September 10th, 2009

Should you change up your (print) newsletter?

Newsletters are great tools to provide regular, updated content to your members.  Whether your content is safety tips, success stories, career advice or continuing education, newsletters can provide an opportunity to to put new content in front of members in an organized and predictable manner.

Newsletters are also hardly new.  The monthly or quarterly newsletter has been used organizations of all shapes and sizes has long as printing presses have been easily accessible.  I’ve heard recently that the old fashioned printed newsletter is becoming “not worth” the hassle.  The common complaints are that they take too much time, cost too much to print and mail and that people just don’t read them anymore.  In a world that is increasingly moving online that trend certainly easily fits into my worldview.  Although like many things, it’s not always the right answer.  That leads us to this weeks three things.  Three things to consider before making changes to your newsletter.
1) What purpose are you serving?  Are you delivering articles that will help your members keep up to date in your profession or with your issues?  Are you delivering a message through stories that keep your members connected to your cause?  Are you informing folks about upcoming events and opportunities to get more involved?  All of these purposes are valid for newsletters and all can be done through different mediums online or offline.
2) Who is your target audience?  Whether you’re moving online, to social networks or changing your deliver mechanism in anyway, make sure you know who you want to read your stuff.  Are your most valuable members older and used to getting content in this format?  Or are they younger and looking for something online?  Is your target audience a community that has limited high speed internet connections?
3) How will you know your successful?  Are you trying to increase traffic to your web site?  Increase membership renewals, engagement or donations?  Are you trying to maintain the same level of service while cutting costs?  Knowing what a win is before you decide to make a change will help you evaluate it next quarter or year.
What’s your thought process on changing your newsletter?  Any success or horror stories – please share in the comments.

Newsletters can be great tools to provide regular, updated content to your members.  Whether your content is safety tips, success stories, career advice or continuing education, newsletters can provide an opportunity to to put new content in front of members in an organized and predictable manner.

Newsletters are also hardly new.  The monthly or quarterly newsletter has been used organizations of all shapes and sizes has long as printing presses have been easily accessible.  I’ve heard recently that the old fashioned printed newsletter is becoming “not worth” the hassle.  The common complaints are that they take too much time, cost too much to print and mail and that people just don’t read them anymore.  In a world that is increasingly moving online that trend certainly easily fits into my worldview.  Although like many things, the obvious is not always the right answer.  We’ve written before about online newsletters (see “Is your Email Newsletter a Waste of Time?“).  To address the offline end of the question, we offer us this weeks three things:  Three things to consider before making changes to your newsletter.

1) What purpose are you serving? Are you delivering articles that will help your members keep up to date in your profession or with your issues?  Are you delivering a message through stories that keep your members connected to your cause?  Are you informing folks about upcoming events and opportunities to get more involved?  All of these purposes are valid for newsletters and all can be done through different mediums online or offline.

2) Who is your target audience? Whether you’re moving online, to social networks or changing your deliver mechanism in anyway, make sure you know who you want to read your stuff.  Are your most valuable members older and used to getting content in this format?  Or are they younger and looking for something online?  Is your target audience a community that has limited high speed Internet connections?

3) How will you know you’re successful? Are you trying to increase traffic to your web site?  Increase membership renewals, engagement or donations?  Are you trying to maintain the same level of service while cutting costs?  Knowing what a win is before you decide to make a change will help you evaluate it next quarter or year.

What’s your thought process on changing your newsletter?  Any success or horror stories – please share in the comments.

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