When it comes to Building in Public, there are two types of believers.
One group is more concerned with construction. They are passionate about building products, and Building in Public is an opportunity for them to showcase their work while also gaining some publicity.
The other group is more focused on marketing. They, too, are builders at heart, but they see Building in Public as a way to connect with others and cultivate a following. The method of public sharing exposes them to their work. Building in Public is about getting publicity and sharing work along the way for them.
What's the point of bringing this up?
Because this chapter on how to write awesome posts will focus on marketing. After all, sharing is a form of storytelling.
This is not to say that I disagree with the first group's approach. It's just that my background and experience as a startup founder allow me to approach Building in Public from a marketing standpoint, and I see tremendous value in doing so.
The examples below focus on blog posts and tweets, but the concepts apply to other channels and formats as well.
You can imagine your best friend sitting right in front of you every time you're about to create content. You're holding a can of soda and a bag of chips, and your friend is staring at you with great interest. How are you going to tell this story?
This is extremely difficult, especially if you do not have a background in marketing, communication, or writing. Most of us learn to write in school, and the default style is structured (and of course boring). But, when you think about it, that's not how most people read.
If you've been reading on the Internet, you'll notice that writing has evolved significantly in recent years. Blog posts used to be dull; now they're vibrant and lively. It's almost as if you're listening to a story when you read them.
To learn how to tell good stories, we can look to David Perell, also known as "The Writing Guy.”
It is how we communicate in real life, and doing so transforms your writing into a dialogue between you and your readers.
[Bonus: blue highlights] Add your personal stories to further elevate that.
Shorter sentences get to the point faster, and simple words make your writing accessible to a wide range of readers.
