| The Basics: | |
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What do you hope to accomplish with your newsletter? |
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Who is your audience? |
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Why do you expect this audience to be interested in your message? |
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How do you hope your audience will respond to your message? |
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What are your audience’s needs? |
| Content: | |
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What are issues that affect you and your audience? |
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What types of "news" stories will you generate? |
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What kinds of feature stories do you expect? |
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Will there be any routine columns or articles?
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Who will determine the content of the newsletter
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will there be an editorial board? |
| Production: | |
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How long will your newsletter be?
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Will it be print or electronic, or both?
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What type of impression do you hope to make with
the design of
your newsletter? |
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How often will your newsletter be distributed?
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How will it be distributed? Who should be on your
distribution list?
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Will you utilize written contributions from multiple
sources, or will
there be one writer? |
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What funding is available for the project?
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Do you have good sources for photographs, or will
you rely largely
on graphic designs? |
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Will it be written and designed in-house or by
outside consultants?
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Who will have final sign-off on copy and design?
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| Some
reasons to consider a professional writer and coordinator. |
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Newsletter writing can be a time-consuming
project, particularly if you are an inexperienced writer. In addition
to developing the copy, consider how much time it will take to gather
information, conduct interviews, make revisions and proof copy. The
biggest pitfall in newsletter development is the schedule. Careful monitoring
is required get a production out on deadline. An employee who is swamped
with the requirements of his or her regular job, may not have time to
take on the additional responsibilities of a newsletter. If the in-house
person does not have the time, or doesn’t enjoy the process, then
you can expect your newsletter to be routinely late.
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