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main purpose of a newsletter is to provide informative and
updated news, either for your customers or to your workforce.
It is a method of communication regarding business achievements,
objectives and future plans, offering advice and tips, and
enlightenment on certain areas relevant to the subject concerned.
It is
a medium to encourage raising business profiles and brand
loyalty towards the potential audience. The content should
be relevant and meaningful in an easily readable style,
newsworthy yet devoid of jargon, with suitable illustrations
and photographs to provide further explanation and maintain
readership interest. There also should be opportunities
for response and feedback such as a letters page or a questions
and answer forum.
Presentation
procedures
Care should be taken when considering how to present your
newsletter to your target audience. It might mean the difference
between successfully getting your message across or it just
becoming recycling fodder. First impressions to the reader
must be effective, especially as many will initially skim-read
before making a decision on whether the content is boring
or exciting, whether it should be read now, put aside for
later or just thrown away!
Perceived
value depends on a good layout, which is the key to legibility.
Clear, concise and uncluttered are our keywords, as these
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contribute
to the attractiveness and readability of any publication.
The design and choice of typeface should be relevant to
both the subject matter and the potential audience, and
even the weight and colour of the paper used in combination
with the balance of text and graphics can make a difference.
Audience
appreciation
A newsletter's purpose should also consider its intended
audience. What image is trying to be broadcast – formal
or casual, professional or amateurish, value for money or
cheap, friendly or institutional? What is the frequency
of publication, and will this reflect on the number of pages
per issue? Should there be a strict format used every time,
or will the size and content vary according to the season
or information available? Will the design layout, which
will vary according to the number of columns and placement
of pictures, allow suitably rapid or leisurely reading relevant
to the content concerned? What size publication will be
appropriate, considering postage or printing costs?
The
correct design format will maximise the delivery of your
information, save paper and costs and provide a professional
approach. And if you need to raise income to cover your
production costs, there could also be an opportunity for
advertising revenue.
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