Newsletter

Introduction

A newsletter is a publication generally about one main topic and a few sub-topics that is regularly distributed (weekly, monthly or quarterly) to donors, partners, volunteers, followers etc. It gives an overview of the organisation’s activities and achievements.

Pourquoi

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This toolkit is of interest when your organisation:

• is in need of marketing collaterals in order to spread it's message to supporters with a hope that this will generate better engagement and more supporters.
• needs a marketing collateral that can be distributed to a group of interested people to inform them about their programs, events and future plans.

La finalité

In eight steps this toolkit assists you in creating a newsletter. Here you’ll find a step-by-step guide, tools, examples and other resources for creating a newsletter for your organisation. 

Étape 1: Setting Objectives

• Discuss with the organisation's leaders and the communication team what the objectives of the newsletter will be.
• Identify who in the organisation will be responsible for leading the newsletter and involve that person in the whole process.

Étape 2: Definition of the Target Audience

• Identify, define and understand your target audience. Who will receive the newsletter? Who will most likely read it? Who do we want to read it?
• Decide what topics will interest them most, and what information is relevant for them.
• Discuss ways to connect with them, specifically on a personal level.

Étape 3: Creation of the Framework

• Create the layout of the newsletter, break it up into different boxes/sections.
• Decide how many sections and what each section will entail. 
• Decide whether the framework will be created by using an online application (for example Mailchimp) or a software (Word, PowerPoint, TextMaker).
• Ensure that the layout reflects your brand identity outlined in your style guide.

This video gives you six great tips on content and design of a successful newsletter:

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Étape 4: Timeline

• Discuss and decide how often the newsletter will be sent out (weekly, monthly, quarterly or half-yearly).
• Create a schedule and assign responsibilities (who will provide the information for each section).
• Set deadlines for the submission of articles and information.

Étape 5: Creation of the Newsletter

• Decide on a theme of the newsletter and content of each section.
• Ensure that each article clearly answers the questions who, what, when, where, why and how.
• Make it understandable to the outside world, for example by including some background information if required.
• Make the language simple, use a concise and comprehensible vocabulary.
• Choose outstanding and eye-catching titles for each section.

Étape 6: Edit and Review

• Once a first draft is ready review it with the team and the leaders.
• Give the first draft to a reader of your target audience and get feedback.
• Make changes to the content if required.
• Have the newsletter proofread by various people to ensure there are no grammatical or orthographic mistakes.

Étape 7: Dispatch

• Create a final contact list of e-mail addresses of your target audience.
• Ensure that there are no doubles in your contact list.
• Give the option in your newsletter to unsubscribe from the list.
• Post and promote your newsletter on your website and social media.
• Have a number of newsletters printed as well to use as tangible collaterals and to reach community stakeholders who do not have much internet access.

Étape 8: Getting Feedback

• Check whether newsletters are opened and not ended up in the spam folder. To check for this, Mailchimp keeps track of the opening rate of your newsletter.
• Follow-up on your first newsletter with an e-mail or verbally to ask if the newsletter has been received, this to ensure that your newsletter is seen, 
• Use that opportunity to ask for feedback and how you can improve your next issue.

Clé de réussite

• Create a layout that is in line with your brand identity, be consistent in your design, content and language to create credibility and trust.
• Visuals are important elements of a newsletter as a photo can express more than words.
• As everyone should be able to read and understand the newsletter, keep the language simple, clear and concise.

Défis

• It can be difficult to assign a person who can write the newsletter at regular intervals