10* tips for better newsletters

By Curt Seeden
Retired senior city editor, Orange County Register
Co-editor, Cal-Nev-Ha Magazine
Member, Kiwanis Club of Huntington Beach, California

1. Look like Kiwanis: Whether your publication is for members only or shared with the public, use Kiwanis graphic standards, including images, typefaces, and colors.

2. *Bonus tip Get recognized. Enter your compelling, accurate, fun, consistent newsletter in your district’s bulletin contest.

   A quick read: Within a short time after receiving the newsletter, a Kiwanian will read it, beginning to end. If it is set aside to be read later, it may not be read at all. To win attention, a club newsletter probably should not exceed four pages.
3. Short, well-written stories: A newsletter should be filled with short, easy-to-read items. If stories are too long, readers likely will not finish them. Readership studies from the Poynter Institute show that 50 percent of all readers are lost when a story jumps to another page. And when readers see a story is going to jump, they probably won’t finish it.
4. Put some personality into it: Readers are confronted with an avalanche of e-mail and printed newsletters, but witty editors create publications members look forward to opening. Don’t bog down your newsletter with dry statistics.
5. Use names: Use lots of members’ names. Everyone likes to see his or her name in print. Boldface the names. And always double check your roster so all names are spelled correctly.
6. Be positive: Don’t start lecturing about how bad the meal was, how low meeting attendance was, or how disinteresting your speaker was. If the program wasn’t up to par, focus more on club camaraderie, happy dollars, and service. Consider: Will your stories appeal to a non-Kiwanian who might be interested in joining your club?
7. Stay consistent: Maintain the quality, consistency, and length of your newsletter. Set a format that includes optimum number of pages, paper color and size (if printed), type, and flag. Sometimes, newsletter editors are too ambitious. Ambition is good, but the editor needs to have the time to produce a consistent publication that is delivered in a timely, consistent way.
8. Be accurate: Take the time to make sure your punctuation, grammar, and spelling are correct. This increases the credibility of your newsletter with everyone who reads it. Often, there is a last-minute change of a sentence or paragraph, which results in an error in verb tense or punctuation. Re-read the portion of the newsletter that was changed before it goes to press or before you e-mail it.
9. Be judicious while having fun: Humor is a good thing, and jokes are almost always well read. But stay within the boundaries of good taste. There is no place in Kiwanis for insults of any kind or sexual innuendo.
10. Photos and graphics: By all means, use them. Photos are the first thing readers notice. They should be action shots and close-ups. People like to see themselves in photos, but stay away from “criminal lineups,” (5-10 people in one photo standing in front of a banner).