Control
Your messages, delivered your way. That level of control is rarely possible if you use press releases or interviews to deal with the traditional media. A newsletter means the subjects, tone, and emphasis are handled according to your wishes.
Credibility
Do you rely mostly on advertising to build your business? What about people who ignore ads or read them with a particularly cynical eye? The newsletter format boosts your credibility by avoiding the appearance of a sales pitch. In addition, because newsletters are perceived as having news value, they have the ability to bypass gatekeepers such as secretaries and assistants who screen out "junk mail."
Consistency
A regular publication builds awareness of your company or brand. Individuals may miss advertisements or interviews, but they'll look forward to the latest issue of your newsletter.
Monday
Thursday
Use Standing Columns for a Consistent Look
Standing columns repeat each issue, cover a single topic, and are placed in the same position (page, placement on page, etc.) By using standing columns, you’ll have an idea what articles you or your staff or volunteers will need to research and write for each issue. Some examples of standing columns include:
• Table of contents
• News briefs
• Letters to the editor
• Announcements (new hires, promotions, departures, retirements)
• Calendar highlighting upcoming events
• Editorials
• President’s column
• Regular columnists
Keep in mind that the more standing columns you choose, the less layout flexibility you’ll have with each issue. However, you may find this actually speeds the design stage of production as standing columns provide useful format guides.
• Table of contents
• News briefs
• Letters to the editor
• Announcements (new hires, promotions, departures, retirements)
• Calendar highlighting upcoming events
• Editorials
• President’s column
• Regular columnists
Keep in mind that the more standing columns you choose, the less layout flexibility you’ll have with each issue. However, you may find this actually speeds the design stage of production as standing columns provide useful format guides.
Wednesday
Increase Readability by Using White Space Effectively
You’ll enhance the effectiveness and beauty of your newsletter when you correctly balance copy and visual elements with white, or empty space.
By adding white space, you open up your pages, making them easier to read. Used as a frame, white space also makes photos, Illustrations and other visual elements more attention grabbing.
So avoid the temptation to fill up every empty area with copy or other design elements. Boost your newsletter’s effectiveness by using white space to add spaciousness and minimize clutter.
By adding white space, you open up your pages, making them easier to read. Used as a frame, white space also makes photos, Illustrations and other visual elements more attention grabbing.
So avoid the temptation to fill up every empty area with copy or other design elements. Boost your newsletter’s effectiveness by using white space to add spaciousness and minimize clutter.
Monday
Customer Loyalty Building Is Powerful and Informative Newsletters Can Be the Most Powerful Tool In Your Sales Toolbox
"A good newsletter keeps you in front of your customers, adds value to your services, establishes your expertise and credibility, and saves you valuable selling time," says Elaine Floyd, author, speaker and newsletter expert extraordinaire.
• Do you have good customers you'd like to stay in touch with without interrupting them with phone calls or visits?
• Is your product or service line changing quickly?
• Do some of your best customers not know about your latest product offerings and how each one benefits them? Or have you heard your customers say, "I didn't know you did that?"
• Do your customers like hearing stories of businesses similar to theirs and how they've been successful?
• Can you share information that saves your customer's time and money, helps them get more business or prepares them for the future?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you needed a newsletter yesterday.
• Do you have good customers you'd like to stay in touch with without interrupting them with phone calls or visits?
• Is your product or service line changing quickly?
• Do some of your best customers not know about your latest product offerings and how each one benefits them? Or have you heard your customers say, "I didn't know you did that?"
• Do your customers like hearing stories of businesses similar to theirs and how they've been successful?
• Can you share information that saves your customer's time and money, helps them get more business or prepares them for the future?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you needed a newsletter yesterday.
Friday
TOP 10 Reasons You Should Have a Newsletter
Happy clients and satisfied customers convey that message to their friends and business associates, and that presents a good image for YOU. Because newsletters generally are read by many more people than just those who initially receive them, your good image will be widespread.
