8.4.1 Newsletter Editor ↑

8.4.1.2 Newsletter Editorial Guidelines

The newsletter editor should observe the following guidelines.

  1. Send out no more than one email per week.
  2. Only send out an email when we have something new to communicate – avoid sending out the exact same email twice.
  3. Keep each email to roughly a single page.
  4. Include 3 - 7 items in each email we send out. Less than 3, and recipients may view the email as too narrowly focused; more than 7, and recipients may view the email as too long.
  5. Only include local news: in this day and age, in particular, there is no reason for us to repeat national information – our readers can easily find it elsewhere, if interested.
  6. Make sure each item is potentially interesting to at least some local alums. Recipients can fairly be expected to skip over items that don’t appeal to them, but would appeal to others, but should not be expected to read items that will be of little interest to any of them.
  7. Put the items in chronological order, so the ones that are closest appear at the top of the list.
  8. Include only a brief teaser (2 - 3 sentences) for most items, with links to the corresponding page on our website for those interested in further information.
  9. Include full details for no more than one item per email, and then only once per event, and only for events receiving a major focus.
  10. Try to be professional, as opposed to folksy. We serve a large and diverse audience, and we should not assume that we know all of them, or that the same style will appeal to all of them. Avoid an overly intimate or haranguing tone. Instead, try to provide useful information in a neutral tone. Always make recipients feel welcome as part of our community, whether they attend any particular event or not.
  11. Use a consistent format that is easy to scan and read.
  12. Use the subject line of the email to highlight some of that newsletter’s particular content.
  13. Be inclusive in wording: don’t presume that some events will only appeal to certain types of people, or to a certain club demographic.

Next: Use Adaptive Layout