CU newsletters part 3 - tips for getting it read

It's tough, because we live in a world of cynical consumers who feel they're being marketed at from every angle. I know. I—someone in the marketing business!—habitually throw away stuffers in my regular mail because I've mentally check it off as "junk mail."

So how can you improve the odds that your members are reading your newsletter? Here are a few ideas:

  1. Make it a self-mailer: That's when you design it with an area for an address label, so that when your printer folds it, you can seal it with a little clear, round sticker (that keeps Canada Post and their machinery happy), affix an address label, and add a stamp (stamps make Canada Post extra-extra happy!) Perhaps you have an indicia from Canada Post that you can include in the design on the same side as the address label space. Either way, when it arrives on its own, odds are better someone will open it and read it.
  2. Make it available online: This can be as a .pdf file on your home page. Or as an attachment of that same .pdf sent to your members who have shared their e-mail address with you. Or in full on a special newsletter page on your website, if you have that capability. (NOTE: If you don't have or aren't considering creating an e-mail database of your members, you'd better start. Make it part of your new account opening. Seriously, do it now!)
  3. Make it available offline: That means in a physical sense in the physical world. So in-branch, on staff members desks, perhaps a few copies mailed out to your business members. Put it in any other venue you think members will interact with it. However, online is critical, because more and more consumers are choosing this medium to stay informed. I don't have stats on-hand, but would I ever lie to you?
  4. Make it readable: I may have a huge ego, but I think part of the reason this blog gets the traffic it does is because I have a unique tone and style of writing. Make sure your newsletter does too. This might hurt to hear, but financial news isn't always that exciting. Your point of view on it is what will make it interesting and pull readers in.
  5. Reward readership: A simple contest only available to newsletter readers is a perfect way to do this. Make it easy for them, too. Ask them to e-mail their favorite photo caption from that issue, or to suggest a topic for another issue. The reward can be as simple as a free lunch. Or chocolate. Oh. That last one is what works for ME.
  6. Encourage participation: The newsletter should reflect the interests of the readership, otherwise they really won't care. Ask for suggestions for topics, or for article submissions. Again, reward the participation in some way.

Did my bossiness at the end of point two irk you? Or do you love my straight-talkin' ways? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Nala

CU newsletters part 2 - tips on newsletter design

Here's some advice on creating a visually appealing newsletter.

  1. Don't get fancy: Find a layout and stick with it. Sure, YOU'LL get bored with it, but you need to train your readers where to find certain information easily. Doesn't it irk you when grocery stores don't put certain items in their usual locations regularly? Don't irk your readers!
  2. Be consistent: Pick one typeface and stick to it. Okay, I'll be lenient and let you pick one different headline font-but it better complement your main font! Create a stylesheet and stick to it. That means headlines are always the same font and same size. Likewise for your subheads and body copy. Using multiple fonts thinking it "adds interest" is the cardinal sin of designers - it doesn't, so don't do it!
  3. Don't overdo it: If you have a two-page newsletter, have one feature article, typically on the front page, and two other articles. If you have a four-page newsletter, have two features and up to three other articles. Don't whack your readers over the head with a bucket-load of stories. Visually, if there are fewer their brains will say "That's an easy read" and they'll read it.
  4. Pull-quotes ALWAYS GET READ: ... so always include them. A pull-quote is a short quote from a story that is enlarged and put in great big quotation marks, usually within the story the way you might insert a photo. Choose the most controversial or intriguing bit from the story to use as a pull-quote.
  5. Photo captions are the SECOND-MOST READ element: Captions are the little bit of copy under the photos. Try to make these funny, instead of the usual "L-R: Board member 1, board member 2, board member 3..." Don't leave out identifying the people in the photo, because a newsletter starts with the word NEWS, and you must be responsible. But please realize that only the people in the photo truly care about those kinds of captions. Reward everyone else by at least making the caption interesting.
  6. Proofreading: Find at least two other people to proofread the newsletter before it goes to print. If possible, find someone who has a grudge against you, because they will be METICULOUS!
  7. Sidebar: Use one, and then underuse it. White space (otherwise known as "empty space", or "space you feel compelled to cram stuff into") is critical for making your newsletter easy to read. Leave a nice wide margin to the left or right of your pages, and only put minimal copy there. A link to your H.R. website page is a great idea, or a 3 tips on RRSPs would work (if your issue is investment-related).
  8. Table of contents: Put this is your front-page sidebar IF you have more than two pages with more than three articles. Otherwise you don't need it.
  9. Colour & paper: If you follow all these rules, you will have a great looking newsletter even in black and white ink, on white paper. However, if you want to print in colour, choose the darker of your credit union's colours. Print on a light coloured paper that's slightly heavier than whatever your credit union photocopies on. If you're unsure, go to your printer and ask to see samples. I would lean towards a professional-looking newsletter, and let the writing and content engage the reader versus printing on a bright fuscia or blue.

Angry because I implied someone might have a grudge against you? Let me know by leaving a comment.

Watch for the final installment, CU newsletters part 3 - tips for getting it read, tomorrow.

Nala

CU newsletters part 1 - why do one?

Our agency used to do a newsletter as a self-promotion piece. It had an awesome, funny staff photo on the cover and great case studies inside. It was targeted at existing customers, and anyone we could rope into our mailing list (think way back to those golden, don't-need-opt-in-approval marketing days. Sigh!)

It was used as a business-getting tool, and to that end it had marginal success. But I firmly believe newsletters are a business-keeping tool.

Here's why you should produce a newsletter:

  1. Promote your brand: Are you a wealth-sharer or an agent of change credit union? Then you need to regularly include stories that underline this positioning. You need to LEAD THIS CONVERSATION in your marketplace.
  2. Get referrals: If you don't have a member referral program, START ONE. Then promote the heck out of it in your newsletter. Word of mouth versus traditional advertising is likely the top reason you get new members (feel free to argue with me on that.)
  3. Important announcements: Are you undertaking a banking conversion or other operational change? This is a good place to explain it.
  4. Find great staff: If you're not constantly on the look-out for great staff members, you should be. Create a tiny section directing members to a page on your website for job postings. Then, instead of just posting a typical job description, think of why folks should be beating down your door to work there. If you can't think of reasons, you need to start MAKING some!
  5. Compliance & legal: Obviously credit unions are legislated to make certain announcements, such as dates for AGMs. This is a good vehicle to use.
  6. Create a relationship: Finally, a conversational tone that algins with your brand and is enjoyable to read lets you build a relationship with the reader. If people smile when they read your newsletter, you'll build an interested readership instead of a group of paper recyclers.

Do you have a bone to pick with this article? Pick away by leaving a comment!

Watch for part two tomorrow, CU newsletters part 2 - tips on newsletter design.

Nala