A newsletter:
1) Is the most effective, most attractive way of getting your message to your current and potential clients.
2) Provides valuable information about your business and services.
3) Are relevant, timely and welcome, and remind your clients that you are concerned about their interests.
4) Restate the benefits your clients receive by doing business with you.
5) Are a dignified subtle way to promote your business.
6) Give your clients and prospects the opportunity to find out what they may want to know via Q & A columns.
7) Are a good way to introduce new services and products to current and potential clients.
8) Are a welcome handout at meetings and seminars.
9) Are not canned and impersonal and perceived as junk mail.
AND
10) Demonstrate the permanence, reliability and consistency of YOU and your company.
A newsletter:
1) Is the most effective, most attractive way of getting your message to your current and potential clients.
2) Provides valuable information about your business and services.
3) Are relevant, timely and welcome, and remind your clients that you are concerned about their interests.
4) Restate the benefits your clients receive by doing business with you.
5) Are a dignified subtle way to promote your business.
6) Give your clients and prospects the opportunity to find out what they may want to know via Q & A columns.
7) Are a good way to introduce new services and products to current and potential clients.
8) Are a welcome handout at meetings and seminars.
9) Are not canned and impersonal and perceived as junk mail.
AND
10) Demonstrate the permanence, reliability and consistency of YOU and your company.
Wednesday
E-newsletters Provide an Easy, Inexpensive Way to Strengthen Relationships With Key Constituencies
Electronic newsletters have become extremely popular with successful businesses and nonprofit groups because they make communicating with their audiences faster and less expensive than ever before.
By eliminating the cost of printing and postage, electronic newsletters removed two of the major obstacles that historically prevented organizations from incorporating newsletters into their communication programs. But these savings alone didn’t prompt a sudden boom in the use of e-newsletters. Many communication experts initially warned would-be publishers that recipients might perceive e-newsletters as spam. Such a perception, they added, might actually damage an organization’s credibility.
The newsletters that attract and retain the most loyal audiences share several characteristics.
• Timeliness Newsletters have always enjoyed a unique status as a communication vehicle because people perceive them as news – something they should “read now.” E-newsletter enthusiasts want even more. They demand relevant information delivered at just the right moment. So today’s most successful e-newsletters provide up-to-the-minute information on highly targeted topics. For example, a number of companies use e-newsletters to distribute information on new products to members of their sales forces. Many retailers and wholesale distributors have also begun using e-newsletters to inform clients about their product lines or special promotions.
• Brevity E-newsletter enthusiasts don’t have a lot of patience for long stories or documents. An e-newsletter should contain only a few screens of information, with links or other response mechanisms that direct readers to more details. E-newsletter publishers should keep copy as succinct as possible. Presently, a headline, summary, and link a long version of the story will satisfy the appetite of most e-newsletter recipients.
• Customized Content Most successful newsletters tailor their content as much as possible for each individual. Experts recommend identifying readership categories and modifying each issue slightly to address the interests of a particular segment of the audience. The needs of readers should also influence the type of technology used in publishing e-newsletters. If the majority of readers plan to print out the publication to read it, they may prefer a PDF document. If readers demand a combination of screen graphics and hyperlinks, HTML offers a better alternative. Publishers should also produce text-only versions for recipients with slower modems or mail systems that won’t allow HTML. After all, if your publication takes too long to download, recipients may get frustrated and delete it altogether.
• Trackability Successful e-newsletter publishers use analytical tools to track readership and response to their publications. These applications provide valuable information on how often an e-newsletter gets opened, who opens the publication, and which stories generate the greatest interest. Collecting this type of information makes it easier for publishers to strengthen content and further customize publications to the needs of their readers.
• Freedom of Choice Most e-newsletter publishers use the opt-in/opt-out model of distribution. In other words, readers agree to accept the newsletter and can discontinue their “subscription” at any time. People who receive e-newsletters without opting in tend to perceive the publication as an infringement on their personal cyberspace. In that case, they may hit the spam button to delete the publication. If enough people indicate you for sending spam, many e-mail services will stop delivering your publication altogether. Publishers should immediately remove those who opt from their distribution lists for the same reason.
