Five steps to a great newsletter

1. Know what people actually read.

You are sharing your story. Sharing what you do . You put a lot of effort into your articles, but keep in mind that research shows that the majority of people read headlines, photo captions and quotes that are pulled out of the text. If you’ve captured their attention there, they may read your first sentence. So make sure that is attention grabbing. If the first sentence grabs them, they may scan first sentences of each paragraph. So be sure if that is all they read, they still have your main points.

2. Look is key.

Crisp, clear, compelling images will pull your audience in, and since folks tend to read captions, use the images and captions to carry key ideas. Make good use of white space. Lots of white space makes today’s hurried readers feel like, “This won’t take long.” Edit, edit and edit your text until you are telling a compelling story as briefly as possible. Use a font that is easy to read, and make it large enough that all ages have easy access. If your font is smaller than 11 point, you will be losing your older audience.

3. Choose content carefully.

Story is king. Do include data, but put it in a box as a sideline or share it as an infographic, and make the focus a story that illustrates the human effect of that data. Make your lead story (front page above the fold for print) about how a person (or animal or emotion-grabbing issue) has benefitted from the work your donors make possible. Yes. While you are reporting what you are doing, the focus is on the people who are making your work possible. Include a story about a person carrying out your mission. Include quotes from donors about why they give. These can be pulled out in a box or bubble. Remember what people read: quotes! Pull them out. Have a call to action: volunteer, donate, and share our message.

4. Target your audience.

Talk to your audience not to yourself. Avoid jargon. Your work may be technical, but the goal of your newsletter is to share your story and move people to action.

5. Adjust to your medium.

If your newsletter is electronic, keep it short. You can add video and links that fill out your message. Make it interactive. Add a short survey. Give your readers a chance to participate with opportunities like: Help us choose our new logo or name this animal or - - .

If your newsletter is print, it can be a bit longer, but remember what people actually read: Headlines, photo captions, quotes that are pulled out. Font size is even more important than it is for online, where readers can enlarge the text as needed. Refer your readers to your online presence.

Do communicate in print and online. You want to use the medium your donors and potential donors use. If you limit your communication to one method, you are missing part of your audience.