How To Write Powerful Newsletters, Offline And Online
The theory of writing for newsletters is very similar to that of writing for press releases and other media work, but with newsletters there is one crucial difference. Whereas with an external publication you're quality-controlled by someone outside your organization (the publication's editor) who is therefore independent and autonomous, the equivalent person connected with an internally produced newsletter is either you, or someone else who gets paid by your organization.
Consequently newsletters have a sad habit of falling prey to the same self-indulgent and boring content as the misguided, subjective, self-congratulatory press releases so many organizations issue. Only this time, it's worse.
It's not just a few paragraphs of self-indulgent drivel, it's two, four or even eight pages of stuff that's of tremendous interest to the writers and instigators, but usually of no interest to the readers. This problem is often swept under the rug with a comment like "ah well, they're staff so they're getting paid to read it/they're our suppliers so they have to read it because we're their best customer" etc.
Of course, if the newsletter is directed only to staff or another purely internal group, the fact that there is a certain degree of family indulgence, will help. Staff certainly don't expect anything other than heavily cushioned bad news in articles written by the CEO or the Financial Director/VP, even if the company's not doing quite so well this quarter. And although they might not like to admit it, internal people actually do like to see silly pictures of the Christmas staff party, the summer Family Day, and the annual Spring Ball. So compilers of internal newsletters can approach the exercise with a bit of poetic licence if they want to.
Where you do have to pull yourselves up by the bootlaces is with newsletters that go outside the organization - particularly customer newsletters. Here there is no external editor to run his/her "blue pencil" through all the self-congratulatory BS. So you need to place yourself firmly in the shoes of the audience and ensure that your content is of interest to them.
In exactly the same way as online e-zines and e-newsletters, printed external newsletters are of much greater value to the reader if they contain information that is of genuine, generic use to them - information that helps them do their jobs better, or in some other way improves their daily life.
If the newsletters are generically useful then people will take them more seriously, will keep them handy rather than throw them away, and so will pay far more attention to your messages that accompany the generic information. Very few people these days are stupid enough to be fooled by the thinly disguised advertising blurb masquerading as "useful" editorial. Yet all too often I see companies spending quite large sums of money on customer newsletters that really do put the "junk" into junk mail.
All it takes to turn a boring, totally subjective newsletter into a useful, interesting one is a little imagination, not big bucks.
A car dealership can send out a quarterly newsletter than not only announces the latest new model launches and new staff appointments, but also includes a seasonal maintenance checklist for readers ... how to drive safely in winter conditions ... ideas on how to keep the kids entertained on long car trips in the summer ... security and anti-theft tips ... dates of future roadworks/construction that may cause congestion (available from local government sources) ... etc.
An accountancy firm can send out information on how new legislation affects local or regional businesses, how new tax laws should be interpreted, tips and advice on how to fill out personal tax returns, tips for small businesses and self-employed people on how to record their expenses more efficiently, etc.
An investment company can send out information to business customers that updates them on the latest corporate issues and how those apply to individual companies, and also include advice on personal investments, pension plans, even advice for readers' families, e.g. saving for college/university loans and the best savings plans to set up for children, trust funds, etc.
All of the information I've described above would not cost much to procure - probably just a matter of a few phone calls, a couple of hours surfing the net, and a day or two of someone's time putting it all together. Obviously you need to be careful not to use other organizations' copyright material without permission, but in my experience organizations aren't all that possessive about their stuff and will cheerfully grant you permission provided that you credit them appropriately. After all, their material isn't much use if no-one's allowed to see it.
What a difference this type of content makes to an organization's external newsletter! You instantly gain the respect or your readers, because you're giving them something tangible without asking them for anything in return. And this can only reflect in one way on your business relationship with them.
Online tips
I'm not quite sure what the difference is between e-zines and online newsletters. I think it could be one of those instances whereby everyone has a slightly different idea of what this particular type of communication should do and be called. If you ask that question of three different online comms experts you'll get three very plausible and totally different answers.
As usual I try to find the common denominator and in this case, it's this; in much the same way as its paper-based ancestor, the onlinezine (how about that for a new word) is a regular piece of one-way communication that supplies its audience with news and updates about you, your organization and your activities.
The online version will be taken much more seriously by its readers if in addition to the necessary reminders about your products and services, you also include some genuinely useful and interesting information. However the online version, in keeping with most other online descendants of offline media, must be much shorter and far more condensed.
One of the primary uses of onlinezines is to "drive traffic to the website." Now in itself this is relatively harmless and provided that everything is done right, it usually works. And then once you've got visitors hooked into all your superb content on the website you have a captive audience to whom you can sell your own stuff if it's a company-only site or your advertisers' stuff if it's a more open-ended one. Or at least that's the theory.
