A guide to planning an electronic newsletter

This document has been developed to help your own electronic newsletter. Please be aware that internal and external audiences may ask different questions and require different approaches.

This document is designed to get you thinking about your newsletter idea and help you ensure that producing a newsletter is the best means of communication for you. Please remember that the Internal Communications team are happy to help at any stage of the planning process.

Before you start to produce a newsletter there are a great many questions you should ask yourself. Many of these questions are listed below. They will help you form a clearer picture of what your newsletter is about, who it is for and how it may look.

What do I want my newsletter to achieve?

Motivate staff and establish an effective team culture

Build a community and create a sense of shared identity

Keep staff up-to-date with departmental/team/organisation developments

To help encourage relations with Sheffield businesses

To inform and raise awareness of the University in the local community

Tell parents what the University can do for their child

Something else

Who is my newsletter aimed at?

All staff

Specific department(s)

Specific subject areas

Businessmen and women

Community leaders

Parents

Someone else

It also helps to have a clear mental picture of your audience, if possible, and what they would like to read. Find out through a survey, focus groups or conversations what they normally read (journals, periodicals, industry-specific papers, other internal newsletters etc) and how they like to receive that information.

How frequently should I publish my newsletter?

Newsletters work best as communication vehicles and motivators when they are published to a set frequency. It is important to stick to your schedule and to not promise something you can’t deliver.

Weekly

Monthly

Bi-monthly

Quarterly

Something else

What should I call my newsletter?

The name of your newsletter is relatively important. A good name can help you focus the content of your newsletter. The name is often the first thing people focus on. It should have significance for your readers - you may want to consult with them or run a competition to choose a name that will be both suitable and popular.

How do I plan my newsletter production?

It is good practice to set yourself a specific delivery date and stick to it.

Working backwards from your proposed publication date, calculate how much time it will take to complete each stage. This will enable you to know when to start working on your newsletter in order for it to reach your audience on your desired publication date. You can refine this schedule at a later date as you learn more about the production process.

Publication date:

Proofreading / amends / ...... days / weeks / Date: ..... / ..... / .....
Build newsletter into template / ...... days / weeks / Date: ..... / ..... / .....
Source Pictures / ...... days / weeks / Date: ..... / ..... / .....
Write articles / ...... days / weeks / Date: ..... / ..... / .....
Research & interviews / ...... days / weeks / Date: ..... / ..... / .....
Plan issue / ...... days / weeks / Date: ..... / ..... / .....
Total / ...... days / weeks

Start date:

What content should I include in my newsletter?

The answers to questions 1-4 should help you decide the content of articles.

A general newsletter could include:

  • Personal message from Head of Department / Team leader / PVC for area
  • Profiles of departments, teams or staff
  • Organisational news, eg initiatives, organisational changes, new appointments, achievements
  • Social news
  • Contributions from staff, letters, etc

To create continuity from one issue to the next, you couldinclude regular features, eg people writing about their interests. If there is a lot of detailed work-related information, make it more digestible by splitting into several articles in more than one issue.

Remember to be careful when using pictures. If the University doesn’t own the copyright to the image then you shouldn’t publish it without getting permission first.

How do I design my newsletter?

The content of your newsletter will go some way to influencing its layout. This in turn may lead to you deciding you require your own specially designed bespoke templates. The visual style of the newsletter - the look and feel - should be agreed before the first issue is laid out, with a design that accurately reflects the University’s visual identity. Developing a design at this stage, will enable you to focus your content ideas and give your publication the greatest possible impact.

For all your design requirements please contact a member of the Internal Communications team.

What editorial tone should I use in my newsletter?

The tone should be upbeat and light-hearted where appropriate - you do want people to enjoy it! If you do not have experience of writing or editing, an experienced copywriter can help write articles for you or ask the Internal Communications Team for advice.

If you would like further help with planning your newsletter, please contact the Internal Communications Team on 28897 or email .