Employee newsletters often get a bad rap for missing the mark when it comes to providing the type of content that will engage readers. As a result, employees may overlook their company’s newsletter. But with these simple steps, you can breathe new life into your employee newsletter.
Set or Reset the Purpose of Your Newsletter
Before diving into the content creation process, it’s essential to define the purpose of your newsletter. Consider what you want to achieve with each edition. Is it to build company culture, effect change, motivate employees, provide updates or a combination of these goals? How does this channel work with other employee communication channels? Be sure to eliminate any redundancy. Clearly identifying your purpose will help shape both the direction and content of your newsletter.
Set or Reset the Purpose of Your Newsletter
Before diving into the content creation process, it’s essential to define the purpose of your newsletter. Consider what you want to achieve with each edition. Is it to build company culture, effect change, motivate employees, provide updates or a combination of these goals? How does this channel work with other employee communication channels? Be sure to eliminate any redundancy. Clearly identifying your purpose will help shape both the direction and content of your newsletter.
Audit Employees’ News Needs – What Content Will Be of Value?
To make your company newsletter impactful, you need to inspire employees to open it. This means developing content that resonates with their interests and information needs.
Consider holding a focus group with a cross-section of employees from different departments and job functions who likely will express different information interests.
Align Content with Wants and Needs
With a clear understanding of your employees’ information preferences, it’s time to align your content accordingly. Provide a mix of information that balances what employees want to know with what they need to know. Create content that’s tailored for and about them. Develop subject headers so readers can easily identify the topic and content.
Avoid focusing solely on traditional office news such as promotions, company milestones, or other office niceties. Instead, delve deeper to understand what matters to your employees on a personal and professional level.
Utilize employee interest topics but don’t forget to include essential updates, important policies, or upcoming events about which employees need to be informed. Finding the sweet spot between the two is key to keeping your newsletter both informative and engaging. Understand that most readers skim through articles, so for long-form policy-type content, consider adding links.
Align Content with Wants and Needs
With a clear understanding of your employees’ information preferences, it’s time to align your content accordingly. Provide a mix of information that balances what employees want to know with what they need to know. Create content that’s tailored for and about them. Develop subject headers so readers can easily identify the topic and content.
Avoid focusing solely on traditional office news such as promotions, company milestones, or other office niceties. Instead, delve deeper to understand what matters to your employees on a personal and professional level.
Utilize employee interest topics but don’t forget to include essential updates, important policies, or upcoming events about which employees need to be informed. Finding the sweet spot between the two is key to keeping your newsletter both informative and engaging. Understand that most readers skim through articles, so for long-form policy-type content, consider adding links.
Balance Leadership and Employee Contributions
While it’s important to feature news from company leaders, it can be equally vital to showcase contributions from other department heads and employees. This inclusion can foster a sense of collaboration, allowing employees to feel involved and engaged. Give your employees some insight into your organization’s growth. Encourage employees to contribute articles, success stories or suggestions for improvement. This balanced approach will not only add variety to the newsletter but also promote a culture of shared responsibility and engagement.
Incorporate and Showcase Feedback to Stay Relevant
To ensure the continuous improvement of your newsletter, establish a feedback loop with each edition. Encourage employees to provide their thoughts, suggestions and questions. You can achieve this by including a dedicated section for feedback with a survey link or by setting up a specific email address for newsletter-related communication. Actively address employee questions in subsequent editions; this promotes transparency and demonstrates that their input is valued. Organizations that value two-way communication at all levels can benefit from increased employee commitment.
Administering simple surveys to gauge employee opinions and field questions not only gives your organization a look inside your culture but can also serve as a valuable tool for innovating your operations and addressing emerging issues. To foster productive dialogs, share survey results in your newsletter. Simple survey topics can include:
- Would you be in favor or against (X) new policy? (pets in the office, summer Fridays, hybrid flexibility, weekly team lunch, etc.)
- What questions do you have for our CEO?
Design for a Strong Impression and Brand Image
What is your brand’s image and personality? Your newsletter should follow your organization’s branding cues.
Before the first word is read, your newsletter will create an impression for the company and the newsletter. Don’t skimp on design. Great design elevates the impact of the newsletter and draws readers in. In many cases, newsletters get passed along beyond the employee population to families and others. Use color, plenty of people photos and break out of the grid.
Your newsletter may be designed and delivered digitally or as a printed version.
Design for a Strong Impression and Brand Image
What is your brand’s image and personality? Your newsletter should follow your organization’s branding cues.
Before the first word is read, your newsletter will create an impression for the company and the newsletter. Don’t skimp on design. Great design elevates the impact of the newsletter and draws readers in. In many cases, newsletters get passed along beyond the employee population to families and others. Use color, plenty of people photos and break out of the grid.
Your newsletter may be designed and delivered digitally or as a printed version.
Don’t Forget Distribution
More often designed for digital distribution, newsletters should be made available through your company’s intranet, with previous issues archived for reference. Printed versions should also be made available for the cafeteria and the break room. Depending on the content, your newsletter may prove useful for recruiting, sales and investor relations, so ensure your company newsletter reaches your entire distribution list.
While company newsletters convey important information about policies, practices and events, failing to create engaging content leaves your employees uninformed. Embrace this opportunity to inform, inspire and connect and watch your company newsletter become an invaluable asset in driving employee engagement and organizational success.
If you need assistance in starting your first newsletter or freshening up an existing newsletter, the Quell team is ready to collaborate with you! We’ll address the unique nuances of your organization and create a customized solution to enhance your company newsletter. From content development to graphic design, The Quell Group works with HR and marketing departments to produce employee newsletters that attract readers and meet measurable results. Reach out to us at info@quell.com for more information.