However as you would expect some organizations get this hideously wrong, and in my view the most vivid example of it is the online newsletter that comprises little more than a list of URLs with filepaths the length of a several soccer pitches. Nothing, but nothing is more irritating to someone like me than an enticing e-newsletter with grabby headlines plus a few words leading into the topic and then ... nothing. Just a fancy URL which even if you do click on it usually doesn't connect with the page you want on the website anyway.
If you're in a position to choose how an online newsletter is put together and you want to get the best possible results from it, please, please remember to put enough into it so there's something "in it for them." Of course if you have a website you'll want to drive traffic to it. But create a realistic balance - don't be so naïve as to think you can force people to click on to your website by dangling a carrot just out of their reach. If they're anything like me they'll feel resentful and antagonized by it and will resolve never to visit your site even if dragged there by wild horses.
My own personal preference is the standalone variety of online newsletter that makes clicking through to the website merely an optional extra. But I know that in a business context this is not as commercially attractive. So probably the next best thing is online newsletters that supply the audience with a summary or shortened version of the content so they get the key points, and refer them to the website for further details.
That's an acceptable balance that will encourage people to click through to the site if they have a genuine interest plus the time to spare, and if they haven't time at least they'll remember you and your summaries fondly and be more inclined to click through to the site next time.
Canadian-born Suzan St Maur is an international business writer and author based in the United Kingdom. In addition to her consultancy work for clients in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, she contributes articles to more than 150 business websites and publications worldwide, and has written eleven published books. Her latest eBooks, "The MAMBA Way To Make Your Words Sell" and "Get Yourself Published" and available as PDF downloads from BookShaker.com.
T o subscribe to her free biweekly business writing tips eZine, TIPZ from SUZE, click here.
(c) Suzan St Maur 2003 - 2005
 Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:51:44 GMT Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort - New York Times
New York Times - Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced their antismoking initiative on Wednesday in New York. By DONALD G. MCNEIL JR Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop ... Video: Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches to Fight Smoking The $500 million war on smoking Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:48 GMT Rapper 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad - New York Daily News
New York Daily News - BY THOMAS ZAMBITO The rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - is suing the fast-food chain for using his hip-hop persona to tout its tacos. 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad campaign Rapper 50 Cent says Taco Bell stole his endorsement Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:15:09 GMT Karadzic lived the good life with wine, song - Reuters
Reuters - By Ivana Sekularac BELGRADE (Reuters) - Radovan Karadzic lived the good life while hiding from justice for 11 years: he watched his diet, fell in love and hung out in a small bar where hardliners gathered to sing about his wartime exploits. Video: Karadzic's arrest sparks clashes - 23 Jul 08 Karadzic's secret life enthralls his fellow Serbs Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:05:33 GMT Discovery may boost statin safety - BBC News
BBC News - Scientists have pinpointed a gene mutation as a major cause of a rare side effect of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. They hope the discovery could lead to a simple test to identify patients at increased risk of myopathy - severe muscle pain and ... Gene May Predict Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Risk, Study Says Genetic Cause of Statin-Related Muscle Pain Found Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:14:24 GMT Zimbabwe Parties May Sign Unity Deal Soon, Business Day Reports - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Carli Lourens July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties may sign a power-sharing agreement soon as they have already agreed on a wide range of issues, Business Day reported, citing people it didn't identify. Fearsome Zimbabwe militias are afraid Delayed Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Seen Beginning Thursday Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:06 GMT Favre's heir? With backing from mates, Rodgers waits patiently - USA Today
USA Today - By Matt Ludtke, AP By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY He no longer sounds like a retired player after seemingly passing on the opportunity to lead a talent-laden Packers squad. Video: The Rift Between Favre and the Packers Finding new home for Brett Favre won't be easy Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:06:18 GMT Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - Like the Dark Knight/Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale is a real-life man of mystery. Averse to personal publicity, he is well-known for not wanting to discuss his private life. Christian Bale, Wife "Solid" at Knight's Spain Premiere Bale's family feud led to scuffle Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:10:31 GMT Affiliate Data Feeds |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... There are literally thousands of ezines being published online these... Read More Have you ever accidentally lost an important file on your... Read More Although we are in the information age, very few people... Read More Remember that when you have new visitors at your website,... Read More The first and most important thing you should know when... Read More When I meet an author with a great book concept,... Read More I sat here this morning, and decided to work out... Read More After creating your email newsletter, you face the challenge of... Read More Have you ever wondered what would it take to compete... Read More Are you like most of us who created an E-Zine.... Read More What is an ezine? An ezine is an abbreviation for... Read More Since you're going to write your newsletter on a regular... Read More Since you publish your newsletter on a regular basis, sometimes... Read More Ok, it's time to bring out my soapbox.Something has been... Read More Everything successful needs to be built on a solid, confident... Read More It's an exciting time for online writers, with a wide... Read More WHY DO WE DO THIS?A major "character" in Mark Salzman's... Read More Owning an online business and publishing an ezine can be... Read More It's obvious but true that your newsletter can only be... Read More While I run my business completely online, I really enjoy... Read More What is your worse fear as a self-publishing writer? For... Read More The most critical piece of software in my article submission... Read More If my in-box is any indication, most of the business... Read More 1. Fear Of Having Nothing To SayAs a small business... Read More While many new e-zine publishers are anxious about developing good... Read More
Adsense
websites
Ezines, Ezines Everywhere!
