{"id":11097,"date":"2022-02-08T19:20:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T19:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/08\/how-ann-handley-grew-her-newsletter-total-annarchy-from-0-42000-subscribers\/"},"modified":"2022-02-08T19:20:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T19:20:05","slug":"how-ann-handley-grew-her-newsletter-total-annarchy-from-0-42000-subscribers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/02\/08\/how-ann-handley-grew-her-newsletter-total-annarchy-from-0-42000-subscribers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Ann Handley Grew Her Newsletter, ‘Total Annarchy,’ from 0 – 42,000 Subscribers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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8 minute read time<\/h6>\n

\n Campaign Monitor – Feb 8, 2022<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

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If the title of her newsletter, \u201cTotal Annarchy<\/a>,<\/i>\u201d is any indication, Ann Handley thinks differently about newsletter strategy than most. <\/span><\/p>\n

A best-selling author, speaker, chief content officer, and one of Forbes\u2019 \u201c20 Best Marketing and Social Media Women Bloggers<\/a>,\u201d Handley\u2019s fresh approach to content has built her career as well as her impressive newsletter list.<\/p>\n

Handley\u2019s newsletter is known for its story-based insights, joyful tone, and actionable advice. It dances to the beat of its own drum while providing real value to its readers. Marketers and non-marketers alike rave about it. So how does this magic happen? We sat down with Handley to find out just that.<\/p>\n

1. She wrote what she wanted to read<\/h2>\n

Handley says she started her newsletter as a response to wishing she had something like it herself: a marketing newsletter about writing that she actually wanted to read and wasn\u2019t dry or boring. \u201cThe biggest trigger to growth is happiness, joy all around,\u201d says Handley. \u201cNo good writing is created at gunpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ann includes a section called \u201cShenanigans\u201d in every newsletter that includes (often random) things that she has found interesting or amusing. It doesn\u2019t follow a \u201cbest practices\u201d template or anything stuffy, it\u2019s just there because she enjoys it. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How does Handley measure this? She tries to make herself laugh every time she writes an issue of her newsletter. Now that<\/i> is a KPI we can get on board with. \u201cIf I hated writing [something],\u201d says Handley, \u201cyou\u2019d feel that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe biggest trigger to growth is happiness, joy all around. No good writing is created at gunpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Ann Handley<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

2. She defined her niche and stuck to it<\/h2>\n

Defining your niche not only helps you narrow down what to write about but also helps your audience know what to expect, Handley says. \u201cI make sure new subscribers know exactly what they\u2019ll get. Pro-tip for marketing (and Life): Setting expectations neuters rage.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Handley lets her readers know exactly what her newsletter is about right from the start. Handley\u2019s subject lines and graphics illustrate clearly that this newsletter is about writing. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3. She built relationships, not just a list<\/h2>\n

Handley said she initially implemented a pop-up window to garner subscribers, like many newsletters. However, she soon took it down. Why? <\/b>\u201cI want a reader\u2019s relationship with me to be, ultimately, the trigger that would grow the list,\u201d says Handley. \u201cIt was a revelation to me. And it\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you build relationships with readers, you build trust and affinity, which leads to long-term success. If readers don\u2019t feel connected, chances are their interest in your newsletter will wane. And a bonus is that you\u2019ll get inspiration and feedback right from the source.<\/p>\n

When writing her newsletter, Handley imagines a single subscriber and writes as if to them, specifically. \u201cPut a pillow over the face of anything with a whiff of \u2018Dear Valued Customers,\u2019\u201d says Handley. \u201cUse \u2018You\u2019 like you picked up a lifetime supply at a BOGO sale.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI want a reader\u2019s relationship with me to be, ultimately, the trigger that would grow the list.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Ann Handley<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Handley also notes that connecting with subscribers is only a single part of building relationships. Building relationships with other influencers has also been an integral part of growing her list. \u201cCall out the good work of others,\u201d says Handley. \u201cShare the love. Don\u2019t expect and ask for reciprocity\u2014that\u2019s not friendship, that\u2019s coercion.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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At the end of every newsletter, Handley includes \u201clove letters\u201d to people supporting her work. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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4. She surprised her readers<\/h2>\n

Many of Handley\u2019s best-performing emails have been the ones that are unique in some way. Or, as Handley likes to say, \u201cNot business as usual.\u201d Handley accomplishes this by using paradoxes or contrarian ideas that pique the reader\u2019s interest.<\/p>\n

