1
The ACL Guide to eNewsletter Submissions
The Guide ON eNewsletter – A Great Way to Share Messages With Your Community!
Every week, province connects with Guiders across Ontario, through our regular email newsletters (“eNewsletters” or “eNews”). As an ACL, you are invitedto submit messagesfor these electronic communications -- an amazingly effective way to connect with your Guiders! Keep reading to learn how…
Why Do We Send eNewsletters, Instead of Using Individual Emails to Communicate?
Here are just a few of the cool things we can accomplish, by using eNewsletters:
Message targeting- We (and you!) can target individual messages within the eNews to any IMIS group (such as branch level, community or role in Guiding). That means Guiders will only see the stories that are relevant to them. (If it's not targeted to them, it won't appear in their version of the eNews).
Respect for Guiders’ busy lives –Guiders don’t have to wade through multiple emails a week, to get the news they need from Guiding. Before eNews, many Guiders complained of getting too many emails from province. Now, we accomplish the same in two weekly “digest” emails.
Easy to scan -Each story in the eNewsletter gets a headline and brief introductory blurb (written by Marketing), with a link to read fuller details on the Ontario website.
Meeting National brand standards – Marketing reviews and edits every message, to ensure we’re meeting National brand standards for communication, a requirement for Ontario Council.
Measurement - We get to collect amazing data on whoreceived opened and read different stories. You can request this information from the Marketing team, after a story you’ve submitted has run.
The Two Weekly eNewsletters to Use
- Guide ON News- general news and information, sent by email every week on Tuesdays
- Guide ON Events– for events only, sent by email every week on Fridays*
*If your Guiders want to share an upcoming Event (including small, local events), please direct them to work directly with their Event Coordinator on staff. The Event Coordinator will ensure their event is on the Event Calendar and will also work with Marketing to promote the event in our Friday Events eNews. They can submit their event to staff online, using the Event Posting form.
What Kind of Information Can ACLs Submit to the eNews?
- Share local updates, announcements, thank you’s, requests to share or swap items, holiday greetings (remember to be inclusive) and other local information
- Marketing will share all Provincial news (such as Cookies and Provincial Camping information)
- You can submit bullet points for any item and Marketing will write the message (be sure to include all facts you want covered in the message)
- You can request repeat messages to run over multiple weeks through our ACL eNews form
How to Submit a Story to the eNews
- Please use the ACL eNews Online Submission Form
- Fill in all the fields, including selecting Tuesday or Event eNews, publication date and target audience
Remember to check the 2016 eNews Publication Calendar when choosing your publication date
Submission Deadlines:
THURSDAY @ 5PMis the weekly deadlineto submit all eNews messages to go out in the following week.
PLEASE NOTE FOR HOLIDAY WEEKENDS: When the Friday or Monday before a Tuesday eNewsletter is a holiday, we need your information by Wednesday at 5pm (not Thursday) the week before you want the message to go out.
You Can Submit Earlier, Too!
You plan your year ahead – why not plan your eNews messages to your community ahead? We welcome you to send in eNews items weeks or months in advance, as you like -- we'll get your message ready and schedule it to go out according to your desired timing.
What Happens After You Submit eNews Message?
- On Fridays, your item will be fact-checked by Unit Support Manager, who may contact you with questions
- Messages approved by end-of-day on Friday, will be scheduled for eNews distribution the next week
Useful Links to Bookmark:
ACL eNews Online Submission FormEvent Calendar
2016 eNews Publication Calendar
Event Posting form