Newsletters!

Newsletters. We all subscribe to them. They share recipes. And book recommendations. Places you should travel. Workplace tips. And here in DAR, we send newsletters that inform our audiences of alumni and campus news, unit announcements and happenings, ways to get involved, events, wins and goals.

If you happen to interact with a newsletter, here are some tips to make sure your readers make it to the bottom of all that great info!

1. Choose Your Frequency

Here are a couple of things to take into consideration when planning the frequency of your newsletter:

What does your workload look like?

Newsletters are no small feat—planning and executing them takes dedicated work hours, so make sure you’re choosing a frequency that allows enough time to gather content and create a newsletter that serves your audience well.

When do your key initiatives, solicitations, and events take place?

Be sure to consider your unit’s priorities and how they may influence your newsletter frequency. For example, if you typically have an event in January, a solicitation in April, and an annual award presented in July, and a tailgate in October, you might consider a quarterly newsletter so that you have an avenue to elevate these key priorities easily throughout the year.

2. Plan Ahead

Depending on the frequency of your newsletter, weeks or even months may pass between each email. To stay organized and ensure you capture all the desired content, keep a living document where you can store ideas, links to stories, and event information. This can look as simple as a word document or as in depth as a content calendar that maps out what you’re planning to share over the next few months.

3. Keep It Fun

We read newsletters to stay informed, but we also read them for a little entertainment, right?!? Don’t be afraid to throw in a recent social post, a fun fact or two, or cool photos from your unit’s latest events and happenings.