The New Rules of Writing by Ann Handley | Review

Newspaper articles, blog posts, emails, social content, and marketing products. In the digital society we live in, writing is everywhere . That’s why today I want to suggest a book on the subject, which I really enjoyed: The New Rules of Writing: Strategies and Tools for Creating Successful Content by Ann Handley (ed. Hoepli).

I find it an interesting read both for those who whatsapp marketing service already write for a living and for those who are starting to do so or who deal with communication in general because, in fact, writing is now found in every corner of our digital world. In the end, with a social account or a personal website we are editors of ourselves , creators of content. And in such a reality, it is precisely the words that tell the world who we are and what we do . This is why being able to communicate through writing is also essential for those who do content marketing.

The book is a useful guide to learn how to create, produce and publish content . The advice in my opinion is very practical, not abstruse or abstract as often happens. I really appreciated that the suggestions were useful for all types of online content: web pages, homepages, landing pages, emails, blogs, posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all other social media .

In short, it is a must-read whether you work for a big brand or a small company, or even just for yourself. Because…

Words matter. Your words (what you say) and your style (how you say it) are a precious (and often undervalued) asset.

Ann Handley

In this book by Ann Handley, in my opinion, there are three main indications . Three recurring themes that those who have been writing for a while should already have in mind (but a refresher never hurts), while for those who are just starting out they should be printed well in their minds so as not to forget them. Namely:

• Writing is not an infused science, it can be learned
• Let’s always remember that we write for the reader, not for ourselves.
• We need to be clear and concise, no frills

To write well you have to practice a lot

 

Writing well is partly habit, partly best practices for using telegram in customer service knowledge of some fundamental rules, partly not caring about others. That is, we are all capable of producing good writing, or at least better writing.

This is because…

Good writing can be learned, much like trigonometry, algebra, or the ability to balance a budget are things that most of us can master.

So let’s get one thing into our heads: you get good by practicing. And not when you feel like it, but always. Every day.

The key to taking your writing muscles from puny to mighty is daily practice. Because writing is a habit, not an art.

And on the much-feared writer’s block , or the blank page that we don’t know how to fill ( here is my advice on the subject ), the author is clear: ” much of the so-called writer’s block depends on too many expectations towards ourselves .” So let’s dive in, let’s start writing in one go without too much pressure. There will be time later to edit our content ( here I explain how to do editing ).

Writing means being at the service of the reader

Once we have established that we do not have to loan data wait for any divine inspiration to learn to write or to find content to develop, Ann Handley clearly reminds us who we are working for when we write. Not for ourselves, not for our boss, but for the reader . Because the ultimate goal is to produce useful and interesting content for him.

The best way to get readers to read you is to talk about them, not about you.

Three elements that must never be missing in what we write are:

• utility
• inspiration
• continue empathy

As the author suggests, always ask yourself:

What’s unique about your story? And don’t tell me who you are: tell me why you matter to me.

Serving the reader therefore means being useful to him, not wasting his time and giving him something of us that he can treasure.
Let us never forget that:

It is important to write clearly and succinctly: to communicate ideas and thoughts without excessive turns of phrase