Writing Effective Newsletters

It's obvious but true that your newsletter can only be effective if people bother to read it. Nowadays we are all drowning in an excess of information that comes at us in all directions and in all forms so this really is the biggest obstacle you have to overcome. To persuade your audience to read what you have to say, you should follow some basic rules:

1. Know your readership
My point here is that a newsletter for internal use will not serve for external readers. The two readerships are totally different. So if you want to target both internal readers and, say, customers and clients, you need two separate newsletters. Internal clients will want to keep up to speed with company developments, know about internal opportunities and hear about company successes and the exploits of individuals. Customers and clients will want to know how your products or services can benefit them. They will also want information that shows your track record and helps position you in the sector-in other words information that builds your trustworthiness and credibility and shows the direction you are going in.

2. Attract the readership
Pay attention to the appearance of the newsletter. Give it an eye-catching and memorable title. It shouldn't be too busy or too long. Keep it clean so that the eye isn't distracted. Don't make the prose too dense. Break up the text with headings and bullet points. Where it is appropriate, use charts, graphs and diagrams as these convey information more efficiently that words.

3. Write well
Write simply but accurately. Avoid jargon but if you need to use technical terms or acronyms, ask if your readers will be able to understand them. If they can't, then explain them. Avoid clichés because these are usually a sign that you haven't clarified what the message is. Make sure each paragraph has one sentence that summarizes the content. The example here is my first sentence: write simply but accurately.

4. Be direct
Many people fall into a rigid, formal style when they write. This isn't attractive. Address the readership directly and avoid the passive voice. Use contracted forms as you would in speech and liven up the style with rhetorical questions. Use good, strong and simple verbs (use instead of utilize, find out instead of ascertain). Don't be vague: instead of sales showed a substantial increase, say, sales rose by 15%. Cut adverbs: actually, in fact, on the whole-most adverbs are merely padding.

5. Be informative
Give your readers concrete information that that will be useful to them. Such information could be details of forthcoming events, useful websites, how-to tips.

By following these rules, you should be able to build a faithful readership-an audience that eagerly awaits the next edition of your newsletter.

Brenda Townsend Hall is a writer and trainer in the fields of communications and cross-cultural awareness. She is an associate member of the ITAP International Alliance (http://www.itapintl.com).

---

The End of Email, Ezines and Online Marketing?

Ok, it's time to bring out my soapbox.Something has been... Read More

Work Less, Earn More As An Infoproduct Publisher

There's no doubt, publishing information products to sell online is... Read More

Newsletter Names - Creative Ideas for Newsletter Titles

Your newsletter name has a big effect on your readership,... Read More

Internet Marketing Strategy: 9 Pragmatic Ways Increase Your E-zines Subscription

It is possible to increase the subscription to your e-zine... Read More

Print On Demand Questions

Print on demand (POD), a cross between self-publishing and digital... Read More

Ezine Advertising Strategy Exposed-15 Tips to Boost Your Profits

In my opinion, Electronic Magazine (Ezine) advertising is the greatest,... Read More

8 Effective Ezine Publishing Tips To Put You Ahead Of The Game

1. Swap sponsor, feature, or solo ads with other ezine... Read More

Ezine Publishing Donts

When I teach ezine classes, I ask the students what... Read More

Search Engines Can Be The Online Writers Best Friend

It's an exciting time for online writers, with a wide... Read More

Lesson #6: Six Simple Steps to Writing Magnetically Charged Email Messages!

If you remember, the majority of people (i.e., 68%) need... Read More

Don?t Distract Readers from What They are Doing

I'm working on a report for a company that puts... Read More

An Embarrassment of Riches - Part I

The Internet is too rich. Even powerful and sophisticated search... 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

Need Ezine Content - Think Holidays

Publishing an ezine certainly has its benefits and rewards, but... Read More

American OverDrive - LCDs in LDCs

OverDrive - an e-commerce, software conversion and e-publishing applications leader... Read More

10 Valuable Tips For Ezine Publishers

1. Write your own articles.Your articles will give you an... Read More

An Embarrassment of Riches - Part II

The DOI Foundation has unveiled the DOI-EB (EB stands for... Read More

Email Filters Catch Dolphins Along With Sharks

What's the point in spending hours preparing a newsletter, message... 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

The Plain Truth About Branding for Newsletter Publishers and Web Designers

Branding, or brand marketing as some now call it, is... Read More

Three Breathing Techniques For Any Ezine Article

I subscribed myself to many ezines. I'd love to read... Read More

How To Develope Content For Your Ezine Without Having To Write Your Own Articles

Do you struggle with creating content for your ezine? You... Read More

Your E-zine Promotion Checklist

While there are seemingly endless ways to promote your e-zine... Read More

3 Things You Need to Do to Turn Net Information into Cash

Although we are in the information age, very few people... Read More

Future of Electronic Publishing

UNESCO's somewhat arbitrary definition of "book" is: "Non-periodical printed publication... Read More

5 Tips for Catching Errors in Your Manuscript

What is your worse fear as a self-publishing writer? For... Read More

Finding the GOLD with Ezines and Google!

HiHow'd you go with your product search?Here's another way to... Read More

Managing Internet Addresses in Your Email Newsletter

Web and email addresses pose a special challenge for writers... Read More

Start Your Own Ezine Newsletter & Profit!

The information listed here is worth more than gold. if... Read More

Publish Anything: The Saga of a PublishAmerica Author

My story is that an author who'd done online writing... Read More

The Quick Ways To Increase Your E-zines Subscriber Base

1. Give Incentives Give people an incentive to subscribe to... Read More

Write an Ezine? But I Dont Know HOW!

If you've been promoting your business on the internet you've... Read More

Writing, Publishing, Self Publishing, Website Promotion, Blogging, Internet Marketing

Are You Ready For The Publishing Revolution?Writing has traditionally been... Read More