Tips for Creating Internal Newsletter

A business can only grow as much as it can if employees are happy and productive. One simple and straightforward way of ensuring this is through internal newsletters. Internal newsletters aren’t only about improving communication, they also have a way of motivating and encouraging staff members. When done correctly, internal newsletters are able to strengthen the company vision while solidifying the camaraderie and sense of belongingness among employees.

While there are tons of internal newsletter ideas you can add and employ, here are some general notes to keep in mind in order to make sure that you come up with good internal newsletters:

1. Create content aimed at employees

It’s not about you, it’s about them. While you can certainly talk about the company and what it has to offer, make sure you also take into account how the said offerings affect its employees. Product launches and events, as well as new hires are interesting articles for employees as this not only affects the company, but themselves and the way they interact with other co-workers as well.

Sections dedicated to highlight employees and the work that they do are popular reads in newsletters. Not only will this give credit to those who do their jobs exceptionally well, this also motivates others to do better.

2. Tell, don’t preach

Create content that is conversational and light. Leave the technical jargon and sales pitch behind. Employing an internal newsletter is an effective engagement action plan only when staff members actually read it. Talk with and don’t talk down to you employees through your internal newsletter. Make them feel like they are part of the team, that whatever successes the business achieves is also their achievement. This not only boosts morale, it makes them feel like all their hard work is coming to fruition.

Remember that an internal newsletter is not meant to be a form of propaganda to promote your own vision or ideas. Instead, it is created to empower employees, and make them feel like a part of a team.

3. Keep articles short and simple

Make sure to keep your content brief, but concise and straightforward. Your staff members are busy, and they can only really spend a small amount of time reading an internal newsletter.

Remember that it is highly likely that employees get interrupted several times while going through the newsletter. Many will want to go directly to their favorite sections, in as they would normally do when going through a newspaper.

4. Be consistent

Have a consistent tone, design and theme. Employees will then have an expectation about what will be written in the newsletter. If your tone, design and theme are relatable and effective, employees are more likely to read the newsletters consistently as well.

Your internal newsletter should also be created and handed out on a consistent schedule. Decide if you want employees to receive newsletters once every month or even once every quarter.

5. Leave employees feeling good

Part of your internal communications plan, newsletters are created in order to interact with staff members and update them on the issues about the company that concern them. However, in order to be truly effective, newsletters have to leave employees feeling good. Newsletters are motivational tools to help educate as well as entertain employees.

Since newsletters are feel-good platforms, you don’t have to be extremely corporate when it comes to the content. Add in content that are work-related, but humorous. Create articles that are witty instead of dry. This will entice staff members to read your internal newsletters, and look forward to receiving them.