Keeping these characteristics in mind will make it much easier for an organization to create e-newsletters that strengthen its relationship with key audiences. Look for additional tips on creating effective e-newsletters in future issues of The Newsletter Factory’s newsletter, Newsletter Know How.
Sign up to receive future issues here.
By eliminating the cost of printing and postage, electronic newsletters removed two of the major obstacles that historically prevented organizations from incorporating newsletters into their communication programs. But these savings alone didn’t prompt a sudden boom in the use of e-newsletters. Many communication experts initially warned would-be publishers that recipients might perceive e-newsletters as spam. Such a perception, they added, might actually damage an organization’s credibility.
The newsletters that attract and retain the most loyal audiences share several characteristics.
• Timeliness Newsletters have always enjoyed a unique status as a communication vehicle because people perceive them as news – something they should “read now.” E-newsletter enthusiasts want even more. They demand relevant information delivered at just the right moment. So today’s most successful e-newsletters provide up-to-the-minute information on highly targeted topics. For example, a number of companies use e-newsletters to distribute information on new products to members of their sales forces. Many retailers and wholesale distributors have also begun using e-newsletters to inform clients about their product lines or special promotions.
• Brevity E-newsletter enthusiasts don’t have a lot of patience for long stories or documents. An e-newsletter should contain only a few screens of information, with links or other response mechanisms that direct readers to more details. E-newsletter publishers should keep copy as succinct as possible. Presently, a headline, summary, and link a long version of the story will satisfy the appetite of most e-newsletter recipients.
• Customized Content Most successful newsletters tailor their content as much as possible for each individual. Experts recommend identifying readership categories and modifying each issue slightly to address the interests of a particular segment of the audience. The needs of readers should also influence the type of technology used in publishing e-newsletters. If the majority of readers plan to print out the publication to read it, they may prefer a PDF document. If readers demand a combination of screen graphics and hyperlinks, HTML offers a better alternative. Publishers should also produce text-only versions for recipients with slower modems or mail systems that won’t allow HTML. After all, if your publication takes too long to download, recipients may get frustrated and delete it altogether.
• Trackability Successful e-newsletter publishers use analytical tools to track readership and response to their publications. These applications provide valuable information on how often an e-newsletter gets opened, who opens the publication, and which stories generate the greatest interest. Collecting this type of information makes it easier for publishers to strengthen content and further customize publications to the needs of their readers.
• Freedom of Choice Most e-newsletter publishers use the opt-in/opt-out model of distribution. In other words, readers agree to accept the newsletter and can discontinue their “subscription” at any time. People who receive e-newsletters without opting in tend to perceive the publication as an infringement on their personal cyberspace. In that case, they may hit the spam button to delete the publication. If enough people indicate you for sending spam, many e-mail services will stop delivering your publication altogether. Publishers should immediately remove those who opt from their distribution lists for the same reason.
Keeping these characteristics in mind will make it much easier for an organization to create e-newsletters that strengthen its relationship with key audiences. Look for additional tips on creating effective e-newsletters in future issues of The Newsletter Factory’s newsletter, Newsletter Know How.
Sign up to receive future issues here.
Stuck? Read This List of Article Themes for Inspiration
Training How do new people (employees/interns/volunteers) learn on the job? Does your organization have any interns or apprentices? What training opportunities does your organization provide to employees/volunteers? What are the benefits of workshops/courses? What upcoming industry trends may require training.
Computers Who should employees/volunteers call for help in a crisis?
Awards What competitions/awards are in your industry or field? Who entered and who won? How do these competitions/awards affect the industry?
Payroll deductions Explain in detail each deduction that appears on a paycheck. Which are required and why, and which are optional?
Department focus What are the specific functions of each department per article.
Insurance What kinds of coverage does your organization offer and at what costs?
