i am in the initial stage of preparing a newsletter. Little confused about, how it should be? what content to be added? how many pages? should the same newsletter go to the customer as well as employees?

The first thing that came to mind for me was that you could start profiling the regular attendees at these events–depending on your space, highlight one event (and one person) per time, or do several events each time. That way, new people will feel like they already know someone who participates and people who attend regularly will get to “be famous” in the newsletter.

The other thing you’ll definitely want to do is make sure you add “Visitors [or New members] Welcome” to each listing. You don’t want people to wonder if they can come. Adding the phone number of someone can also help so that when newcomers have questions, they know the specific person to get in touch with.

Another way to make newcomers feel welcome is by being really clear on what they can expect–so, “We’re reading the book and the discussion usually lasts about a half hour. Feel free to participate, or not, as you feel comfortable.” In other words, share the same details you’d likely say in person, in the newsletter so that people know what to expect.

You’ll always have people who’re comfortable just jumping in, but by and large, most people prefer to know a bit about what to expect, so sharing details–whether that’s with a member profile, a “what to expect” paragraph, or just a simple, “Everyone’s welcome”–can go a long way towards encouraging people.

All my best,

Jessica

When we first start working with a client, we have a questionnaire we send them for all the intangible stuff–newsletter tone, style, goals, etc–and you’re right, it can be hard to capture. My favorite way to pin down a client is two-fold:

1) I start by asking them all about their favorite writer–who is it? Why? What do they really like about that writer’s style? Is it the subject matter? The way they describe things? The stories they tell? etc

2) Then, I ask them to send me 3-5 articles they’ve written that capture the tone they’re going for.

This is a lot more work than just diving right in, but I find the extra time up front results in a much stronger newsletter in the long run. Plus, it’s actually a lot of fun .

So, I’d recommend building a complete creative brief and collecting newsletters that do certain things well and also brainstorming stories you’d like to share with your readers and putting that all into a package for whomever you’ll be working with to give you both a good starting place for the working relationship.

And, of course, if you’re looking for that company to outsource to, you know where to find mine .

All my best,

Jessica

As someone thinking of a newsletter how can I communicate to a potential provider my personality, my hopes for the newsletter and the ‘feeling’ I want it to convey?
I think I’m OK on the spec for the tangible aspects – how can I get across the intangible? You know, those things that will make it ‘my’ newsletter and not just ‘another’ newsletter.

The style and template are completely up to you. For print, if you don’t want to do it yourself or hire a designer, check out StockLayouts.com. For email, again, if you don’t want to do it yourself or work with a professional, ConstantContact.com has a wide variety.

Ideally, you want something that looks fantastic that aligns smartly with your brand; you also want something your readers won’t be seeing everywhere, so definitely don’t use the same template as your competitors. Obviously, the easiest choice is to work with a professional because that’s how you’ll get the most polished, attractive, well-branded design, but you can absolutely do this on your own with plenty of time. You might want to pick up a copy of my Facelift ebook which is great for either starting from scratch or remodeling an existing design–its well worth the $20 price tag to save yourself several hours worth of work.

All my best,

Jessica

When it comes to newsletter humor, your best bet is to attract readers who like your style. You do this by infusing everything with your sense of humor–from your subscribe page through your welcome message to each and every issue. That way, the readers who don’t get “it” will unsubscribe quickly and the readers who *do* will share the newsletter with their friends. Humor is very personal, so you’ll need to share yours in an organic way.

Inspiring reader contributions comes down to two things:

1) Give them something for contributing (fame and fortune, a chance to win a prize, an answer to their question, etc); and,

2) Be prepared to beg your friends. In the beginning, no one wants to be the first to share, so you’re going to need a few people whose arms you can twist to get things started. Once you’ve published a few reader contributions, it’ll be easier to get more readers to contribute.

Also, never expect more than .1% of your subscribers to contribute–so, if you have 100 subscribers, expect that one subscriber will contribute every 10 issues or so . In other words, for regular reader contribution, you’re going to need a decent-sized list, a great bribe, and some starter stories from your friends. Good luck!

Jessica