Olivia: Alright Jackson, I'm giving you a pop quiz. The book is 'Content Rules.' What's the one rule you think most companies break every single day? Jackson: Easy. 'Rule #1: Do not sound like a robot that has just swallowed a legal dictionary.' Is that in there? Olivia: It's not rule number one, but you've basically nailed their 'Rule #4: Speak Human.' And that’s exactly what we're diving into today with Content Rules by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman. Jackson: I’m glad it’s a rule. It feels like it should be a constitutional amendment for the internet at this point. Olivia: I completely agree. And what's wild is they wrote this back in the early 2010s, a time when 'content marketing' was this new, almost fringe idea. They were basically handing out the playbook before most people even knew the game had started. It's become a foundational text for a reason. Jackson: Okay, so they were ahead of the curve. But what does 'speaking human' actually mean in a business context? Because I've seen some attempts that are just… cringe. Like a dad trying to use teen slang. Olivia: That is the perfect description of what not to do. It’s less about trying to be cool and more about being authentic. And the book has this fantastic, unexpected story to explain it.

Jackson: I’m ready. Is it another story about a company that tripled its revenue with a clever tweet? Olivia: Not even close. It’s about one of the authors, Ann Handley, getting obsessed with reality TV. Jackson: Wait, what? Reality TV? Olivia: Yes. She writes about how, while co-writing this very book, she spent her evenings watching shows like American Idol and Project Runway. And she noticed a pattern. The contestants who made it to the finals, the ones who really connected with the audience, were always the ones the judges said "knew who they were." They had a distinct point of view, a unique voice, and they weren't afraid to show it. Jackson: So the path to marketing genius is paved with reality TV? My evenings are suddenly looking a lot more productive. Olivia: It’s a brilliant analogy, right? The contestants who tried to be generic, who tried to please every single judge, were always the first to go home. They were bland. And that's what happens to businesses. When a company tries to sound like every other "industry-leading, synergy-leveraging" corporation, they become invisible. They get voted off the island. Jackson: That makes a lot of sense. The bland leading the bland. But that’s still a bit abstract. Can you give me an example of a company that actually does this well? Olivia: Absolutely. The book talks about an email marketing company called Emma. Instead of a homepage that says something like "Optimize your email marketing solutions for maximum ROI," their message was simple, fun, and human. It felt like a real person, someone who understood your needs, was talking to you. It was quirky and capable, not cold and corporate. Jackson: They didn't use the word "synergy" once, did they? Olivia: Not a single time. And that’s the point. They built trust by being relatable. They showed their personality. Now, I know some of the book's critics, and even some readers, have mentioned that this very informal, conversational tone can feel a bit much at times. Jackson: Yeah, I can see that. Is this 'speak human' thing sometimes taken too far? Where it circles back to being inauthentic because everyone is trying to sound like your cool best friend? Olivia: That's a fair point, and the book addresses it. It's about being authentic to your brand, not just being quirky for the sake of it. A bank doesn't need to sound like a surf shop. But it does need to sound like it's run by competent, empathetic humans, not a soulless algorithm. The voice has to match the brand's purpose and its audience. It’s about finding your authentic voice, not borrowing someone else's. Jackson: Okay, so it’s less about a specific style and more about the principle of authenticity. Know who you are, whether you're a rock star on a reality show or a B2B software company. Olivia: Exactly. And that authenticity is the fuel for the next big idea we need to talk about, which is how you take that voice and turn it into a sustainable engine for growth.

Jackson: An engine for growth. I like the sound of that. But creating authentic, human content consistently sounds exhausting. How does a small team, or even a single person, keep that up without burning out? Olivia: That's where the authors introduce one of their most powerful concepts: "Reimagine; Don't Recycle." It’s what they call the Content Food Chain. Jackson: A content food chain? Okay, you’ve got my attention. Is this like a marketing version of the lion, the zebra, and the grass? Olivia: It’s a perfect analogy! Think of it this way. You start with one "Big Idea." This is your lion. It could be a major research report, a big webinar, or an in-depth ebook. It’s a substantial piece of work. Jackson: Right, like a Thanksgiving turkey. The main event. Olivia: Exactly! Now, recycling would be just serving cold turkey sandwiches for a week. It gets boring fast. Reimagining is different. You take that turkey—that Big Idea—and you carve it up. The data from your report becomes a series of charts for Twitter. A key chapter from your ebook becomes a detailed blog post. A compelling quote becomes a graphic for Instagram. The Q&A from your webinar becomes a podcast episode. Jackson: So it’s not just about repurposing, it’s about re-contextualizing for each platform. It’s like telling the same joke differently at a board meeting versus a barbecue. Olivia: You’ve got it. You're creating a whole ecosystem of content from one initial effort. And the book has this incredible case study that pushes this idea to its creative limit. It’s a company called Kinaxis. Jackson: Never heard of them. What do they do? Olivia: They're a B2B company that makes supply chain management software. Jackson: Hold on. A supply chain software company? That sounds like the driest, most technical topic on the planet. How on earth did they make that interesting? Olivia: By doing something completely unexpected. They made comedy videos. Jackson: You're kidding. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. How did that not completely bomb? Olivia: Because it was brilliant! They created a whole series of YouTube videos, including a sitcom short called "Married to the Job" about a husband-and-wife supply chain team, and even a talk show called the "Late Late Supply Chain." They hired writers from The Second City, the famous comedy troupe. Jackson: Wow. That takes some serious guts for a B2B company. So what was the result? Olivia: It was a massive success. It humanized their brand, it made a complex topic approachable, and it got people talking. They weren't just another faceless software vendor; they were the clever, funny supply chain people. Their web traffic and sales leads skyrocketed. They took their "Big Idea"—that supply chain management has its own absurdities—and reimagined it into entertainment. Jackson: That’s amazing. They broke all the rules of boring B2B marketing. It proves that "speaking human" isn't just about tone; it's about the format and the creativity you bring to the table. Olivia: Precisely. It’s about playing to your strengths and not being afraid to do something unexpected. But it raises a good question. Jackson: Okay, so being human and being strategic makes sense. But a lot of this content, like comedy videos or free ebooks, doesn't directly sell anything. How does that actually help the business? What's the ROI on a laugh? Olivia: That question leads us perfectly to the third, and perhaps most important, pillar of the book.

