Effective Newsletters, Issue 1
Why, Who, What?
The first in a series on producing effective newsletters
By Dave Gillaspie
President, Impact Productions
847/530-3214 • http://www.impact.ws

Why should your company or organization publish a newsletter?
Over a million newsletters are published in the U.S. every year--and for good reason.

Internal newsletters serve the important function of communicating with employees of a company or members of an organization or an association.

Informed employees who understand their company’s goals and mission will be better, more satisfied employees. And who doesn’t want better employees!?

Members of organizations or associations who are informed of recent successes, philanthropic efforts, or current needs will be more likely to give money or volunteer their time. And what organization doesn’t need more money or volunteers?

An external newsletter, one which circulates to clients or potential clients, can also be an effective sales and marketing tool.

If your newsletter provides customers with useful, timely information, it will add credibility to your company and set you up as the expert in your field. You’d like to be looked upon as an expert in your field, wouldn’t you?

Newsletters allow you to soft-sell your products or services as you provide real-world information that describes how your products or services will solve problems for your clients.

Who are you writing to?
Who is your target audience? (see “You talkin’ to me?”) If you are producing an internal newsletter, you are writing to people who are part of your organization. If it is external, you are writing to those outside of your organization.

Now, go beyond that simple definition and ask yourself these questions: Who are they? How old are they? What is their gender or income level? What issues do they face daily? What gets them excited?

You need to know who you are talking to if you want to communicate effectively.

What to say?
Once you know who you are talking to, think of information you have that might make their lives easier. Solve their problems. Deal with their issues.

Always write from the perspective of your reader. Fight the temptation to simply spew a list of your capabilities, products, or services; your newsletter will immediately be perceived as advertising copy and probably never be read again.

Give your readers information that is important to them, not just what is important to you.

If you talk about your products or services, always do it in a way that shows how it will benefit the reader.

Newsletters can be a very useful tool in growing your business or strengthening your organization.

If you (or someone else) in your organization produces a newsletter but would like professional, objective feedback, give us a call!

If you are not currently producing a newsletter, Impact can help you get started and walk you through every step of the process—writing and editing, design and production.

Impact Productions
We make you look good.
Impact Productions has been providing publication services and making clients look good for over ten years.

Want to look good?
Drop me an email or call me today. I'll be glad to sit down with you to see how we can make you look good!

Dave Gillaspie
President, Impact Productions
847/530-3214
dave@impact.ws
http://www.impact.ws