November 13, 10:43 am
Create a newsletter – Some do’s and don’ts
It seems a lot of companies want to create a newsletter of some sort. The first question that needs an answer is “what is the purpose of the newsletter?” After that, the next one is usually “do we produce a paper version or electronic version?”
After doing paper and electronic newsletters for almost two decades, I’ve come to believe in the ease and value of electronic newsletters. Personally, I’m a fan of iContact.com. I don’t want to sound like an infomercial, but this company makes creating newsletters easy.
You can select from plenty of layout templates or create your own. For the data-driven folks, you’ll love the tracking capabilities that allow you to verify your newsletter’s effectiveness. Check ‘em out and see what you think.
Paper newsletters still have their place
For those who prefer creating a paper version (they still have their place), here are a few guidelines I’ve collected over the years. These aren’t flashy whiz-bang WOW pointers. But their use gives you a professional edge that many newsletters seem to miss.
1. Everything on the page should align with something else. Leave nothing “floating” out there. You can use a grid to ensure text and images align. People won’t go “wow” if it’s all lined up, but they’ll notice a twinge of unprofessionalism if it isn’t.
2. If your newsletter is more than one page, pay attention to how you create margins. In facing-pages, inside margins should be smaller than what appears around the rest of the page.
3. Use a “drill down” methods for headlines. Large fonts to emphasize the main idea. A medium sized font to draw the reader into the article, and then the regular font to finish it up. TIP: When using the medium-sized font, make the switch from medium to regular in the middle of a sentence.
The folks at iContact.com also have a lot of tips for newsletters, so check them out. Even if you’re going to use paper.
PS. If you want your newsletter to be paper but don’t have the time or resources, companies like BizPrint can do EVERYTHING for you. You don’t even need material to fill an entire newsletter. They have access to plenty of data that can be tied to your newsletter strategy — you can use it to augment your material and to maintain visual balance.
BizPrint (and similar companies) provide a full service operation, enabling them to handle every aspect of your paper newsletter from layout to mailing.
Essentially, with newsletters so easy to create these days, it’s just makes sense to use them. And the reason you don’t is . . . . . ?
Filed in Technology, Business, Sales, Selling, Advertising, Internet
Hi Dan
It’s great to see you emphasize the importance of purpose when developing a newsletter. I have a couple of other suggestions in that vein as well, and the most important of them would be connect your newsletter content with reader interests. So, for example, a newsletter from a car dealership would deal with auto and driving issues, but not include recipes. Another way to look at this is to ask, “In what area would readers consider me an expert?”
Bob Abbott, author of A Manager’s Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results