Jackson: Alright, I'm ready for it. The secret sauce. Olivia: It's Content Rule Number 6: "Share or solve; don't shill." The idea is that your content should be a gift to your audience. It should either solve a problem for them or share something so valuable or entertaining that they feel compelled to pass it on. The sale is a byproduct of the trust you build, not the primary goal of the content itself. Jackson: That sounds nice philosophically, but businesses need to make money. "Giving away the farm" seems counterintuitive. Olivia: It does, until you see it in action. The book gives one of my all-time favorite examples: The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Jackson: The cheese people? Olivia: The very same. They wanted to promote Wisconsin cheese. The old way would be to run ads saying, "Our cheese is the best!" The "Content Rules" way was to create something called the "Cheese and Burger Society." Jackson: The Cheese and Burger Society? What is that, a secret club? Olivia: It was! They created this lavish, interactive website that was a fictional, almost Masonic-style secret society dedicated to the art of the cheeseburger. It featured these incredibly over-the-top, aspirational recipes like "The Sheboygan" and "The Cunningham." The photography was beautiful, the writing was witty and full of personality. It was pure, unadulterated fun. Jackson: So they weren't selling cheese, they were selling an experience. A lifestyle. Olivia: Exactly. They were solving a problem—"what can I do with all this delicious Wisconsin cheese?"—in the most entertaining way imaginable. They weren't shilling their product; they were stoking a passion for it. And the most incredible part? This fictional society became a real-world phenomenon. Jackson: No way. Olivia: Yes! People started hosting their own Cheese and Burger Society parties. The book says these parties popped up in 70 countries around the world. All from a website that was just supposed to be a fun marketing campaign. Jackson: So they sold more cheese by creating a... secret society for burger lovers? That's brilliant. They weren't selling a product; they were selling fun and belonging. Olivia: And that is the absolute essence of "share or solve, don't shill." They gave their audience something so delightful and engaging that the audience became their marketing department. They built a community of true fans, not just a list of customers.

Olivia: When you step back and look at all three of these ideas together—speaking human, reimagining content, and being generous—you see a powerful, unified philosophy. Jackson: It really connects. It’s not just a collection of tips. It’s a complete mindset shift. Olivia: It is. For decades, marketing was about shouting at people. It was a monologue of selling. This book, and the movement it helped launch, argues that modern survival is about inviting people in. Jackson: And you invite them in by speaking their language, not corporate jargon. Olivia: Right. And you keep them there by strategically offering them a whole menu of interesting ideas, not just the same old leftovers. Jackson: And most importantly, you build trust by being genuinely useful or entertaining—by being generous. Olivia: That’s the whole thing. You're not just creating content; you're building a campfire. You spark it with your authentic voice, you fuel it with a steady stream of reimagined ideas, and you gather a community around it by sharing stories and solving problems. Jackson: So the takeaway for our listeners isn't just 'start a blog' or 'make a video.' It's to first find your voice, have a plan for your ideas, and above all, be genuinely useful. Olivia: Perfectly put. And if there's one small, concrete action someone could take today, what would you suggest? Jackson: I think the one thing listeners could do is to go look at their own company's 'About Us' page, or their LinkedIn summary, and ask a simple, honest question: Does this sound like it was written by a human being? Olivia: That’s a fantastic challenge. And we'd love to hear what you find. Share the best or worst examples of corporate-speak you've seen. Find us online and let's talk. It’s all about starting that conversation. Jackson: And keeping it human. Olivia: This is Aibrary, signing off.