So you’ve been charged with putting out an employee newsletter. Unless you’ve done it before, you’re most likely a bit bewildered and not sure where to start. Don’t feel badly as that’s a common reaction; employee newsletters are an incredibly powerful internal communications tool, but pulling them together on a regular basis can be a challenge.
Where to begin? Following is a brief set of steps to get you off to a good start. Go through the list below to ensure you end up with a powerful employee newsletter that communicates effectively and promotes employee engagement.
What is the goal of my employee newsletter?
Do you want to keep employees up-to-date on company news? Motivate and promote employee engagement? Show appreciation for each employee? Think of all the ways this central communications vehicle can be maximized.
Who is the target audience of employee newsletter?
Will it be for company-wide distribution or just a particular location or department?
How frequently will I publish my employee newsletter?
Employee newsletters tend to be produced quarterly or monthly, but the key is being consistent. A rule of thumb is the more often you produce a newsletter the shorter it should be and vice versa.
Will my employee newsletter be printed or electronic – or both?
This topic sparks great debate, but the short answer is a printed employee newsletter is the correct choice if your goal is for employees to actually read it. Few people will read through a multi-page publication online (and electronic distribution is also ineffective when employees have limited or no access to computers).
How will I deliver my employee newsletter?
The ideal situation is to deliver a copy directly to each employee; mailing it to their home is even better as you can involve their significant others. If home delivery is not possible, the next option is to provide sufficient copies to central locations of the company.
What size should my employee newsletter take?
The most common sizes are 4-, 8- or 12 letter size pages.
What should I name my employee newsletter?
The newsletter’s name should have some relevance to employees, and you may want to consider running a competition to select a name. See the following resource on this site: NewsletterNameGame.pdf – 88 Suggestions For Naming Your Newsletter.
How do I design the look of my employee newsletter?
Whether using an in-house or external designer, the employee newsletter should reflect the company’s corporate identity and often includes its logo.
What content should be in my employee newsletter?
Here are just a few of the many ideas:
• success stories
• sales wins
• message from the president/management
• human interest stories involving employees: hobbies, unique skills, vacations, pets, etc.
• profiles of departments or individual employees
• new staff, promotions, transfers, retirements
• employee recognition: service awards, training, graduation
• benefit updates
• general announcements
• new policies or procedures
• departmental accomplishments
• corporate sports and social events
• charitable projects
• health and wellness information
• safety articles
• marriage, birth, and death announcements
How do I actually design and produce my employee newsletter?
You will need to choose whether to outsource your newsletter’s design and production or utilize in-house resources. Generally, the process involves turning over all stories, photographs and any support materials. Indicate which stories take priority (such as cover placement or appearance toward the front of the newsletter). The designer will create and show you several proofs before the newsletter reaches a final design.
What’s the next step?
The above list of questions has hopefully gotten you started in the right direction. For more details about putting out a first-class employee newsletter, be sure to check out the Learning Center on this site. And take advantage of our free downloadable guide: Hassle Free Employee Newsletters: A Better Publication In Less Time.
If you’re interested in a professional quality newsletter, but would like to avoid the hassles of trying to manage it in-house, press the EASY button by contacting us to learn how to outsource your employee newsletter.
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