convince them how your product or service solves problems for the target audience.<BLOCKQUOTE>Don’t talk about their tools and benefits, but tell me — or, better yet, show me — why they matter to me (Ann Handley).</BLOCKQUOTE>Including more human elements, such as testimonials, helps bring the reader closer, mainly producing content for B2B companies.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">7. Rely on word count, not time</h2>Finally, a tip that helps in productivity. Measure your work by the words you wrote, not the time spent. The half-hour we spend looking at the white screen does not count as writing itself, even though I used those 30 minutes to think.Set a daily goal for your writing. This is especially true if you are working on a large project, such as an eBook. If you need to write 5,000 words, divide the amount by the number of days available to finish the job and get to work!Those were the tips I found most relevant. The book has dozens of others. If you are looking to communicate better, check it out. After all, this is an ongoing process for all of us. :)A question that Ann Handley leaves on the air to assess whether or not she is producing good content is:Are you telling your story from a unique perspective, with a voice and style that are clearly yours?Good writing!

When we talk about Content Marketing, we think about a lot: planning, optimization, posting frequency, results. Many people forget, however, that the basis of good content is still good writing…

Stashed ideas

When we talk about Content Marketing, we think about a lot: planning, optimization, posting frequency, results. Many people forget, however, that the basis of good content is still good writing .

American author <a dir="ltr" href="https://annhandley.com/" rel="noopener nofollow">Ann Handley </a>knows this. And, to teach what she learned by producing materials for different platforms in the last decades, in 2014, she launched the book Everybody Writes .

The title of the book says a lot about its interior: the idea of ​​the <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.marketingprofs.com/" rel="noopener nofollow">MarketingProfs </a>content director is that, nowadays, everyone writes. If you answered an email or posted to Facebook recently, you can already write. Just refine it!

The author defines content as any means by which you communicate with people interested in your products or services.

“Writing matters more now, not more minor. Our words are our emissaries; they tell our customers who we are.”

— Ann Handley

And the text is the format you will use to produce much of your company’s content: it is the basis for blog posts, eBooks, publications on social networks, scripts (which can then become videos and slides), and so on.

Therefore, I have gathered in this post 7 tips on writing better than we learned from the queen of Content Marketing.

1. The more you think before you write, the easier it will be to write

It is much easier to write about a subject that we have mastered that we think about daily than about an issue that we have never even read about. Do you agree?

But, if you set out to talk about a topic you don’t know, you must research and think about it a lot. Otherwise, the text is forced and full of information gaps. The reader will likely realize that you have tried to talk about something you have not mastered.

To help with this task, which the author calls think before ink , Ann Handley suggests that we ask three questions before starting to write:

<ul><li>What is my purpose with this text? </li><li>What is my point of view on this matter? </li><li>Why does this matter to the people I seek to impact? </li> </ul>

As a content producer, the idea is that your text will serve those who read it, not yourself. So before you get your hands dirty, look at the topic you are going to write about from the point of view of your target audience.

Putting the reader first helps to create empathy and anticipate the doubts that the public will have while reading the content, expecting the answers.

The author’s tip here is to write your first draft and then go back to the beginning of the text, change places with the reader, and consider the information from his perspective. Ask yourself:

<ul><li>What experience does this text create in the reader? </li><li>What questions can readers have? </li><li>Am I making the reader go to great lengths to understand what I mean? </li> </ul>

3. Put an essential idea of ​​each sentence at the beginning of it

According to the author, we tend to start our sentences with secondary information, making the reader think a lot until discovering our central idea. Ideally, each start of a sentence should make a friendly impression on the speaker, encouraging him to continue reading.

The tip is to eliminate unnecessary terms from the beginning of sentences. So, instead of saying, “in my opinion , Content Marketing is all quality material made to inform or entertain Leads and customers,” cross out the part in italics and move it to the end or middle of the sentence if it is essential to use it.

Other phrases to avoid at the beginning of sentences:

<ul><li>According to… </li><li>It is necessary/essential / suggested that… </li><li>I believe that… </li><li>The purpose of this email/post/article… </li> </ul>

Take a test and see how going straight to the point makes the text much more transparent!

4. Be straightforward but not simplistic.

Here, the tip the author heard from her journalism professors is worth it: assume that your reader doesn’t know anything, but never that he is stupid.

The ideas you write should be clear and easy to understand. This thought is in line with item 1 of this post since clarity of view is often followed by the clarity of writing. Empathizing with the reader (item 2) also helps to write more understandably.

Jargons are technical terms familiar to a specific activity. <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.digitalmarketer.com/digital-marketing/" rel="noopener nofollow">Digital Marketing </a>, for example, is full of words that are not common knowledge: Leads, Landing Page, and SEO are some of them.

Why do we use jargon? Many of us believe that they are words that are part of our business, especially in companies that sell to other companies.

If this is your case, it is worth thinking that not all businesses that are your potential customers are in the same industry as your company. Writing in this way keeps them away.

Avoid jargon, clichés, and buzzwords that say little. I prefer terms that mean what you mean. A thesaurus can help you get to the exact word.

If you do Content Marketing, this tip sounds very familiar. Instead of selling to the reader, the idea is to convince them how your product or service solves problems for the target audience.

Don’t talk about their tools and benefits, but tell me — or, better yet, show me — why they matter to me (Ann Handley).

Including more human elements, such as testimonials, helps bring the reader closer, mainly producing content for B2B companies.

Finally, a tip that helps in productivity. Measure your work by the words you wrote, not the time spent. The half-hour we spend looking at the white screen does not count as writing itself, even though I used those 30 minutes to think.

Set a daily goal for your writing. This is especially true if you are working on a large project, such as an eBook. If you need to write 5,000 words, divide the amount by the number of days available to finish the job and get to work!

Those were the tips I found most relevant. The book has dozens of others. If you are looking to communicate better, check it out. After all, this is an ongoing process for all of us. :)

A question that Ann Handley leaves on the air to assess whether or not she is producing good content is:

Are you telling your story from a unique perspective, with a voice and style that are clearly yours?

Good writing!

How to Write Better: 7 Tips from Best Seller Ann Handley

Content Marketing

ANN HANDLEY

The more you think before you write, the easier it will be to write

Switch places with the reader

Put an essential idea of each sentence at the beginning of it

Be straightforward but not simplistic.

Prefer words of truth

Instead of counting, show

Rely on word count, not time

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

How to Write Copy that Generates Results [Semrush Research]

How to write the perfect sentence

How to Write Usefully

How to Write Better: 7 Tips from Best Seller Ann Handley

Content Marketing

ANN HANDLEY

The more you think before you write, the easier it will be to write

Switch places with the reader

Put an essential idea of ​​each sentence at the beginning of it

Be straightforward but not simplistic.

Prefer words of truth

Instead of counting, show

Rely on word count, not time

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

How to Write Copy that Generates Results [Semrush Research]

How to write the perfect sentence

How to Write Usefully

Put an essential idea of each sentence at the beginning of it