Here are six tips to help you write a successful newsletter.

Tip 1: Ask yourself, "Who is my audience?" Once you've answered that question, you can then consider the most important issue in writing a newsletter: What does your audience want to know? If you write your newsletter with your audience in mind, you will avoid a major pitfall: filling the newsletter with stories of importance only to you or your department. You might find that interesting, but your audience will not.

Tip 2: It's a newsletter--the key word being "news." So don't rehash past events. Give your audience "news they can use"--new professional developments and sources they can turn to for the latest research. Include items people can mark on their calendars--events they can look forward to. (However, remember that an article in a newsletter is no substitute for an invitation to an event.)

Tip 3: Make it interesting. Well-written newsletters allow readers to grasp information quickly, without the time commitment of a magazine. Instead of writing one long story, consider breaking it into a main story that has one or two short, easily digestible sidebars.

Tip 4: Think visually as well as verbally. How might a story be illustrated? Hint: It won't be illustrated effectively with a photograph of a half-dozen professors lined up in front of a wall.

Tip 5: Keep it short and to the point. Use bullets, short sentences, and short paragraphs. That means you can't offer great detail, but you can give people an overview. If the topic is complex, suggest a reading list or invite readers to check your website for more information. You might also suggest a UAA course they could enroll in.

Tip 6: Read Tip 5 again. Sad to say, your readers are not going to sit down and study your newsletter as though they were prepping for a final. If you follow Tip 5, they'll at least skim your newsletter before they toss it. If you don't, they'll just toss it.

Provided Courtesy of PSU