Purpose of a Newsletter

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No longer the staid purveyor of information from generations past, today's newsletters are enjoying a resurgence. Credit the accessibility of graphic design programs or Internet templates, but newsletters can be compelling, dynamic and engaging. If you're considering launching a newsletter for a group, team or extracurricular activity at school, the challenge begins by deciding what the fundamental purpose of your newsletter should be.

1 Accomplish Many Objectives

Taking a hint from the prefix, the main purpose of a newsletter is to communicate news -- to inform a relatively small and targeted audience of the news that is important to them. Including relevant announcements and updates might be important, but a newsletter also can be a valuable tool for bolstering morale, promoting unity and team spirit and motivating and rewarding achievements. A newsletter also can be a teaching forum -- a way to impart information aimed at improving performance. Once you understand your readers' principal needs and interests and settle on a purpose for your newsletter, craft the content accordingly and remain true to its mission.

2 Name with Care

Choose a short, catchy name for your newsletter; it's an important identifier that should get people talking about and looking forward to subsequent issues. Create synergy by choosing a name that relates to your group, team or extracurricular activity. For example, say that you wish to start a newsletter for an after-school cooking club. Consider names such as Chef Talk or The Spoonful. Alleviate the pressure on yourself and ignite some positive buzz for your newsletter by holding a naming contest. Let people vote for their favorite entries -- and entrees -- to get your newsletter off to a promising start.

With education, health care and small business marketing as her core interests, M.T. Wroblewski has penned pieces for Woman's Day, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal and many newspapers and magazines. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Northern Illinois University.

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