Organizational growth What are plans for new products, services, or programs? Provide updates on progress.
Health Promote health awareness with articles on wellness, nutrition, and fitness. What are some health issues specific to your industry?
New technology What upcoming trends will affect your industry or field?
Professional organizations What organizations support your field? What are the membership costs and who leads the groups? What are the benefits of membership?
Acronyms What are the common acronyms in your field/industry and what do they stand for?
Maintenance Who performs maintenance tasks in your organization and what is their typical day like? What are signs of wear or damage that employees/volunteers can detect?
Cost cutting How can employees/volunteers be more efficient on the job? How does management plan to cut costs? Do employees/volunteers have ideas for cutting costs?
Quality How does your organization define quality (of either services or products)? How are quality standards measured? What are some new techniques to raise quality?
Competition Who is your competition and how do they affect your organization? What are they doing?
Profiles Focus on employee/volunteer of the month, new employees/volunteers, customers, supporters, vendors, retirees, and promotions.
Evaluation How are employees/volunteers and programs evaluated? Wow does your organization evaluate customers, suppliers, consultants, etc.?
Legislation What are laws and proposals that affect your organization or industry?
Customers Who are your customers/beneficiaries and what do they do? Why do they use your products or services?
Resources What resources materials is available in your field? Provide reviews of current resources. What does your library have available?
Suppliers Who are your vendors? How are they chosen and evaluated?
Commuting How do your employees/volunteers get to work? Are there any car pooling opportunities? What are the mass transit schedules? Who has the longest/shortest commute? What do people do when stuck in traffic?
Computers Who should employees/volunteers call for help in a crisis?
Awards What competitions/awards are in your industry or field? Who entered and who won? How do these competitions/awards affect the industry?
Payroll deductions Explain in detail each deduction that appears on a paycheck. Which are required and why, and which are optional?
Department focus What are the specific functions of each department per article.
Insurance What kinds of coverage does your organization offer and at what costs?
Organizational growth What are plans for new products, services, or programs? Provide updates on progress.
Health Promote health awareness with articles on wellness, nutrition, and fitness. What are some health issues specific to your industry?
New technology What upcoming trends will affect your industry or field?
Professional organizations What organizations support your field? What are the membership costs and who leads the groups? What are the benefits of membership?
Acronyms What are the common acronyms in your field/industry and what do they stand for?
Maintenance Who performs maintenance tasks in your organization and what is their typical day like? What are signs of wear or damage that employees/volunteers can detect?
Cost cutting How can employees/volunteers be more efficient on the job? How does management plan to cut costs? Do employees/volunteers have ideas for cutting costs?
Quality How does your organization define quality (of either services or products)? How are quality standards measured? What are some new techniques to raise quality?
Competition Who is your competition and how do they affect your organization? What are they doing?
Profiles Focus on employee/volunteer of the month, new employees/volunteers, customers, supporters, vendors, retirees, and promotions.
Evaluation How are employees/volunteers and programs evaluated? Wow does your organization evaluate customers, suppliers, consultants, etc.?
Legislation What are laws and proposals that affect your organization or industry?
Customers Who are your customers/beneficiaries and what do they do? Why do they use your products or services?
Resources What resources materials is available in your field? Provide reviews of current resources. What does your library have available?
Suppliers Who are your vendors? How are they chosen and evaluated?
Commuting How do your employees/volunteers get to work? Are there any car pooling opportunities? What are the mass transit schedules? Who has the longest/shortest commute? What do people do when stuck in traffic?
Tuesday
Are Your Pages Crammed?
Visually appealing newsletters maintain a good balance of white space and other elements. By loading your pages with copy and graphics, you risk losing readers’ attention, as well as creating and ineffective page. If an entire page is covered with text and graphics, readers have no focal point. As such, a lack of white space creates a visually unappealing, difficult-to-read page.
So avoid filling space for the sale of doing so — your newsletter will be much more effective if you balance your copy and graphics with a liberal dose of white space.
