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So What's New?! Start a Newsletter
Hear ye, hear ye! Communication has come a long way from villagers gathered in the streets to hear the town crier call out important town business and special offers on chastity belts.
Imagine if every time your biz had new and informative announcements, you had to take to the streets to spread the word! Before you grab your megaphone and hit the cobblestone, consider starting a newsletter to get your biz information decreed to the public.
First Things First
Have you established whether a newsletter would benefit your business? When strategizing, it's important to determine exactly what you want the newsletter to accomplish. Most businesses have a number of reasons for publishing a newsletter. Do you need to:
- create awareness about your business?
- educate people about your products and services?
- distribute a price list?
- explain your biz policies and procedures?
- advertise?
Above All . . .
Remember . . . the key word in newsletter is news. Advertising your biz can play a role, but that can't last long as your main reason for publishing the newsletter. Before deciding to produce a newsletter, make sure there's plenty of other information to convey.
Once you've decided this newsletter publishing thing is right for you and established a purpose, consider the nitty gritty.
What It'll Take
Publishing a newsletter is a challenging task, but with a little common sense, organization, and commitment, your biz can produce a high-quality, pro publication on a regular basis. Don't worry -- you don't have to be an expert writer, graphic designer, or publisher to produce an effective newsletter (though possessing any of these skills won't hurt!).
After establishing a purpose for your newsletter, a few special ingredients can make sure your newsletter is interesting, fun to look at, informative and, above all, accurate. Before jumping in, ponder the following:
Who's Your Audience?
Whom do you want to reach with your newsletter? To find an audience, try to understand what a group of potential readers want and figure out how to find them. Make a list and try to prioritize the various types of audiences you want to address and then gear your stories toward their needs and views. Some potential targeted audiences are yours already -- established clients, potential clients, and the general public. And remember: Your newsletter can't be "all things to all people," but you can certainly try to please "all of your readers some of the time." Adopt a "something for everyone" attitude when you begin looking at what you hope to accomplish with your newsletter.
What Do You Want to Say (And How Do You Want to Say It?)
Establish an editorial philosophy. The combination of your defined purpose and your targeted audience should help you develop a concise, appropriate slant for your newsletter. Your editorial approach can permeate everything from your writing to graphic design to paper choices.
Keep it simple for your readers to read through a copy. If you use freelance and other contributing writers, make sure they're aware of the newsletter's editorial philosophy. It'll help when they're looking for story slants and keep the style uniquely yours.
Now that you've figured out why and who, read about the "hows" of newsletter publishing in Move Over Hearst and Turner -- We're Starting Our Own Company Newsletter.
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