While an internal company newsletter is read by “just” your staff members, don’t underestimate its importance. Due to its importance to a business and how it communicates with employees, a newsletter should be crafted with a lot of thought and care.
Before you actually start sitting down and creating content for your newsletter, remember to keep the following objectives in mind:
Newsletters are meant to inform
An internal company newsletter circulated within a business is meant to provide staff with information that will affect them, and that are relevant to them. When newsletters provide information that employees want and need, they are more likely to be read thoroughly instead of being disregarded.
They are meant to promote camaraderie
Although they may look like very simple communication tools, newsletters are actually capable of breaking down barriers and promoting a sense of belongingness amongst employees. This is especially helpful for staff members who don’t usually have a strong sense of camaraderie with other employees due to the fact that they are separated by departments, cubicles and various projects.
They provide an external narrative
Newsletters may be intended for employees of a company, but they can also be potentially read by friends and family members of staff members. Having narratives within the internal company newsletter helps spread the word about the business, and makes employees proud to be part of it.
They reduce email overload
Instead of constantly being bombarded via email of different information, news and events, the newsletter can be utilized as the one-stop platform in which information is shared and disseminated.
They supplement other platforms of communication
Newsletters can be utilized as the platform in which information is presented and referenced. For example, if a particular department of the company wins an award, the said accomplishment can be published in the newsletter in addition to bulletin board announcements and the company’s intranet.
Once you’ve put to heart the objectives of an internal corporate newsletter, here are some tips to remember when creating content:
Make sure that the information you feature is complete
Content shouldn’t be looked at as teasers. Compositions published in newsletters should be complete. While you don’t necessarily have to write about the tedious history of a particular topic, you may need to write cause and effect details about it. For example, if a particular write-up is about the month-long menu change in the office cafeteria during Tuesdays from burgers to salads, don’t simply mention the shift. Explain that the change is due to the fact that the company is promoting a new health and wellness program.
Keep your content simple
Keeping content simple means making sure that you utilize straightforward, easy-to-understand language, and avoiding long-winded content. You don’t need to impress other people with the depth of your vocabulary. You need to be understood by everyone who reads the content of the internal corporate newsletter.
This of course doesn’t mean skipping important information just to keep content short and simple. Make sure to still include all that you need to, while keeping in mind that staff members and management are busy and may not have the time to sit down and read through long articles.
Create content that is engaging and empowering
While some bosses may require their employees to read the newsletter, the task shouldn’t feel like a painful obligation. When content is engaging and empowering, and when it sparks an interest in employees, they are more likely to be read thoroughly and taken to heart. After all, content can’t be considered truly effective if it doesn’t make the reader feel anything.
