There are so many times when newsletters would serve as the ideal communication solution that it would be difficult to list them all. However, the common denominator with virtually every newsletter is that the readership consists of an easily defined group that have a need for regular news. A list of the types of organizations that might need to communicate regularly with a certain group is not likely to be of great interest but if you happen to fit one of the following scenarios then you should at least be considering a newsletter.

• You’re responsible for corporate, PR or employee communications
• You administer a Club, Association or some kind of non-profit organization
• You’re in business to sell a product or service
• You need to communicate regularly with a common interest group
• You run a Desktop Publishing or Secretarial Services business
• You’re new to computers and want to make yours pay for itself

Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

What If None Of The Above Apply?

There are many other cases where the same applies but OK, if none of the above scenarios seem to cover your situation, you might consider that newsletters don’t fit the bill, and that’s fair enough. However, the above examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities. If you think very carefully, there is every chance you will suddenly realize that there is an area where a newsletter would be the perfect communication solution for you. Newsletters are almost always the best way to communicate regularly with groups. Many people just haven’t, as yet, ‘seen the light’.

A Few Typical Examples

• A church newsletter—news for congregation members
• A company newsletter—PR for customers or suppliers
• An employee newsletter—from the HR department
• A family newsletter—particularly for geographically widely spread families
• A financial newsletter—personal finance, stocks and shares etc
• A health newsletter—by a health food shop, dietitian, health website etc
• A marketing newsletter—promoting a service or product niche

The list could go on and on. Consider the following, just off the top of my head, for example:

• A preschool newsletter
• A quilters newsletter
• A real estate newsletter
• A safety newsletter
• A school newsletter
• A scrap-booking newsletter
• A technology newsletter
• A travel newsletter

Remember also that the word newsletter, in this context, can be transposable to e-newsletter or ezine. The only difference between the two is that the latter is an electronically distributed newsletter. So you might have a health ezine, an affiliate marketing ezine etc.

There are many, many more possibilities.

The ‘Content’ Problem

If you already publish your own newsletter, I would be very surprised if, at some time or another, you haven’t come across this one. Everyone involved in the production of periodicals knows what it feels like. The closer the deadline and the more urgent the need, the less likely it is that some of the items promised for inclusion will materialize. Or, if you are responsible for producing that material, the more things that seem to pop up to hamper your efforts. Or, of course, the problem might simply be a matter of cost. You can’t write everything yourself but the price of copyrighted material for your newsletter may be prohibitive. Or hard to find. In any event, these things boil down in the end to a matter of time or money.

Just Imagine

Just imagine… if you could find exactly the copy you need—and have it exactly when you need it—wouldn’t that be a help? A joke, a one-liner, a quotation that fits, a ‘hot’ tip, a quiz, a quirky fact. But, of course, you can’t be an expert on everything. Nobody can.

Or, imagine… if you could find usable written material whenever you need it without having to pay a fortune in royalties! A technical article, a crossword, a ‘series’ feature—wouldn’t that be a help! Of course, but who would practically give away something that normally costs a fortune?

A Simple Solution

There are many websites on the Internet that provide resources for newsletter publishers. The very same resources I’ve mentioned in this article are all available on a website somewhere. Probably on many websites. Take articles, for example. Our sister site, ClipCopy Content Solutions, has a list of over four hundred article directories covering, quite literally, well over a hundred thousand distinct articles covering every topic imaginable. The vast majority make no charge whatever for the use of the articles they offer, and indeed, the list itself, which in effect is a directory of directories, is also free. It is available to everyone that visits ClipCopy Content Solutions, along with three other directories of various other types of ‘content’. Isn’t the Internet wonderful?

Do you want your computer to pay for itself? Then use what you already have! Forget all the hype you hear about the Internet. 90% of it is complete drivel. But it’s a technical revolution isn’t it? Sure, and its going to revolutionize the way we work and a lot of other things, but it’s basically a communication resource that makes information easily accessible to everyone. In reality, it’s how you use it to communicate and what information you gather that really matters.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

The Most Exciting Thing!

The thing that gave rise to the Internet in the first place is the most exciting thing about modern technology and it’s at the end of your fingers right now. Your computer! That amazing machine allows you to be productive in ways that were undreamed of just a few years ago. For example, look at desktop publishing. The fact is that now anyone can now be a desktop publisher. Publishing what? Newsletters, that’s what! You could start a successful newsletter business right now by simply seeking out the countless opportunities waiting for you in the surrounding streets!

