Newsletters are a highly effective and
proven means to reach your target audience. News may include sales and
marketing information, club or organization news and announcements, or
recognition for your clients and/or staff. Some newsletter contain technical
updates and/or articles of interest to a specific professional audience.
Depending upon your original plan, the content may even be generic and
non-specific.
Define your mission statement.
Articles which support and expand on that mission statement should be your
primary focus.
Choose a unique name for your publication. Look
for a short name which is easily identified with your company or organization.
Always include your company or organization
name on the masthead. If you employ a slogan, this
should be used as well.
Good writing is often overlooked,
especially when multiple authors are involved. Be sure to spell check. Avoid
long headlines. If possible, headlines should be "catchy" and invite
the reader to investigate further.
White space and graphics are essential. Many
feel they must fill every space on a printed page, forgetting that the purpose
of a newsletter is to be read. White space provides relief for the eye, as well
as helping to break up a page visually.
Black ink on white or colored paper or colored
ink on white paper are your best choices.
Establish a grid or column format
and adhere to this formula as closely as possible.
The type font you provide should
enhance the newsletter image and be easy to read. Do not mix multiple type
faces, as this does not aid readability. Try to pick one font for headlines and
another for body text, using additional fonts only when they genuniely add to an
article's message. Never force copy to fit in a given space by changing type
size or line leading within an article; it is far better to edit copy.
Departments are regular items
which appear in each use. Use them to highlight special interests and create
continuity.
Include graphics and pull quotes
to supplement articles and increase readability.
