Tips on How to Start a Newsletter

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When you plan to start a newsletter, there are some items that you should consider before your first issue is delivered. Whether you are writing a company newsletter, school or PTA newsletter, or even a church newsletter, you want to have certain aspects of the newsletter in place before going to print.

Here are some tips and ideas to consider when you start a newsletter.

How often is your newsletter going to be published?
Will you be writing a monthly, bi-weekly or quarterly newsletter? When you start a newsletter knowing how often you would like your newsletter to be published will give you an idea of how long or short the newsletter should be. If it is not being published as frequently, then you may opt for a longer newsletter template. Of course, you can always adjust the length of the newsletter according to the season. For instance, a company newsletter may be longer during the end of the fiscal year to include pertinent information.

What sections will remain constant in the newsletter?
Every paper or newsletter has static sections. Such as a "Dear Abby" or the comic section of a paper. So consider what sections will be constant with each new issue before you start a newsletter. For example, in a company newsletter, you may have a new employee highlight section or employee of the month section. For a PTA newsletter, you might include a calender of events that parents can refer to for school events and fundraisers. When readers become accustomed to reading certain sections of each newsletter, they will begin to look for it in each issue. An advantage for you, the newsletter publisher, is that the static sections of each page will make writing content for each issue easier.

How will you deliver your newsletter?
There are lots of ways to deliver your newsletter and you need to decide which would be the best way in accordance to your audience. Should you sent the newsletter via email? Or through snail mail? Or should new issues be available at monthly meetings? Knowing the intervals with which you send your newsletter will help you to create a time line for yourself and other contributing writers as it pertains to deadlines and printing dates.

How can you make your newsletter interact with its audience?
A lot of papers have "Letters to the Editor" or Opinion pieces. So before you start a newsletter, can you think of ways that you can make your newsletter more interactive? Can you have a Questions & Answers column or a section where readers can submit favorite recipes, photos, or other content? Making your newsletter interactive will give readers a fresh look at your content and it will also give you a little breathing room if you are lacking new content to fill spaces in your newsletter.