Helpful Newsletter Tips

Quality newsletters require planning, preparation, polishing, and passion

Plan

  • Schedule newsletters on your calendar every quarter.
  • Identify quarterly themes.
  • Allow more time than you think you’ll need!
  • Keep "good example" and "not so good example" files.

Prepare

  • Collect interesting stories from your ministry.
    • Keep story or topic ideas, notes, and photos in a newsletter file.
    • Take “in-the-moment” pictures.
    • Record ministry stories or insights as they happen.
  • Narrow the newsletter content to one topic or primary story.
    • Ask:  What will interest the majority of my audience?
    • Use other stories or give more details in between-newsletter emails, a blog, on Facebook, etc.

Polish

  • Edit
    • Brush up on grammar (I/me, he/him), spelling, and punctuation.
    • “The Navigators” (not “the Navigators”).  (And “The Navigators” is a singular noun, so write:  “The Navigators is dedicated to…,” not “The Navigators are dedicated to….”)
    • Banish passive verbs (is, are, were, there, etc.); choose active verbs.
    • Use succinct wording.
    • Use understandable terminology (avoid TLAs - Three Letter Acronyms, jargon, slang, clichés).
    • Avoid “fewsletters” (a newsletter that includes a financial appeal).
    • Edit (or ask for editing help).
  • Technical tips
    • White paper, black ink (high contrast)
    • White space
    • Space around pictures
    • One inch margins on all sides
    • One full space between paragraphs
    • Left-aligned margin, not justified
    • Simple graphics
    • Serif fonts (Times New Roman or Garamond)

Passion

  • If you love what you do, let it show!

 

Other Newsletter Tips

 

Request

Add two people to your newsletter mailing list:

Molly Gilberts

The Navigators Staff Funding

P.O. Box 6000

Colorado Springs, CO  80934

 

Becky Grosenbach

The Navigators Communications

P.O. Box 6000

Colorado Springs, CO  80934

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