Joe A., Writing Center tutor and writing fellow
Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor’s specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you.
Many newsletters are now sent through email, and, best of all, that makes them completely free to distribute. When writing a newsletter for either physical distribution or electronic, you should think of it like news writing. There is a sense of priority; all the information included should be useful, but some information is just more pressing. However, unlike newspapers, which can have dozens of pages, a newsletter is best kept short and sweet. A newsletter shouldn’t be longer than two pages and shouldn’t have more than three or four articles. Additionally, newsletters are better when contained in the body of the email instead of attached as a PDF. Attachments can be overlooked and it also adds an unneeded step of complication between the reader and newsletter content.
Consider Audience
There is a distinct difference between a newsletter that’s written for internal or external distribution. If you are interested in having a newsletter with information for both employees and the public, you are better off writing two separate newsletters. What is news to the public about your business may not be pertinent to your employees and vice versa.
Simply put, a newsletter is only effective based on whether or not people read it. You’ll want an attractive header with a presentation that’s light on graphics. Consistency from newsletter to newsletter also is more attractive to readers. Try to keep the same number of articles and pages of content for each installment.
Style
Although there is not a definite stylebook for newsletters, think in terms of readability. No matter how aesthetically pleasing the presentation is, writing in a passive voice will likely cause a reader to lose interest. Avoid slang and jargon and use contractions the same way you would in every day conversation. This, coupled with simple verbs (this is not the time to show off your extensive vocabulary) and an active voice, will go a long way towards holding audience attention.
For electronic newsletters, you should always include an unsubscribe function at the bottom of the email as a courtesy to your readers.
Remember: for professional emails and newsletters alike, clarity and readability are key. Again, every workplace has different expectations, but the ability to write emails that are informative and succinct is universally appreciated.
Resources
This PDF contains newsletters on mental health from various specialists. They exhibit proper newsletter formatting.