To set off headlines from body copy, use a font and point size different from body copy, as well as adequate space (known as leading) between the headline, tagline and story. In addition, make subheads distinguishable by using a font and point size different from the main headline.
White space can often “open up” your page and help define other elements by creating areas of visual emphasis. Sometimes a vertical border can create additional white space, as well as draw readers directly to a photo or graphic.
By carefully choosing a photo’s placement and size, you can let readers know the photo is the center piece and focal point of the page.
In addition, by using a vertical orientation, single-column format, a sidebar can take on it’s own appearance and does not “compete” with other text or graphic elements.
So avoid filling space for the sale of doing so — your newsletter will be much more effective if you balance your copy and graphics with a liberal dose of white space.
To set off headlines from body copy, use a font and point size different from body copy, as well as adequate space (known as leading) between the headline, tagline and story. In addition, make subheads distinguishable by using a font and point size different from the main headline.
White space can often “open up” your page and help define other elements by creating areas of visual emphasis. Sometimes a vertical border can create additional white space, as well as draw readers directly to a photo or graphic.
By carefully choosing a photo’s placement and size, you can let readers know the photo is the center piece and focal point of the page.
In addition, by using a vertical orientation, single-column format, a sidebar can take on it’s own appearance and does not “compete” with other text or graphic elements.
Monday
Tap Into Typography
There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to choosing fonts or mixing different fonts within your publication. However, there are a few guidelines that can simplify the font selection process and generally result in typographically attractive and readable compositions. These guidelines won't always work for your newsletter, but they can give you the results you want with the least amount of trial and error.
• Pair a serif font for body text and a sans serif font for headlines.
• Avoid mixing two very similar typefaces, such as two scripts or two sans serifs. There is not enough contrast and the small differences will be visually unappealing.
• Avoid mono spaced typefaces for body copy. They draw too much attention to the individual letters, thus distracting the reader from the message.
• Limit the number of different fonts used in a single document to no more than three or four.
• Match the typeface to the content and spirit of the text.
• Pair a serif font for body text and a sans serif font for headlines.
• Avoid mixing two very similar typefaces, such as two scripts or two sans serifs. There is not enough contrast and the small differences will be visually unappealing.
• Avoid mono spaced typefaces for body copy. They draw too much attention to the individual letters, thus distracting the reader from the message.
• Limit the number of different fonts used in a single document to no more than three or four.
• Match the typeface to the content and spirit of the text.
Friday
Five Guidelines for Using Photos Effectively
1
Make your photographs large. The bigger they are, the more effectively they’ll serve the purpose for which they were included.
2
“Hand scan” your photos. Minimize differences in intensity by hand scanning your images so that you can correct lighting etc.
3
Bad photo are worse that no photos. No matter how sparkling your copy or how stunning your layout, bad photos will make your newsletter look “low class”.
4
Emphasize action. A photo of someone doing something has greater impact than “head shots” of staff members, snapshots of empty work areas, or portraits of building exteriors.
5
Acquire “free”. professional photos whenever possible If you obtain any information fro your publication from a Public Relation Department, ask them if they can provide photos pertaining to your subject matter. Many have extensive photo libraries and will gladly loan out pictures to get added exposure
Make your photographs large. The bigger they are, the more effectively they’ll serve the purpose for which they were included.
2
“Hand scan” your photos. Minimize differences in intensity by hand scanning your images so that you can correct lighting etc.
3
Bad photo are worse that no photos. No matter how sparkling your copy or how stunning your layout, bad photos will make your newsletter look “low class”.
4
Emphasize action. A photo of someone doing something has greater impact than “head shots” of staff members, snapshots of empty work areas, or portraits of building exteriors.
5
Acquire “free”. professional photos whenever possible If you obtain any information fro your publication from a Public Relation Department, ask them if they can provide photos pertaining to your subject matter. Many have extensive photo libraries and will gladly loan out pictures to get added exposure
Defining Your External Publication Needs
Newsletters serve vital functions that set them apart from other forms of marketing or advertising. Because they’re perceived as news, external and internal newsletters are cost-effective tools that can help you strengthen and advance your company’s communication goals. Following are some questions to help you get started by defining your external publication needs.
