When it comes to updating the community on all things school news, your newsletter is one of the main sources of information. While you want your audience to remain informed, overloading your newsletter with a heavy amount of text or too many images can be distracting. Balance is key! Ensure the messaging of your newsletter is as effective as possible with our top 5 newsletter practices:
Here are our 5 Best Practices for an Effective Newsletter:
- Overview, don’t Overwhelm
Overcommunication, while well intentioned, can be overwhelming to your reader. Often, busy families with little time on their hands are looking to gain important information quickly, so keep it concise! See if you can tell your story in three solid sentences to best capture your audience’s attention with the most impact. Be mindful of the frequency and the amount of stories you are putting out as well. Once a week is a good frequency to put out a newsletter. If you choose to do more, keep the stories and word count tighter.
- Mobile Friendly
Don’t make the mistake of formatting your newsletter for websites only, as it won’t read the same on mobile devices. For the mobile version of your newsletter, make sure you place the images in the center, with text above and below. Avoid aligning images on the left and right with text on the side as it is harder to read and too busy for mobile devices.
- Catchy & Descriptive Captions
Draw your audience in with captions that will let them know the main points of your message in a creative way. Using alliteration is one way of appealing to an audience that can draw them in through catchy phrasing. Another approach can be strong action words in your captions that can help to bring your message to life.
- Easy to Read
Avoid using terminology that people outside of education would be unfamiliar with. Ensure parents of all education levels and languages are able to understand the message using words that are descriptive but not complex. Use images that aid your story visually that won’t be out of place when catching at a glance on a cellphone.
- Translation
Do your translation services on your website also translate into your newsletter? That is important as many parents primarily use the newsletter for information on a regular basis. Strong translation services are a reflection of your district’s commitment to equity and diversity.
Now that you know how to elevate your district’s newsletter, put this into practice with your team! Check the metrics of your newsletter as it progresses to see how it is being received by the families in your community. With these quick fixes implemented into your newsletter, it will be an even better resource for the latest and greatest in your district!