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Writing Newsletters That People Want to Read
Newsletters are a proven way to communicate with members and/or customers. The popularity of electronic newsletters is increasing daily. After you have put so much time, effort, and money into a newsletter you want people to read it. How can you create newsletters that people want to read?
PRINT HARD NEWS ONLY: This sounds like an amazing grasp of the obvious, but too many newsletters contain dated news and fluff like “a good time was had by all.”
REMEMBER REPORTING BASICS: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Leave one of these out and you have a less effective article.
KEEP IT SHORT: Readers do not want to wade through wordy articles. Write succinctly, stay on topic, and bullet key points.
USE ACTIVE VERBS IN TITLES: Active verbs make it sound like your organization or business is getting things done. Isn’t that the whole idea?
RETHINK ADJECTIVES: Finding the right adjectives takes time, but it is time well spent. Adjectives can make readers think about an issue and add smiles to a bland article.
PRINT KEY INFORMATION IN BOLD: This helps readers to speed read, spot information, and recall it. You may also wish to box in key information on the front page.
GIVE SOMETHING AWAY: Include a discount coupon if you are a business owner. Entice inactive active members with freebies: “If this is your first meeting lunch is on us.”
CONTINUE STORIES: Starting a story on page one and continuing it inside the newsletter will make readers turn the page and keep reading.
HIRE A GRAPHIC DESIGNER: A graphic designer can make your newsletter look professional and keep you from making mistakes. You save money in the long run.
CONSIDER THE VISUAL-PRINT RATIO: The trend today is more visuals and less type. Remember, visuals tell a story, too.
CHECK THE BUDGET: See if there is money to print colored photos. Though colored photos are extremely expensive, they grab readers’ attention.
PRINT GOOD PHOTOS: A group photo with faces as small as dots is not worth printing. Include action shots whenever possible. Put a line around the photos to make them stand out from the page.
WRITE INFORMATIVE CAPTIONS: Captions are an ideal place to include new information.
USE COLORED HEADINGS: The organization I write for did not have the money for colored photos, but I did get money for colored headings. The winter issue has indigo headings — the color of shadows on snow.
INCLUDE LOTS OF NAMES: It’s a proven fact: Printing more names attracts more readers.
CREDIT OTHERS: When I took over the editorship of the newsletter I added new categories to the credits box: Contributing Editors, Photographers, Proofreaders.
GO ELECTRONIC: My organization is approaching the time when we will have to publish electronic newsletters only. This will save us money and, better yet, enable us to print colored photos.
Newsletters are a top marketing tool and for good reason: They work. Try to make each issue of your newsletter better than the last. Like everything else in publishing, quality is the name of the game.
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http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years. She has been the Editor/Writer of both printed and electronic newsletters. Hodgson is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
January 17th, 2007