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A newsletter is a small publication containing news of interest that is regularly distributed to a group of subscribers. According to Wikipedia, many newsletters are published by clubs, churches, societies, associations and businesses, especially companies, provide information of interest to their members, customers or employees. Some newsletters are created as money-making ventures and sold directly to subscribers. Sending newsletters to customers and prospects is a common marketing strategy which can have benefits and drawbacks.

Before I entered into the Marketing world, I honestly have no idea about the importance of Newsletters. I don't pay much attention to company ads, campaigns and those lame marketing stuff. Yes, I think they're lame... until I became one of the people who make that "lame" stuff. Marketing might sound lame, but hey, it's my job!

You see, we, marketing people get to keep our beloved job by generating leads (oh yes, the quota!) and let's be honest, we can't rely on social networks alone, and keeping blogs and having someone to read and comment needs a tremendous amount of luck. Although maintaining an active forum proves to be effective, it is also very difficult and takes time. Having these in mind, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to have a newsletter. Since people now a days are into online activities, and since we (marketing folks) spend a lot of time in the net (blogging and updating social networks) why not maximize the use of the internet by making an online newsletter?

Newsletters may be simple and for some, it may be easy to make but it can be easily taken for granted. People who write newsletter articles should always keep in mind that the topics are worth reading. We must make sure that subscribers find our articles valuable and interesting. We must make our readers feel connected to gain their loyalty and keep them subscribed to us. We must make sure that our newsletter is worth the space in their inbox.

Making a newsletter might be an easy task, but it is time consuming and would require dedicated people to update it. Though it is a difficult job, it is rewarding. Here are some tips on how to make an effective newsletter (from Al Czarnecki Communications)

1. Keep your strategic audiences in mind, always. What is relevant to them? What is important?
2. Effective management involves planning and influence. Develop a publication structure, an editorial calendar and written writers guidelines.
3. A newsletter must be sustainable. Be realistic about the amount of content you can consistently produce.
4. Begin with good basics and build on solid ground. The most basic newsletter should have a few lead stories, shorter news items, and a message from your leader. A more developed publication might include features, departments, columns, an editorial, cartoon, in-house news, news tidbits, regional round-ups, etc.
5. Deadlines are sacred. Build in a safety cushion to allow for unexpected delays.
6. An editor, like a captain, needs to know where the ship is going. When dealing with writers, negotiate topic, length, treatment and deadline before assigning an article. Include important sources and the key questions which the story will address.
7. Offer feature writers a byline and an author's note. Writers gain exposure and your publication gains credibility.
8. Be concerned about how your newsletter reads before you worry about how it looks. Attractive graphics can obscure important content needs. Relevant and well-written content should be able to stand on its own, even as plain text.
9. If you're doing an e-mailed newsletter, 'clean and simple' spells 'effective'. Keep it to plain text. Be concise, and put an 'in-this-issue' outline at the top. The footer should have complete 'subscribe' and 'unsubscribe' information. You should archive back issues, with an annotated index, on your Web site.
10. Good writing and good editing require direction and hard work. Your copy should sing rather than drone. It should ring when tapped. Write compact copy in the active voice. Edit for clarity, conciseness, jargon, length, correctness. The bottom line is your readership; give them top priority.
11. Lead with strong items that have broad appeal. Learn from the best daily newspapers — people decide within seconds, whether or not to read. Your editorial or a message from the CEO should have a regular spot after the lead items. In-house or more parochial news should have a regular spot much further in. This gives you the best chance of competing for attention, while those familiar with your newsletter know where to find what they want.
12. Learn the distinction between simple information and a story. Information comes to life as a story when someone talks about it. Try to cite sources as part of the way you do things.
13. Any successful newsletter depends on plentiful and reliable sources. Consider an acknowledgment box that lists everyone who contributed to an issue. This will reward people for helping and encourage others to participate.
14. Look for reader feedback, always. Watch to see how people scan your publication. Talk with a new sampling of readers after each issue. Do a formal readership survey on a regular basis. Track what's happening.
15. The true test of performance is behavior. You'll know you have an effective publication when your strategic audiences clip and save articles and when people are eager to write for it.

"A newsletter is the paring knife of communication tools. It seems simple and is easy to take for granted. Handled well, however, it's a highly capable tool. "