eAdvisor - eMarketing Tip of the Month
   
 

Getting the News Out

Do you want to get the most out of your newsletter? Searching for a way to get your newsletter to your readers? Newsletter production can be simple and easy. Feel overwhelmed? No worries, there are newsletter production companies that can help.

When you begin a newsletter, keep in mind the one common element of successful newsletters — they are well planned in the beginning. The newsletter design, communication frequency and article sections should be carefully decided. After that, selecting the article topics is where you will want to spend quality time.

"Successful newsletters have one thing in common," said Proven Systems Marketing Production Director, Ruth Pankratz. "They're well planned. By spending more time on article topics, newsletter project managers can save time, effort and headaches throughout the entire newsletter production process."

The following are tips for successful newsletter production:

Develop an overall strategy or plan.

The newsletter plan should include:

  • The purpose and goals of your newsletter.
  • Key messages or themes.
  • The frequency of your newsletter.
  • How the newsletter will compliment other communication vehicles (i.e. annual report, website, printed mailings, etc.)
  • The primary audience for the newsletter.
  • Needs of that audience.
  • What you want them to think about you.
  • A way for the audience to easily subscribe and unsubscribe.

"Involve key decision makers," Pankratz advised. "Everyone will be on the same page and management will be supportive. As you consider article ideas, make sure they're consistent with your overall plan."

Stick to a realistic schedule.

  • In one month, there are only 20 "working" days for a publication.
  • Allow adequate time for approvals, editing and proofing.
  • Make sure everyone on your newsletter team is familiar with their deliverable and deadline responsibility. Keep in mind that your team may include a Webmaster, list manager, designer and writer.

Set clear expectations.

Give article contributors:

  • Clear direction, including word count and key copy points.
  • Contact names and resources.
  • Firm, yet reasonable, deadlines.
  • Time for rewrites or changes, as necessary.

"If you need to get approval on articles or the entire newsletter," said Pankratz, "be sure those people know your expectations and deadlines."

Build a resource library.

The library will help generate article ideas and can consist of:

  • Industry associations.
  • Web sites such as daily news, references, press releases and competitor sites.
  • Unused articles from previous newsletters.
  • Photos and graphics.

Think long term.

Plan content two-to-four months in advance. Advance planning allows you to:

  • Take a strategic, "big picture" approach, not just plug in articles.
  • Provide article synergy, direction and save time in future months if an article topic needs to change.
  • Set longer deadlines for article writing and approvals.
  • Balance educational and promotional content so your newsletter does not become one big advertisement.

"Don't be a slave to the editorial calendar," warned Pankratz. "Capitalize on breaking industry news and developments. If you have an electronic newsletter, monitor your clicks to see which articles are being read and which articles are ignored."

Learn from your success and mistakes.

Conduct newsletter post-mortems with your team to identify opportunities for improvement. If you are in a time crunch, recycle popular articles. The key is to build consistent communication with your readers.

"Successful newsletters help build relationships over the long term," Pankratz said. "That's why planning your newsletter is important. A newsletter communication program is like traveling, if you don't know where you're going, no road can get you there."

Do you have an idea for a company newsletter program but can't seem to get it moving? Contact the experts at Proven Systems, 970-223-6565.
 

 

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