💬 Communication Today: A New Newsletter from Ann Handley

A new monthly newsletter on marketing writing & communications, written by Ann Handley. A new monthly newsletter on marketing writing & communications, written by Ann Handley. [Subscribe instantly here](. [MarketingProfs Communication Today] October 2022 Hi, friend. Well, well, well... this right here? THIS. Is. A. Moment! This is the first issue of my brand-spankin'-new publication on writing, comms (and an occasional photo of my dog). Welcome. I'm glad you're here. (And you look fantastic today, BTW.) First let's set the stage... Why a new newsletter on writing and communication? To answer that, let's talk about Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. Automattic is a pioneer of "asynchronous" work—meaning, employees aren't just able to work from their laptops on their living room couches... they can also choose their hours. Founded in 2005, Automattic now has 1,876 employees in 97 countries—all of whom work wherever they wish, whenever they fancy. "What's the biggest challenge to operating asynchronously?" the Wall Street Journal asked Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg [earlier this year](. "Clarity of writing," Matt replied. Automattic coaches employees to strengthen their writing muscles with the same focused intensity as trainers at CrossFit gyms. (I picture Words popping out a set of pushups on a sweaty mat lol.) But Matt told the WSJ, "We have an editorial team that does our publications, but also does a lot of internal editing." * * * Hold up! [record scratch] Did you catch that...? Automattic's editors also edit internal communications? Whoa. Let's have a show of hands... Is tasking editors to clarify internal comms crazy? Or it is genius? BOTH my hands shot into the air on "genius"! I'm waving them around enthusiastically and maniacally—like an inflatable tube man outside a car dealership. I *hard agree* with the approach! At Automattic, writing is the backbone of communication. Internal blogs stand in for meetings; messaging platforms stand in for real-time discussion. So clarity is critical. "If you don't have that," Matt said, "you can have people thinking they're on the same page when they actually have a different understanding." * * * "But I don't work at Automattic," you might be saying. (I don't either, friend.) "So writing and clarity isn't nearly as critical," you add. Well, I'll challenge you on that last point. Clarity is critical for us, too. We write every day. We write emails. We post to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram. We write scripts. Speeches. Newsletters like this one. We comment in Slack or post to internal company blogs. In marketing and communications, words are our emissaries. They are a proxy, a stand-in for the important information we want to convey to our customers. Our colleagues. Our friends. The world. Unclear writing creates havoc. [Instantly subscribe to this monthly newsletter]( So that's what we're going to do here, together. Our goal is to become stronger communicators. Our goal is to improve all of our communications—not just the writing we think of as "content" or "copy." We'll focus on clarity, sure. But also craft, process, structure. And the emotional side of writing: Reader empathy, writer's block, storytelling. AND! We're gonna have fun doing it! Because our writing is NOT boring. We're going to infuse it with joy! With beauty! And humor! And sometimes... love! (Speaking of love: read all the way to the bottom of this newsletter to meet my dog Augie.) * * * You and I are going to become stronger together. Like we're all in a gym class together with the kind of CrossFit trainer who is also a Zumba instructor and who teaches from a unicycle. (Wearing a tutu and a boa.) Below, you'll see Ann's Tip of the Month (ATOM). It'll be a regular feature in future issues. Next month, we'll dig into more writing specifics. (And if you'd like to hear about something specific, please [reach out with your ideas](mailto:support@marketingprofs.com?subject=Communication%20newsletter%20ideas).) In the meantime, thank you for being here. Welcome. I'm honored to have you as a reader. P.S. Everybody Writes 2 launches THIS WEEK! [Grab your copy now](! [Ann Handley] Ann Handley Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs Author, Everybody Writes: Your New and Improved Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content ATOM: Ann's Tip Of the Month The simplest version of a word is the strongest version of a word. Avoid using words that have parts fused to the start or end of them: Words bulked up with –ment, -tion, -sion, –ance, –ism, -ize or -ization. They usually don't need the extra padding. Try to use a simpler version of a word. Instead of: How does this calendar change impact the prioritization of Marketing's work? Try: How does this calendar change affect Marketing's work priorities? [Everybody Writes 2 Book Launch Bash and Writing Webinar]( EVENT: Tue, Oct 25: The Everybody Writes 2 Book Launch Bash and Writing Webinar Join me in a celebration of B2B Writing and my completely revised and expanded 2nd edition of Everybody Writes—out this Tuesday, October 25! Part webinar. Part party. 1000% a good time. [Please join us](! [FREE, but reg. required.] [Save My Seat ►]( Marketing Communication Resources [chart] [Anatomy of a Great Sales Outreach Email]( I love how this infographic emphasizes the problems a reader has vs. what you sell. Fundamental? Yes. But also often overlooked. [podcast] [Storytelling for B2B: A Masterclass in a 30-Minute Podcast]( We overcomplicate storytelling, says Marketing Smarts podcast guest Jay Acunzo. Yet storytelling is pretty straightforward when it contains these three things. [article] [How to Create a Social Media Style Guide in 5 Easy-ish Steps]( An uber-practical look at creating your social media style guide. I like the emphasis on brand voice. Related: I gave a talk titled Brand Voice Is the New Logo at last week's (incredible!) B2B Forum in Boston. (You can still register to see my talk and the rest of the sessions [on-demand here](.) [Augie!] Augie says hey. [MarketingProfs] Your Communication Today Team Your team for this issue (in alphabetical order): Megan Cordero, production director; Vahe Habeshian, publications director; Ann Handley, chief content officer; Augie Handley, naps expert. [MarketingProfs]( Copyright © 2000–2022 MarketingProfs, LLC All Rights Reserved Read our Terms of Service [here](. This email was sent to {EMAIL} as part of your MarketingProfs subscription. If you prefer to no longer receive MarketingProfs Communication Today, you can always [leave this list](. Did someone who cares about you forward this to you? 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