What are the goals of this newsletter?
What will the newsletter promote?
What features and benefits will influence the reader?
How and where do you find new customers now?
How do you retain customers?
How does your competition approach marketing? What competitive advantages exist?
What department will be involved in creating the newsletter?
What approvals are required for articles and regular columns?
Who will take responsibility for final sign off of your newsletter?
What are the goals of this newsletter?
What will the newsletter promote?
What features and benefits will influence the reader?
How and where do you find new customers now?
How do you retain customers?
How does your competition approach marketing? What competitive advantages exist?
What department will be involved in creating the newsletter?
What approvals are required for articles and regular columns?
Who will take responsibility for final sign off of your newsletter?
Thursday
Flag the Envelope to Help Ensure Delivery to Your Readers
Self-mailers are not always appropriate. If your newsletter contains sensitive information that you don’t want everyone along the way to read, or if you must include more than one item in your mailing, an envelope may be needed. In those cases, try putting “flags” on the envelope, such as “Personal and confidential,” “Your subscription enclosed,” or “Dated material inside” to convey the message that the addressee requested and is even expecting the mailer. If possible, print the flag in a different color from the rest of the envelope to help grab the attention of the gatekeeper and final recipient.
Create Internal Pieces that Catch the Eye
If your newsletter is distributed to employees through internal mail systems or in common areas, such as break rooms, your challenge involves making the newsletter intriguing enough to draw attention. Considerations of size for postage rates and mail panel designs that will elicit delivery are not necessary. Instead, you should emphasize the nameplate and actual size.
Tabloid designs are extremely effective for this type of newsletter because they look more like a newspaper’s format, and people are trained to look through newspapers for important information. Nameplates that incorporate unusual shapes, such as sweeps and oddly shaped letters, will enable the publication to take on an identity of its own and separate itself from other company literature.
Tabloid designs are extremely effective for this type of newsletter because they look more like a newspaper’s format, and people are trained to look through newspapers for important information. Nameplates that incorporate unusual shapes, such as sweeps and oddly shaped letters, will enable the publication to take on an identity of its own and separate itself from other company literature.
Here’s A Little Tip
Create an Idea File and Collect Story Ideas for Your Newsletter All Year Round
Why wait for the editorial content deadline of your newsletter to approach to start collecting article ideas. Create a file for article ideas, pictures, and other newsletter resources that you can collect information in all year round.
Why wait for the editorial content deadline of your newsletter to approach to start collecting article ideas. Create a file for article ideas, pictures, and other newsletter resources that you can collect information in all year round.
External and Internal Newsletters
Did you know that newsletters are the most effective media of communication within your organization or for external communication with your customers? Internally, they promote teamwork, increase productivity, support training initiatives and involve the reader in organizational activities. Customer newsletters enhance your organizations image, promote customer loyalty, increase sales and generate continual feedback from customers.
The process is simple and affordable for your organization. And, the results are fantastic.
The process is simple and affordable for your organization. And, the results are fantastic.
Increase Readability by Using White Space Effectively
You’ll enhance the effectiveness and beauty of your newsletter when you correctly balance copy and visual elements with white, or empty space.
By adding white space, you open up your pages, making them easier to read. Used as a frame, white space also makes photos, Illustrations and other visual elements more attention grabbing,
So avoid the temptation to fill up every empty area with copy or other design elements. Boost your newsletter’s effectiveness by using white space to add spaciousness and minimize clutter.
By adding white space, you open up your pages, making them easier to read. Used as a frame, white space also makes photos, Illustrations and other visual elements more attention grabbing,
So avoid the temptation to fill up every empty area with copy or other design elements. Boost your newsletter’s effectiveness by using white space to add spaciousness and minimize clutter.
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