Top 10 Tips for a Great Newsletter

Always use the same letterhead, or “banner,” at the top of your newsletter. An example of this is Capital Badger. The letterhead is how people recognize your publication, so changing it frequently can cause confusion.

Make it easy for your readers to reach you. The contact section, or “masthead,” tells your readers how to get in touch with the editor. It also tells readers why you publish the newsletter and asks readers to send you letters. You can also thank contributors to the newsletter in the masthead.

We love great design, but it should never get in the way of the content. Design should be inviting and enhance your message — so don’t overuse clip art, boxes, borders and color. Remember, white space is your friend. Use only one or two different fonts in your newsletter. Any more than that will look cluttered.

Yes, hot pink is flashier, but have you ever tried to read anything printed on it? Black lettering on white paper is the easiest to read .

Why should they read your newsletter? Make it relevant to them. Research shows that “people profiles” are often the most-read section of a newsletter — for example, birth announcements and retirement rosters, or an article about a local grad. Tell your readers about your chapter and what you can do for them.

Headlines should tell the reader what the story is about. They should also be short and written in the active voice. For example: “Man Wears Red Pants at Founders’ Day” rather than “Red Pants Worn by Man at Founders’ Day.” Headlines should sum up the most important message of the story.

If it’s not printed regularly, it’s not really a newsletter. Every other month is an ideal schedule. If you produce your newsletter on schedule, readers will start to expect it, and you’ll get your message out.

• Headlines (article titles).
• Captions (descriptions under a photo).
• Subheads (section titles within a long article).
• Pull quotes (a main message from your article in large, boldface type).
• Lists (“Top Ten Tips for Great Newsletters”).
• Sidebars (short, supplementary stories).

Research shows that almost all people will read a caption if nothing else. The caption should say something about the people in the photo, e.g., “Troy McClure ’82 wears red pants at local Founders’ Day event.”

Research shows that most people will stop reading an article if forced to go to another page. If you really have that much to say, continue the article on the next page or on the back page. And always tell the reader where to go: “See Badgers, page 5.” Label the split on the continued page: for example, “Badgers, continued from page 4.”

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