What Is Needed?

Apart from a computer (Mac or PC, it doesn’t matter), all you really need is a word processing program, a desktop printer and a telephone. If you’re really determined, you can even get by without these! But obviously, the more appropriate tools you have to start with, the easier it is to get going. With a computer, an Internet connection (to get all the information you need), and an understanding of the marketing power of newsletters (there’s plenty more information about that on this site!), you are ready to launch a new, self reliant, career that could grow into a substantial business. The field is wide open regardless of where you live, what sex you are, how old (or young) etc. It really is just a question of whether or not you are willing to seize the opportunity.

Who Would Your Customers Be?

When you know where to look, finding paying customers is easy. All those who offer products or services of any kind are promising prospects. Realtors, the corner store, carpet cleaners, life insurance agents, pest controllers—the list could go on. Not only that but all kinds of groups are potential customers. This includes service clubs, social clubs, sports and hobby groups; in fact associations of all kinds. And these examples are only the tip of the iceberg: the corporate sector is at least as big again, or even bigger.

But, What If You Hate Selling?

If ‘looking for customers’ sounds too much like selling to you, I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t. It is. All business involves selling (see the warning below). But just think for a moment: what is it about selling that you hate? Is it that you don’t like trying to persuade people to buy something they don’t really want? Isn’t that it, in a nutshell? Because this is exactly the problem that your potential customers have—and you have the solution. They want to reassure people that what they have to offer is a ‘must-have’ and to build up a relationship of trust with their members or prospective customers. You can tell them, with complete confidence, that this is what newsletters do best! What’s more, you use your own newsletter to do it! Selling is all about belief in your product. A properly presented newsletter is the best marketing tool a small business or group can possibly have. Once you understand this then the selling part is easy.

What Would You Put In It?

If you haven’t produced a newsletter before, then this would be an important question. And you probably have many more, like where to find newsletter content, how to get started, what else do you need to know etc? Luckily… that’s what ClipCopy Content Solutions is all about!

Friendly Warning!

If you don’t understand that ALL business involves ‘selling’, then you are a prime target for anyone running a scam. There are thousands of phony offers and GRQs (get-rich-quick schemes) on the Internet, all begging for people to join them. They hold out promises of incredible wealth that supposedly can be acquired overnight with little or no effort. Many call themselves MLMs (multi-level marketing programs) but in reality they are just pyramid schemes (illegal in many countries) looking for suckers. Unfortunately, most of the people promoting them were themselves sucked in by the same promises and will desperately try to convince you that they are making money—in the hope that you will join them and make some for them. In truth, hardly any really are.

Just about every scheme ever devised to rip people off is now being promoted in cyberspace. So, how do you tell a scam from a legitimate business opportunity? It’s really not that hard. If it sounds too good to be true—then it almost certainly is!

Whatever you do, don’t, for heaven’s sake, fall for one of these scams.

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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Are you getting the volume of newsletter business you should? When you come to be recognized as the local newsletter expert you can have all the newsletter business you want. Being an expert means having confidence in the power of newsletters and being able and willing to advise clients regarding suitable content as well as, if necessary, providing it.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

Publishing Your Own Newsletter

This is an absolute must if you want to be seen as the local one-stop newsletter shop. Even if you don’t have such aspirations, everybody in the business of publishing or printing should produce their own regular newsletter. OK, so you’ve probably got more than enough on your plate as it is. But you cannot espouse newsletters as one of the most powerful, effective and economical forms of business promotion (which they are!) if you are not utilizing that power yourself.

What Makes Newsletters So Powerful?

If you understand what gives thoughtfully produced newsletters their power then you are in a position to take full advantage of them to strengthen your business. However, if you are in the least uncertain, then read this short article now: Effective Newsletters.

Is Supporting Copy a Problem?

Not any more! At ClipCopy Content Solutions you will find more than 6000 items of ClipCopy at your disposal. Simply copy and paste whenever you need them. What’s more, the collection is constantly being expanded and improved to provide an ever wider and more useful resource.

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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Communication is vital for any group and the best way to communicate regularly is by newsletters. They allow news and items of special interest to the group to be covered in a way that appeals to them, such as by the inclusion of ‘jargon’ for example. Club or Association-specific news, such as the outcomes of committee meetings, disbursements of special funds, upcoming events and so on, fit particularly well with the newsletter format where the group’s colors, logo, motto etc. can readily be incorporated as well. Well-organized and properly produced newsletters full of meaningful content should cultivate a sense of belonging, generate a collective identity and enhance membership loyalty.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

What Is Special About Member Newsletters?

