Content Rules

How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series)

By: Ann Handley, C. C. Chapman

Narrated by: Ann Handley, C. C. Chapman

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

To market your business, reach new customers, and create long-lasting loyalty, you need one indispensable element: CONTENT. Whether it’s bite-sized tweets that allow you to forge relationships on Twitter, blog posts that give your readers must-have advice, ebooks or white papers that engage (and don’t bore), videos that share the human side of your company, interactive webinars that deliver a valuable learning experience, or podcasts that can be downloaded and listened to on the fly (and more!) . . . now more than ever, content rules!

Today, you have an unprecedented opportunity to create a treasury of free, easy-to-use, almost infinitely customizable content that tells the story of your product and your business, and positions you as an expert people will want to do business with.Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, business writers, speakers, and marketing thought leaders for clients such as The Coca-Cola Company, HBO, and Verizon FiOS, show you how to leverage all of today’s tools to create content that truly speaks to your audience. They’ll show you how to:

• Understand why you are generating content—getting to the meat of your message in practical, commonsense language, and defining the goals of your content strategy
• Explore ways to integrate searchable words into your content without sounding forced (or sounding like “Frankenspeak”)
• Write in a way that powerfully communicates your service, product, or message across various Web mediums
• Create a publishing schedule that allows you to create different kinds and types of content at once

Offering examples of businesses using content effectively across a wide range of industries and fascinating explanations of how you might approach your own content strategy, Content Rules is the essential field guide to creating your story, finding the right balance of humor and humanity in your content, and building a portfolio of value that will keep delivering for the long haul.

©2010 Ann Handley, CC Chapman (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp

Basic and solid

If you could sum up Content Rules in three words, what would they be?

It is comprehesive, with details on many segments. The language is popular, not academic. It is like user friendly guide for ones who want to learn the basic on social media , with useful hints and tips.

energetic performance and awesome guidelines

don't let the little bit of outdated references for you - very insightful content rules!

Narration absolutely horrible

The content of this book is pretty good but the narration was woeful. They both spoke way too fast, almost unintelligibly at times. DO NOT BUY THE AUDIBLE VERSION unless you want to be thoroughly annoyed and disappointed.

A complete waste of time

What would have made Content Rules better?

For a book whose title extols the supreme value of content, this book, besides being worthless, is self-contradictory. It is full of cliches, contains no recommendations a content creator with two hours of experience hasn't already figured out, and is so condescending, listening to it makes an ice-cream induced brain freeze preferable. The authors chirp in an annoying sing-song tone reminiscent of a cheerleading rally and for supposed content experts, they mispronounce words from their own book (e.g., primer, obfuscate, Waltham, PA). Pure schlock.

don't waste your time

Would you try another book from Ann Handley and C. C. Chapman and/or Ann Handley and C. C. Chapman ?

no

Would you ever listen to anything by Ann Handley and C. C. Chapman again?

no

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Content Rules?

the whole thing, it's entirely useless.

Any additional comments?

I kept waiting for this book to tell me something, anything, that was of use. To top it off the narration was terrible.

Skip this one

Normally books about content marketing are great and valuable reads. This one...not so much. “Do a video or a blog or a newsletter.” Wow. So insightful. Skip this and read Cpntent Inc instead.

Couldn't get through it

What would have made Content Rules better?

Narration was manic and difficult to keep up with. No real substance to work with.

Would you ever listen to anything by Ann Handley and C. C. Chapman again?

No.

Would you be willing to try another one of Ann Handley and C. C. Chapman ’s performances?

No

Content rules but w/ audiobooks performance counts

What would have made Content Rules better?

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but there's a difference between catering to beginners and condescension. I won't deny that there's a fair amount of good content here, but much of it is tucked away inside of poorly executed attempts at conversational tone. Beyond that, the writing is terribly repetitive. Any writer worth their salt knows that once you've made your point, it's time to move onto the next one! Readers don't have the time or inclination to play things on a loop.

Would you ever listen to anything by Ann Handley and C. C. Chapman again?

No. I expect that authors attend carefully to providing their readers with not only excellent content but reasonably good delivery of that content as well. They failed here and I'm not going to gamble on another one of their books unless they hire someone (singular) to narrate it for them.

How could the performance have been better?

I've never listened to an audiobook that relied on alternating narrators and now I know why: it's terribly distracting. For something so content-oriented, switching back and forth between readers was tough. I listen when I'm driving, jogging, or organizing so having another dimension to my listening experience is seldom welcome.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

Any additional comments?

Objectively looking at this book for its content, I would give it a 3.5-star rating. Factoring in their performance (delivery of content) I couldn't give a score higher than 2.5 overall.

They just don't get to the point.

I give it one star since it’s a book about content. I normally give more just because I acknowledge the efforts of writing a book…
However, this book claims to be about how to create killer blogs etc.
For the first 2 ½ hours, the authors repeat in many different synonyms and forms why you should write content, why content is king, etc.
This for me was a complete waste of time since if I buy a book on how to create good content, I don’t need to be convinced about the benefits of good content. The authors acknowledge that and yet go on to talk on and on and on about why it is important to produce content.
Eventually, when they do start giving some concrete substance, they go against what they preach – they say “get to the point” but they’re obviously unable to do that. Complete chapters could be summarized in one bullet point, and long minutes of listening brings no added value.
I was surprised to see to the book was published in late 2011 – I thought they might be “overselling” the needs to have content as it was less obvious to people back in 2008.
In short – not worth my time.