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GOALS
Just like every sound communication piece, from an email
to a press release, winning newsletters start with GOALS.
And smart newsletter writers/editors tie their
publications' goals to those of their employing organization.
Draft newsletter editorial objectives that support top management's
vision for your company. Typical business goals might be:
increasing sales
spotlighting product lines
penetrating new markets
educating customers about product uses
supporting staff recruitment.
A non-profit may wish to boost membership, seek
donations, appeal for volunteers or educate the public about the
organization's mission. Tying newsletter goals to organizational
objectives automatically provides writers with topics and editors with
content directives. Issues can be focused on single goals,
or content can be structured to support multiple objectives within each
edition of the publication.
Effective Planning
Effective Planning the next key to newsletter success.
Whether the desired outcome is a single article for
publication or the production of an entire year's issues of a company
newsletter, project management skills are called for.
Experienced writers already apply project management techniques to move
articles through the processes of research, writing, revising
and marketing or publication.
Timing their work to meet newsletter deadlines and
refining topics to fit the narrower focus that newsletters have should
require minimal adjustments to standard operating procedures for most
organized writers.
Newsletter editors use those same project management
skills on a wider scale to develop an overall structure for a
publication, create its editorial calendar and production schedule, find
and work with content contributors and graphic designers, negotiate the
corporate approval process, arrange printing and/or electronic
formatting, deliver the publication to readers, and handle any other
required production tasks. Sound planning keeps publications on schedule
and assures consistent, performance-driven results for each issue.
Audience
The
first rule of good writing is "know your AUDIENCE", and newsletters are
no exception. Business audiences can include both internal groups
(management, directors, employees) and external ones (customers,
prospective customers, government officials, media representatives,
etc.).
The successful newsletter writer must wear
multiple hats
in order to communicate corporate messages effectively while also
accurately identifying and satisfying customers' information needs. Of
course, writers are expected to accomplish these missions by creating
interesting, relevant and well-written articles, columns, interactive
features and other engaging content.
In the newsletter format, good writing still calls for
clarity, strong nouns and verbs, active voice, and - most especially --
topics that speak to the concerns and interests of audiences. Crafting
these elements to fit the space constraints of print newsletters or the
scan-and-go Web world calls for writers who can hit the mark
quickly to grab reader attention and keep the pages turning or
the mice clicking.
Artful use of subheads, bulleted lists or sidebars, and
other quick-byte packaging techniques are useful skills for writers of
both print and electronic newsletters, too. Pairing the know-how to
appeal to reading mechanics while also providing meaningful content
makes for the kind of articles (and writers) that newsletter editors
need.
Responsiveness
Finally, gearing newsletters for success requires
RESPONSIVENESS to readers. Knowing a publication's audience enables
writers to tailor articles effectively. But being responsive to readers
is an after-the-fact activity that can provide valuable feedback to help
fine-tune subsequent issues...and keep savvy writers in demand.
Too often, writers pour heart and soul into articles,
pack them up, ship them off for publication, deposit payment and move on
to the next assignment without receiving any feedback about readers'
responses to their work.
Writers looking to establish a long-term
newsletter assignment must work to break this cycle.
Because newsletters exist to serve very specific
audiences, constant monitoring of reader feedback is crucial to keeping
content on a precise course. Writers who take time to learn what worked
and what didn't for their readers, then adjust their next writing
project for that publication to reflect the feedback, will be the ones
newsletter editors call on time after time.
Apply the GEAR acronym to your work today and you'll
enhance your success in electronic and print newsletter production.
About CL Morrison
C.L. Morrison has been a successful marketing/PR
professional for more than 15 years. You can contact CL at: wordteam@aol.com |