In the context of organized groups, newsletters are the most efficient way of keeping everyone up-to-date with calendar events like the time and date of meetings, what happens on specified days of the week, month etc. As such, they can be used as information resources, at the same time as serving to remind members of regular events and happenings. Member newsletters can outline what is coming up for discussion in meetings, who the Committee members are, what their special responsibilities are and various other similar types of data. In other words, in common with most other newsletters, the readers matter most, and in this case they are the members. Member newsletters therefore help to draw the organization together by reinforcing that sense of membership.

What Should Be In Them?

The most obvious type of data for inclusion is Club or Association news, as previously mentioned. ‘Coming Events’ is the most common example but, with a little imagination, you can think up many more. ‘Serialized’ content is one type of feature that has many advantages, including that of allowing an editor to run articles that otherwise might be considered too long for a single reading. Short biographies of important members of the organization can also prove popular. Or better still, bios of new members, or members of long standing. The point is that any information that is likely to interest the majority of members should find a place as a regular feature. Members quickly become familiar with the layout of their newsletter and start looking forward to its regular inclusions.

Should They Contain Only ‘Club News’?

Definitely not! A newsletter that only contains news that directly involves the host organization soon becomes boring. For example, a newsletter for ‘The Dolphins’ junior league water polo team, might soon lose its power to excite if its coverage is always restricted to committee meetings, reports of wins and losses, upcoming events etc. Some human interest is always good for variety (like how little Jimmy’s mother always launders the whole team’s gear after every match) but it has its limitations. What is needed is appropriate supporting copy.

What Is Supporting Copy?

Anything that goes beyond that which is strictly necessary for inclusion qualifies as supporting copy. Continuing the above example, this might include such items as a series on ‘Famous Stars of Water Polo’, a crossword with a sports theme, a couple of jokes and maybe a cartoon. Supporting copy used this way adds variety and balance, and ensures that the newsletter gets read.

Where Do You Find Supporting Copy?

Specialized material, such as the hypothetical ‘Famous Stars of Water Polo’ piece, might be contributed by a club member or researched using an enthusiastic member’s book collection on the sport. Or you could use your local library or an encyclopedia to seek out the fundamental data needed for that article and maybe some of the other things mentioned. Now though, for the first time, there is another source. The Internet really has developed, at last, into the ‘information super highway’ and on it you can usually find hundreds of gems of knowledge related to your subject if you know how and where to look. There are even sites that provide ready-made content that you simply copy and paste. A good example is ClipCopy Content Solutions, which specializes in ‘supporting copy’. OK, so I’m biased! I obviously have a strong interest in it so I might be expected to say that. But the truth is that it was because of my enthusiasm for the role of supporting copy in newsletters that the site came into being in the first place.

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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Do you produce a regular newsletter? If the answer is no, then the next question must be “Why not?”. A bit blunt, do you think? Sure, but it must be asked because anyone with the responsibility of promoting any concern, whether it’s a non-profit or a commercial entity, must be aware of the power of newsletters in their promotional campaigning. If you are not, then read Gaining Market Trust Through Newsletters.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

Why Is Supporting Copy Necessary?

Many people underestimate the need for supporting copy because they have come to believe that it means ‘filler’ material, the sole function of which is to fill up the gaps that would otherwise be left. The truth is that there is far more to it than this. All newsletters must be entertaining or they simply won’t be read. If they don’t get read then they are not fulfilling their function. Capturing the reader, therefore, is of paramount importance and well chosen, properly used, supporting copy captures readers.

What Types Are There?

There are many kinds of supporting copy that can be used to capture a reader’s attention. Casual readers tend to scan pages quickly, only stopping when an item catches their eye, so the importance of headlines cannot be overestimated. But any item cleverly headlined must have some element of further interest otherwise they’ll be flipping pages again almost immediately.

Quirky, magazine-type items and one-liners, such as quotations, tend to be very effective in this respect and a liberal sprinkling of them throughout a PR newsletter increases the chance of stopping the reader long enough to be diverted to something of more consequence.

How Can You Develop Reader Participation?

Reader participation can be developed by including ‘run-on’ features and regular spots such as ‘Focus on a Reader’ (excellent for employee newsletters), ‘Grassroots Comment’ (get a reader or readers to be a contributor), ‘Letters to the Editor’ etc. You can even try things like ‘Your Star Signs’, ‘Car Tip of the Week’, ‘Recipe of the Month’ etc depending, of course, on your readership. There is no end to the possibilities when you know where to get the copy.

