Publishing a newsletter is one of the most effective ways to share information with current donors, donor prospects, members, and the general public about your organization. Poorly done, it can also be one of the least effective.
Over the years, I have spent some time asking questions about this topic and listened to what our clients and their donors had to say. From their collective responses, and my own experiences, I have compiled a list of 5 Newsletter Musts that will help make your newsletter as successful as it can be.
- Publish regularly
If you say you are going to publish a quarterly newsletter, then do it. By keeping your publications consistent, you will maintain your organization’s visibility among current donors or members, and build familiarity among those that aren’t donors or members (yet).
- Make the content personal
People want to read about people they know. There is no better way to alienate your reader than by filling your newsletter with stories about the board and staff. By keeping information specific to your audience, the focus is shifted to them, instead of you. Also remember: only one person reads the copy at a time – what inspires or engages the individual reader is more important than speaking (writing) to the masses.
- Use photos (with captions!)
Pictures help make it personal. However, too many pictures can look cluttered, and if sending an e-newsletter, downloading them can be slow and frustrating to your reader. If pictures really speak a thousand words, you will only need a few to get your point across! And remember, captions create connections by helping your readers put faces with names. (If you're sending an e-newsletter, make sure all your images have alt tags which give good descriptions of what the images are!)
- Do your research
It’s Journalism 101 folks—always do your research, and always run the final product by your source! Ask a lot of questions, listen carefully to the responses, and always, always, always give credit where credit is due. Never publish a photo without permission from everyone pictured, and written permission is better than verbal!
- Make it interactive
To encourage participation among your readers, and also get some great PR for your organization by sending those readers to your website, you should always insert a method of inquiry into your newsletter that requires a response—such as a simple survey or quiz. Your readers will respond, and you will add potential members or donors to your existing database. In the marketing world it’s called a “response mechanism,” and there is no better way to measure if your newsletter is opened and read or filed in the circular basket.
While none of us hit the mark perfectly every time, these five quick goals can help us with our aim! Good luck to all! |
