How Internal Newsletters Benefit Start-Ups

It wasn’t too long ago when only the large companies came out with internal company newsletter. Internal newsletters were distributed to employees to update them on what’s going on with the company.

But with the advent of internal company newsletter software plus the growing awareness on how important this communication tool is, even start-up companies are putting up their own internal newsletters. Internal newsletter is also ideal for companies with teams spread across multiple locations, as communication between team members may be limited.

In setting up an internal newsletter, there are several considerations start-up firms should take into account.

Who Should Receive It?

As the name indicates, an internal newsletter is usually distributed internally within an organization. Thus officers and employees are the prime readers of the publication.

An internal newsletter is not only distributed so that employees would know the company’s plans for the year, for example. It makes employees feel valued because they are being updated by management about company-wide developments.

However, it is also not uncommon for an internal company newsletter to be distributed to clients, investors, and suppliers, whenever appropriate.

What Should the Newsletter Tackle?

Start-ups can use the internal newsletter to identify and promote company goals, and encourage employees to help in achieving those targets. It can be used by leadership to rally around the employees towards the achievement of certain goals, such as hitting the $1-million sales mark.

Recognizing achievers can also be done by featuring them on the company newsletter. Going back to the example, startups can recognize employees who were able to generate the highest sales and who were instrumental in hitting the $1-million sales target.

In startups that have a number of locations worldwide, internal updates can be communicated across the organization through the internal newsletter. For example, IT may run a feature on the new email software adapted by the company while HR may use the newsletter to announce new hires.

How Should Articles Be Written?

There’s no need to craft kilometric articles because the busy office worker will definitely not read it. Aside from taking a long time to write, long articles will just discourage the reader from reading.

As much as possible, the articles should be short that the reader can read one story in 1-2 minutes.

What Form Should the Newsletter Take?

You’d be surprised to know that there are still companies which distribute newsletters in printed format. But for start-ups, an email or online version best suits them. One reason is that it doesn’t cost as much as publishing a printed newsletter. Moreover, the time it takes to lay out and print a newsletter is a lot longer than coming up with an online internal company newsletter.

Opting for an online internal newsletter also has many possibilities as far as content and form goes. For example, start ups can integrate videos in their internal newsletters which make the communication channel a lot more fun and engaging.

Who Should Write

Start ups may not have the corporate communications team to handle the internal company newsletter, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have the manpower to implement this important communications project.

Management may assign HR to temporarily handle the project, and tap employees from different units as contributors. Department heads may assign a representative who can help in writing about updates in their units, like a new account they landed.

Start up firms will benefit a lot from having an internal newsletter. From laying out the goals of the organization to creating a sense of community amongst the employees, an internal newsletter can do a lot of wonders for a start-up company.