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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Newsletters are the perfect way to keep in touch with a ‘niche’ market. In fact, that is their main function. The term niche market, in its broadest sense, applies to free newsletters as well as subscription and marketing newsletters. Getting to know your readers will be much easier when you have defined your niche from the outset. Sourcing or writing appropriate content is much easier when you have analyzed your niche and have a clear picture of your readership in mind.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

Identifying Niche Markets

An employee newsletter, published with the aim of keeping everyone in a company fully informed, is obviously a ‘giveaway’ but its niche market is all the company’s workers. A service club newsletter (such as for Rotary, for example), might have similar aims. Its newsletter might be used to keep all the members informed about upcoming events, who is serving on the committee, etc. Again, it would probably be distributed free throughout the membership. Those members are the newsletter’s niche.

Marketing newsletters, by their very nature, have an easily definable niche—the target market. The same applies to subscription newsletters. The niche is those people who might subscribe because they have a particular interest in the newsletter’s focus.

Analyzing Your Niche

From the point of view of your newsletter’s content, it is always a worthwhile exercise to analyze, as far as you can, your niche market. This can open up your thinking to include articles and other items that previously you hadn’t considered. Remember, the first objective, the one that over-rides all other considerations, is that the newsletter gets read. If it fails to do this then it is a total failure in every other respect. Appropriate content is what ‘gets read’ and you need to explore all potential avenues to determine what is pertinent and what is not.

Naturally, you will already have, in your own mind, a ‘readership profile’; a mental picture of the sort of people your readers are. What follows, in alphabetical order, are some criteria you might want to consider to expand and refine your readership profiles. The relevance of individual items in the list will vary according to the target market and the newsletter focus. Some may not apply but all should be taken into account.

Age

This is an obvious one but the idea is to narrow things down to specifics, as far as possible. For example, a school newsletter aimed at parents means that almost all the readers would fit within a twenty year timeframe (20-40 year olds). Therefore, age would probably not warrant special consideration since you would already be taking it into account. It would be part of your unwritten ‘readership profile’. However, if your newsletter was directed at members of a computer club with a wide range of ages, it might well be worth considering. You might try to determine the proportion of members within pre-determined timeframes (under 20s, 20-40s etc). The results could affect the whole tenor of the newsletter if you found that more members than you realized were, say, under twenty years of age. It could prompt you to focus far more on computer games than previously was the case.

Background

People adopt certain attitudes, including religious views, according to their heritage and background. It can be very important, indeed sometimes vital, to pay due regard to these attitudes.

Dependence or Independence

This can loom very large in the minds of those for whom it is an issue. Married couples tend to have a very different perspective on things than single people. Parental status belongs here too. Similarly, disabled people have a view of the world that is unique to their situation. The answers to questions regarding your readers’ degrees of dependence or independence can help you understand their situations better and the types of material to include in their newsletters.

Education

This will certainly help you decide the best writing style to adopt. It might also cause you to impose restrictions with regard to vocabulary range and complexity. More educated readers tend to be more tolerant of controversial issues as well and are likely, for instance, to be more interested in current affairs.

Gender

The proportion of males to females in your target readership is useful information, if it is not obvious already. It will help you to achieve a gender balance in your articles that otherwise might not be so apparent.

Income

This can sometimes mean much more than spending power. Although ‘disposable income’ can be a powerful factor in determining newsletter content, social attitudes can be strongly affected, too. If your readers have varying levels of income and wealth, it is often a good idea to partition them into income ranges, work out the proportions, and provide content in similar proportions.

Leisure

Allowing your newsletter content to be slanted by what readers are most likely to be doing in their spare time has obvious advantages. People are sometimes much more passionate about their leisure activities than work and if you bear this in mind you can make your newsletter much more compelling.

Location

Is your newsletter directed at apartment dwellers or are they mostly house owners? There is more to location than the region they live in. Their geographical location though, can be important. It affects, for example, their lifestyles, their attitudes to weather and climate and the effect they have on them. Even some of their social attitudes can be colored by where they live.

Occupation

Breaking down occupations into groupings can be helpful and the more you can refine the data the better. Medical doctors, for example, can be specialists, in general practice, interns, hospital staff etc. The more you know about this very important area of your readers’ lives, the better you can determine the type of articles that they just cannot resist reading.

