Annarchy reigns.
Ann Handley is a content marketing guru who has been in the marketing business for several decades. A terrific writer and expert content creator, she has a lovely newsletter called Annarchy. I recently subscribed to it, and I look forward to its arrival every fortnight.
Ann Handley is a writer, digital marketing pioneer, and Wall Street Journal, best-selling author. She inspires and empowers readers to create marketing that customers will love, igniting real results for business.
Her company MarketingProfs has 600K subscribers. She writes and speaks about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to achieve tangible results. Most of all, I love the name she chose for her newsletter – Annarchy.
Ann’s style is personal, not personable.
When I read her work, it grabs me and speaks to me as a human being, not as a subscriber. On a recent podcast, Ann provided some of the simplest advice for creating ridiculously good content – Clear utility, inspriration and honest empathy.
I love how she joked – here is my PowerPoint slide, and held up this handwritten page. Pure annarchy!
Keen Observations
In a recent podcast interview with the CMO from SharpSpring, she made some keen observations about marketing newsletters. I’m sharing them because she crystallized much of how I view my own blog/newsletter.
- Create ridiculously great content that can be savored and tasted. Eliminate corporate centric messaging because no one cares what a company thinks. Readers will care what an individual thinks.
- Your newsletter should be more letter and less news. No one cares that you are introducing a new service. They care that you tell them about a new way you can help them solve their problem. Always put the reader/customer’s interest above your commercial and transactional concerns.
- Don’t just focus on moments – focus on momentum. Over time, you can deliver value in sharing helpful information. Don’t focus on a singular message- build, repeat, and strengthen the quality over time so that people enjoy the series, not just the single episode.
- Let your personality shine. No one wants to read corporate, bureaucratic oatmeal. Deliver stories and messages that can only come from you. Eliminate the corporate speak, let Jenifer or James speak for you – not Acme Widget Company.
- Are you proud of your company’s newsletter? If you don’t love what you publish, why do you expect a customer or prospect to care? If it is pure dribble, no one will want to read it.
- When a newsletter arrives, it should be like a friend you are happy to see. I love this notion of readers looking forward to your ideas and observations, like a familiar friend. What an aspirational goal to set for your communications.
Finding Your Voice
As many of you know, I have been writing this blog for more than a decade. Every week, I share stories from my experiences. Things I learned, something I love, and things that surprise me.
When I sat in on a session on brand archetypes with a client, I couldn’t wait to write about it and share what I learned. It has been one of my most shared and read posts. Readers told me it was helpful to them as they think strategically about their marketing.
If I am working on a new brand or company name project, I love to share my process to help someone who can’t afford to hire me but still needs a great new name to differentiate themselves. Last week I delivered 40 potential brand names for a new product and I’m confident that almost everyone is available for a trademark!
As I meet someone special through my wanderings, like Sadie Olsen from Otto’s Natural (Cassava flour) I’m excited to tell a little about her origin story and how she has grown her brand from scratch. Or to share a story of friendship with someone who helped me become a better marketer like my friend Britt Carter.
Helpful, not Images
My newsletter isn’t meant to build an image; I concentrate on helping fellow marketers and business people try to grow their brands. A little annarchy goes a long way to building a brand.
I look forward to reading newsletters or blogs I get from people like Ann Handley, Seth Godin, Tom Fishbourne, Derrick Daye and Mark Schaefer. Their newsletters, blogs and illustrations come from real people who have marketing businesses that celebrate brands, marketing, and other curious facets of human behavior. They are my teachers, my inspriration and, even my friends.
All the Newsletter That’s Fit To Print
If you are starting a newsletter or heading down the content marketing path, make the content memorable and worth the calories.
Sign up for Ann’s letters that come every two weeks. You’ll thank me if you care about marketing, content, and storytelling.
Starting a newsletter or some other content for customers?
There is nothing more boring than a message from a dull, corporate-speaking CEO. Put some attitude into your words and lean into an authentic voice. Plain store bought vanilla ice cream doesn’t cut it anymore in a world of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.
Find your voice.
Need help creating a compelling newsletter?
I can help. You can set up a time chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conver?sation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com. Let’s explore working together today.
Photo courtesy of Ann Handley’s Website Annarchy
