Ivy Sea Online: The newsletter - Revving up a communication work-horse

So, you’ve committed to producing a newsletter — a commitment that includes money, time and energy. If you’re going to devote such precious resources to the vehicle, why not make sure that it’s the best communication tool it can be?

A newsletter does not make an organization.
Often times, clients and colleagues talk about their desire to create a newsletter. This thinking is one step out of sync. The first step is to analyze whether a newsletter is the medium that's an appropriate for key messages and fits your intended goal. If you’re starting a newsletter "because everyone else has one," or it's the only tool you're familiar with, think again.

Go back to the drawing board if it’s not aligned with strategy.
Unfortunately, the word strategic is thrown around, chewed up and slobbered on more than Fido's favorite tennis ball. But it’s the perfect word to use here. If your newsletter is a collection of articles with no greater purpose, goal, direction or service, there’s no point in publishing it. That’s what we mean by strategic. Connect your newsletter to every business goal, and clearly map out how the publication will carry out those goals, and what content is most appropriate to do so.

Writing is much more than throwing words on a page.
Like effective strategy, writing is a craft. A writer would never have the arrogance to suggest she could design the City's new bridge or perform a heart transplant (or at least do it well!), yet many engineers or physicians have no problem thinking they can write well. That you can form words and sentences doesn't mean you can write professionally, in a way that reaches people and conveys information so that the most important points surface.

The concept you start with, the words you use, the psychology you engage, the sentence cadence, the copy length and the tone are just some of the factors that help ensure readers’ understanding of the information you’re sharing. Remember, a newsletter is one way to communicate with other people, not an exercise in pen and ink for the "closet Hemingway" on your staff. Writing is a profession; good writing is one of your most valuable communication resources — use it wisely.

Don't create a newsletter based only on an opinion.
Maintaining a newsletter in a vacuum (and going through the motions simply to publish before your deadline) is futile. You’ll rarely, if ever, hit the mark. Regularly ask your audience what they need in terms of information, and how they like to receive it. You can’t push information on your audience. They have to want it. You have to ensure you've provided the information to engage and help them digest it easily.

Before the next issue of your newsletter publishes, reserve the time to honestly critique it. The results of your effort will make the time, money and energy you spend on the newsletter seem like petty cash.

Two-Minute Reality Check

How does your newsletter stack up? Answer these questions to start the conversation:

• If your newsletter disappeared tomorrow, who would miss it, and why?

• What corporate goals does the newsletter fulfill, and how?

• If the effectiveness of this vehicle were the only measure for your next raise (or quarterly sales revenues), how would you fare?

• Does your client have any complaints — or reason to complain — about this product and the service you provide?

• How would you present this newsletter — including results as well as design accomplishment — on your capabilities prospectus, or in an interview for a much-desired job or project?

For more information on building greater skillfulness and effectiveness in your organizational, leadership, and interpersonal communication, peruse the related articles listed below.