Regular communication in the form of a virtual newsletter can be an integral part of your association’s success. Here are some tips for a great association newsletter that will provide value to your audience, members and non-members alike.
Focus On Your Goal
Think about what your goal is with this newsletter. Are you aiming to inform and educate about the latest in industry news? Maybe you’d like your newsletter to be only updates on what your organization has accomplished and is looking to accomplish.
If your newsletter is for members only, think about what value your members are going to want. Try to infuse your newsletter with the type of content that will keep them around.
Are you creating a newsletter for everyone, including potential members? Make sure you are focused on not only providing valuable content, but including things that will entice people to join.
[Related: The Value of Welcome Webinars for New Members]
Keep it Short and Sweet
No one enjoys reading run-on sentences, and big blocks of text can deter people from even beginning to read. If everything in your newsletter is included in one email make sure your content is:
- concise
- to the point
- broken up by paragraphs and headers
This will make it more digestible, professional-looking, and easier to read.
If you have a lot of content, consider writing “teasers” with links to a complete PDF or subpage on your website for the rest of the information.
Report on Industry News
When people join your association and sign up for your newsletter, there’s a good chance it’s because they believe you to be the authority (or at least one of the authorities) on your industry. Use your newsletter to keep your audience up to date with any relevant industry news and upcoming events, and how it relates to your association.
[Related: What Benefits Matter to New Members]
Highlight Individuals
One thing that will keep people interested and coming back to your newsletter is if you have a personal, human-aspect to it. Try highlighting different members of your association, or those who work on the behind-the-scenes stuff. Do short interviews asking about what the association means to them and what they think about the future of the association, and include photos.
Have a Call to Action
Always have a call to action at the end of your newsletter. Whether that’s linking to your social media accounts and asking people to follow you there, or informing about an upcoming fundraiser or asking for donations—give your reader a next step so that they can continue to support you.
Contact Dennison and Associates today for assistance with running your association smoothly. Our expert team can provide organizational services, software implementation, training and more to help you grow and succeed.