WHOOPS -- There Goes My List! (Are You Backing Up YOUR Biggest Asset?)
3 Things You Need to Do to Turn Net Information into Cash
6 Ways to Catch More Opt-ins Than Ever Before
How To Increase Your Sales From Your Newsletter
Why Self-Publish Your Book?
The Nitty-Gritty Of Ezine Publishing
Delivering Your Email Newsletter
Secrets To Successful Publishing
9 Rock Solid Ways To Explode Your E-Zines Readership!
Ezines ? An Excellent Approach To Internet Marketing
Learn How to Choose a Great Topic for Your Newsletter
10 Newsletter Ideas to Write Articles for Your Newsletter
The End of Email, Ezines and Online Marketing?
A Solid Foundation to Creating a Profitable Ezine!
Search Engines Can Be The Online Writers Best Friend
Why Do We Publish?
The Power of Personality
Writing Effective Newsletters
How to Get E-zine Subscribers From In-Person Events
5 Tips for Catching Errors in Your Manuscript
Review of Ezine Announcer
EZines: Get from Adequate to Fabulous
The Five Deadly Fears of E-Newsletter Publishing
The Sticky Issue of E-zine Schedules
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
7 Useful Free Services For E-publishers
If you want to have an online business, without doubt,... Read More
PublishAmerica - Publishing Parasites
I have to admit to being readily impressed by company... Read More
Your E-zine 13 - A Formatting Checklist
While sending out a text e-zine may seem like a... Read More
Search Engines Can Be The Online Writers Best Friend
It's an exciting time for online writers, with a wide... Read More
Why Arent You Using CGI?
The very name CGI used to send chills up my... Read More
Start Your Own Ezine Newsletter & Profit!
The information listed here is worth more than gold. if... Read More
The Biggest Mistakes That Can Spell Doom For You As A Newsletter Publisher And How To Avoid Them
A lot of newsletter publishers spend a great deal of... Read More
Does Your Subject Line Do the Job?
It's proven that the FROM field of your emails is... Read More
9 Rock Solid Ways To Explode Your E-Zines Readership!
Are you like most of us who created an E-Zine.... Read More
Write Your Weekly Ezine in 5-Minutes! (or better yet, dont write it at all)
How to write your ezine in 5 minutes by legally... Read More
5 Keys To A Successful Ezine
There are 5 basic keys you need for your ezine... Read More
Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Ezine?
There are two reasons to publish an ezine.... Read More
Publishing Your Own Newsletter - Is It Worth Your Time?
Is publishing your own newsletter worth your time and effort?... Read More
How To Publish Your Own Highly Demand Ezine
Ezine is an electronic newsletter that is published through internet.... Read More
Convert Your Newsletters into Immediate Cash
One-Page Newsletters can do more than help you keep in... Read More
OK People - Lets Get Real!
It's all about numbers - or so some ezine publishers... Read More
Work Less, Earn More As An Infoproduct Publisher
There's no doubt, publishing information products to sell online is... Read More
The End of Email, Ezines and Online Marketing?
Ok, it's time to bring out my soapbox.Something has been... Read More
Should You Upgrade Your E-zine From Text to HTML?
A few years ago, when I first started seeing HTML... Read More
A Blog, 5 Minutes a Week and These 5 Simple Steps Equals Your Own Online E_ZINE
One of the fastest ways to gain "Guru" Status online... Read More
American OverDrive - LCDs in LDCs
OverDrive - an e-commerce, software conversion and e-publishing applications leader... Read More
How to Choose a Good Newsletter Name
Good newsletter names are usually 2-4 words. If shorter, they... Read More
Is It a Newsletter or Just One More Commercial?
When I purchased my very first computer, not too long... Read More
The Power of Personality
Owning an online business and publishing an ezine can be... Read More
What Every Ezine Owner Should Know About Unsold Ad Space
The deadline approaches and your ad STILL has not sold.... Read More
Ezine Publishing |