Politics

Often advised as an area to steer clear of, this is a very important determinant of people’s social attitudes. If this knowledge goes no further than showing which areas to avoid it would be useful.

Other Factors

There are other things that cannot so easily be categorized as the items listed above but they will usually be obvious and part of your mental ‘reader profile’. For example, a newsletter for members of an association that gives support for victims of violent crime may require a specific viewpoint that can only come from close involvement with the group.

These are just a few ideas on getting to know your readers as a guide to improving newsletter content. Another consideration worth mentioning at this point is whether you should include, or plan to include, advertisements in your newsletter. If so, the information discussed above could prove invaluable. It can point you in the direction of potential advertisers as well as being precisely the sort of data that some advertisers will want to consider in their appraisal.

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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Communicating with groups (and that includes all kinds of groups) is what newsletters do best. It is their natural element because a well-thought out, regular newsletter can quickly become the focus for the whole group. As well as being informed and entertained, readers can be given the opportunity to interact with the rest of the group, or sections within it. Take a look at Effective Newsletters for a deeper insight.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

What Sort Of Groups Might Benefit?

Just about any sort that you care to think of. Many formal groups such as associations, clubs, schools, etc have long enjoyed newsletter interaction with members, but lots of less formal groups would find this form of communication equally beneficial. The key phrase is ‘common interest’.

Some ‘Common Interests’

Residents of a particular street or neighborhood obviously have a common interest in their district. Members of an extended family (uncles, aunts, cousins) share a common interest in the family. People interested in protecting or preserving something as well as people who have a common interest in removing the same thing. The possibilities are endless.

Putting It All Together

It isn’t as difficult as it might at first appear to put together an interesting, entertaining and readable newsletter. With the aid of prepared copy (i.e. copy ready to be pasted into your publication) such as are provided by ClipCopy Content Solutions, together with the tips and advice we also provide, most of the really hard, head scratching work has already been done!

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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If you would like to use the above article in your own publication you must follow our Reprint Rights guidelines.

Communication is vital for any group. The best way to communicate regularly is with a newsletter where you can incorporate the group’s colors, logo, motto etc. A well-organized and properly produced newsletter full of meaningful content can enhance membership loyalty and cultivate a sense of belonging.
Mike Alexander
For all your content needs go to ClipCopy Content Solutions

What’s So Special About Newsletters?

A newsletter is the most efficient way of keeping everyone up-to-date with calendar events like the time and date of meetings, what happens on specified days of the week etc. It can be a great reminder resource as well, where you can outline what is coming up for discussion in meetings, who the committee members are, their special responsibilities and so on. Newsletters have their own inherent power; read about this in Effective Newsletters.

What Should Be In It?

Members often quickly become familiar with the layout of a newsletter and start looking forward to its regular inclusions. Coming Events is the most common example but, with a little imagination, you can think up many more. ‘Serialized’ content is another form of feature that has many advantages including allowing an editor to run articles that otherwise might be considered too long and complex for the newsletter format.

Should It Contain Only ‘Club News’?

Definitely not! A newsletter that only contains news that directly involves the host organization soon becomes boring. For example, a newsletter for The Dolphins junior league water polo team, might soon lose its power to excite if its coverage is always restricted to committee meetings, reports of wins and losses, upcoming events etc. Some human interest is always good for variety (like how little Jimmy’s mother always launders the whole team’s gear after every match) but it has its limitations. What is needed is appropriate supporting copy.

What Is Supporting Copy?

Anything that goes beyond material strictly necessary for inclusion qualifies as supporting copy. Continuing the above example, this might include such items as a series on Famous Stars of Water Polo, a crossword with a sports theme, a couple of jokes and maybe a cartoon. Supporting copy used this way adds variety and ensures that the newsletter gets read.

Where Do You Find Supporting Copy?

Specialized copy, such as the hypothetical Famous Stars of Water Polo piece, might be contributed by a club member or researched using an enthusiastic member’s book collection on the sport. Or you could use your local library, an encyclopedia or the Internet, to seek out the fundamental data needed for that article and maybe some of the other things mentioned. Now though, for the first time, there is another source where you can find hundreds of ‘ready-made’ content items that you simply copy and paste into your newsletter. It’s called ClipCopy Content Solutions and it’s another 101 Answers site; click the following link to go there now.

ClipCopy Content Solutions

© 2000 Mike Alexander (Revised 2009), All Rights Reserved

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If you would like to use the above article in your own publication you must follow our Reprint Rights guidelines.