Many companies struggle with what to include in a corporate newsletter, and they can hardly be faulted for doing so. From the largest corporations to the mom-and-pop storefronts, organizations worldwide have questions ranging from specific formatting specifications to whether they should even bother publishing a newsletter.
If done properly, identifying what to include in a corporate newsletter can lead to greater customer retention, be a source of further marketing technique diversity, and provide a unique venue for relaying pertinent information. Whether done through e-mail, printed material, or other means, many of the same standards apply to circulating a great newsletter. It does not matter as much whether it is distributed monthly or quarterly, but instead what content is intentionally placed in the publication to make it worthwhile for both its distributing company and reading clients alike.
High-Quality Content
No matter what industry the publication comes from, part of mastering what to include in a corporate newsletter is recognizing that good writing on sharp topics is an absolute necessity. Sloppy mechanics may pass muster in e-mail from one co-worker to another, but when potentially communicating to thousands through a professional means, a more polished product is required. High-quality content will be more likely to be read, will have greater impact on its consumers, and communicate information more efficiently. Spending a little more time to ensure quality in the words will pay off in the dividends of a captive audience.
Call to Action
When considering what to include in a corporate newsletter, the ever-present need for interaction cannot be ignored. In the Information Age, an era where human beings are increasingly connected instantly and globally, it will only become more and more essential for businesses and other organizations to remain ahead of the curve in their communicative trends. In advertising terms, a call to action can be a simple as a “Buy now!” blurb or similar message. For a professional newsletter, contact information should be included at least, and at most, customers and others on the mailing list who receive the piece should be given direct means of participating in two-way communication with the organizations, such as through surveys, contests, raffles, website games, or other, more innovative avenues.
Relevant Information
The basis of the term “newsletter” cannot be forgotten: It is, at its core, a letter that conveys news. Ergo, when contemplating what to include in a corporate newsletter, it is okay for the entity to publish its own self-referential news items. A newsletter can be an appropriate forum for announcing new products, launching new services, introducing new deals, exposing processes, sharing benchmarks, or other pursuits. These serve the double purpose of not only equipping consumers with more information and thus forming a closer relationship, but also often serving to bridge the gap to their next purchase. Just as shareholders receive their annual reports and other items, so too can a “lesser” mailing list read news stories and business briefs. As long as the self-serving headlines are balanced by useful articles, perhaps how-to works relevant to the industry the company represents, they can form an integral part of a content plan.
For entrepreneurial enterprises starting out or long-established commercial giants, figuring out what to include in a corporate newsletter can seem like a complex problem. In reality, nobody has quite figured out the perfect formula for a newsletter; otherwise, everyone would emulate that blueprint. Instead, newsletters must be tailored to the individual entity, and will best serve their authoring bodies when they are fashioned with purposeful vision, high-quality relevant content, and a commitment to reach customers in a genuine manner.
