How to Make an Effective Company Newsletter

By: Colleen Davis
May 02, 2008

Even in this high-tech age we live in, a simple newsletter can still be a tremendous tool for your company in your marketing efforts. They are relatively inexpensive, they can give a personal feel to your advertising, and you can often target them to specific audiences. Plus, in a newsletter you can include a great deal more information than in a standard ad.

To help your company newsletter reach its potential, there are five things that you should keep in mind as you go through the newsletter printing process:

1. Determine your audience.
2. Decide what your message is.
3. Make it as cost-effective as possible.
4. Reap the benefits.
5. Avoid common mistakes.

Determine your audience

If you are writing a newsletter that will be distributed to customers, you will include much different content than if your newsletter will go to your employees. And if you are sending your newsletter to customers, narrow it down until you know what type of customers you are targeting. The more specific, the better.

Decide what your message is

Once you know your audience, you should be able to decide on a message to convey through the newsletter. If you are writing to your customers, you will want to entice them to do business with you. Your newsletter articles will be geared toward that goal. If you are writing for your employees, your articles will probably aim to improve morale or address company issues.

Make it as cost-effective as possible

There is a difference between being cost-effective and being cheap. When you get your newsletter printing done, do not try to cut costs by getting it done cheaply. Invest in a good, high-quality printing, because it will pay off later.

But you can cut costs by several methods. You can sell advertising; you can use smaller paper; you can insert it in other mailings; you can make it a self mailer to save on postage.

Avoid common mistakes

Many companies begin to distribute a newsletter, but not all of them stick with it. However, you can ensure your newsletter's success by remembering these tips:

* Print your newsletter regularly, and on schedule. Decide on a schedule (bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) and stick with it. Be consistent.
* Use attractive, catchy headlines. You have to catch the reader's attention! But be careful not to make all of your headings the same size; change things up a bit.
* Keep things relatively simple as far as fonts go. Do not try to include as many different type styles and fonts as you can. You will just overwhelm the reader.
* Vary the length and width of your articles. Nothing will bore a reader faster than seeing the same article shape over and over. Try to stimulate their eyes by using variety.
* Use photos! Newsletters that include photos are infinitely more interesting and readable.


For more information, you can visit this page on newsletter printing

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