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\"Ann<\/a><\/p>\n

Is this email newsletter from Starbucks? No, this is an Ann Handley special. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For example, her newsletter that garnered the most subscriber referrals was titled \u201cPumpkin Spice Newsletter: A Case Study in the Power of Copywriting<\/a><\/i>.\u201d Readers may have expected this from Starbucks but not a marketing newsletter. Or her newsletter that was the strongest performer across all metrics: \u201c<\/i>TikTok with the Best Writing Advice (No Really)<\/a>.\u201d It\u2019s surprising because most people wouldn\u2019t think of TikTok as a source of great writing advice.<\/p>\n

5. She kept it current<\/h2>\n

Keep a pulse on what\u2019s happening in the world and tie your content to it. When your newsletter speaks to the current zeitgeist, readers engage because you\u2019re speaking to what\u2019s already on their minds. For example, Handley\u2019s newsletter with the most opens was \u201cYour Hand Sanitizer for Bad Marketing<\/a>\u201d because it tapped into a shared experience happening at that time during the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

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Handley uses current events to inspire many of her subject lines, drawing her readers in. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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6. She gave her copy breathing room<\/h2>\n

Handley may write longer newsletters than some would recommend, but the reason it holds water is it\u2019s not a rambling, meaningless tangle of copy. <\/b>\u201cWhite space is oxygen,\u201d says Handley. \u201cUse it. Let your words breathe. I love long sentences. But newsletters need short sentences. Short paragraphs. Short sections. Don\u2019t make 1,000 words feel like 1,000 words.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Handley highlights the main talking points in her newsletter with easily skimmable bullets and a lot of white space between paragraphs. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Short, purposeful sentences, paragraphs, and sections break up the visual density of longer newsletters. White space allows the reader to easily skim the content and identify key thoughts.<\/p>\n

7. She took her time<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve all been there, staring blankly at an empty page, waiting for genius to strike. The reality is great newsletters take time. When it comes to newsletter writing, don\u2019t expect to get it right on the first pass. Handley says writing her newsletter takes her 8 hours over 4 drafts and 2-3 days, on average. \u201cSlow down. Invest where it matters,\u201d says Handley. \u201cI want to make each paragraph, sentence, word earn its keep.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI want to make each paragraph, sentence, word earn its keep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Ann Handley<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Handley says many of her ideas come from a journal where she jots down stories she hears. She also recommends plugging your piece into an AI editing tool like Grammarly<\/a>, making simple changes, and then handing it off to a [human] editor who \u201cgets you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Handley not only takes her time writing but is transparent with her readers about her process \u2013 the good, the bad, and the ugly. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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8. She promoted value rather than an event<\/h2>\n

Handley encourages marketers to share the value of what they\u2019re writing rather than just the summary of it, whether that\u2019s a subject line or a social media promotion. Focus on an action you took to achieve a specific goal or an action the reader can take to achieve a goal. Make it clear what they\u2019ll get by engaging with your content.<\/p>\n

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\"Ann<\/a><\/p>\n

When promoting her newsletter on Twitter, Handley illustrates the value of her newsletter in a relatable way before sharing the link. Source<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For example, \u201cDon\u2019t write, \u2018The latest issue of my newsletter just dropped\u2019 with a link to it \u2014 who cares?\u201d says Handley. \u201cShare the value, not the event. Instead write, \u2018How I learned to avoid writing by committee.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

9. She measured outcomes, not just the size<\/h2>\n

\u201cPurpose defines goals,\u201d says Handley. \u201cMy purpose is to nurture and have fun. That keeps me focused on what matters, which is probably different than what most newsletters look at.\u201d Handley says she doesn\u2019t look at click-through rates like many other newsletter writers but rather a metric she made up for herself: Open-to-Write-Back-Rate (OWBR). That is, for every email sent, how many readers personally respond?<\/p>\n

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\u201cPurpose defines goals. My purpose is to nurture and have fun. That keeps me focused on what matters, which is probably different than what most newsletters look at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Ann Handley<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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While the metric for your newsletter may be different than OWBR, the key is to look at the metrics that measure key outcomes rather than the mere size of your list. \u201cSize is a byproduct, not a goal,\u201d Handley says.<\/p>\n

Create your own Annarchy<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to want to copy and paste someone else\u2019s approach to success and feel married to it. However, if there\u2019s one thing to learn from Handley, it\u2019s to make your newsletter your own. What are you passionate about? What do you wish existed in the world? Take each of these suggestions and tailor it to your style and audience. Are you ready to get started building your own unique newsletter? Check out our free newsletter templates<\/a>\u00a0now.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n