Newsletter Strategy Session^sm
For publishers of client newsletters
Maintained by David M. Freedman

ARTICLE CATEGORIES

Editorial management (concept development, planning, etc.)

Writing, editing and acquiring articles

Laws & regulations (copyright, anti-spam rules, etc.)

General newsletter management

(E) means the article focuses on electronic newsletters, not printed ones.

Articles

Recruit and Use an Editorial Board. A board can help build prestige, set policies and uphold standards, insure accuracy, and help the editor provide value to readers

The e-Newsletter Content Dilemma: Features or Summaries? Should you publish your entire e-newsletter within the e-mail message? Or should your e-newsletter consist solely of a table of contents, with article summaries and hyperlinks to web-based features? (E)

3 Keys to an Effective Client Newsletter. Create a good impression, provide extremely valuable information, and prompt readers to take action.

Database-driven Newsletter Content. How large organizations customize their e-newsletters according to individual subscriber needs and interests. With two case studies: the University of Dayton Alumni Association newsletter and Kimberly-Clark's Parentstages newsletter. (This article won a 2003 Apex Award for Publishing Excellence.) (E)

3 Big e-Newsletter Myths. Let?s put client e-newsletters in perspective: In an era of e-mail saturation, how cost-effective are they, and how should they fit into your overall marketing strategy? (E)
 

Writing, editing and acquiring articles

9 Ways to Motivate Contributors. Getting staff professionals and consultants to write articles for your publication – on deadline – can be maddening. Here are some great tips for motivating them.

Reader Response Mechanism: "Ask the Expert" Column. Promote one-on-one communication between audience and publisher, using a Q&A column that offers solutions from authoritative experts.

3 Secrets to Writing Great Headlines. Newsletter writers should follow the same rules as advertising copywriters: promise a benefit, qualify the reader, and compel the reader to read the story.
 

Laws & regulations (copyright, anti-spam rules, deep-linking, etc.)

Can You Copyright an Electronic Newsletter? The short answer is yes, you can, whether the content resides on a website, in the body of an e-mail message, or as an e-mail attachment. Here's a concise guide to what kinds of of e-content qualify for protection, who owns the copyright and how long it lasts, copyright notice and registration, international protection, etc. (E)

Deep-Link at Your Own Risk. When you provide a link to a page deep within another person's website, are you infringing on that person's copyright? Do you need that person's permission? The law is still evolving – here's the scoop so far, according to a lawyer who specializes in intellectual property and Internet law. (E)

The Fair Use Doctrine: What Newsletter Editors Need to Know. You can reproduce portions of copyrighted material for limited purposes, such as news reporting, teaching, and criticism.

Your Electronic Newsletter Needs a Disclaimer. Your online newsletter is published in every country, whether you like it or not. Protect yourself from claims of foreign trademark and copyright infringement. (E)

General newsletter management

Publishing Your Byline Articles on Your Website—Not So Fast. The best strategy is to get your article published in a respected periodical first, then "reprint" it on your website. That gives you added authoritativeness and third-party credibility. If that's not possible, here are some rules to follow before posting your manuscript.

The Most Common Newsletter Mistakes, How to Avoid Them. Two dozen mistakes related to marketing objectives, editorial content, design, writing style, production & distribution. Don't miss this one!

Hiring Freelancers: How to treat freelance writers, editors, and designers as independent contractors. If you don't, you'll have to put them on the payroll and offer them benefits.

12 Seminal Tips for Client Newsletters. Keep the marketing objective narrow. Provide information that readers can use soon to make more money and/or stay out of trouble. Narrow down the topics and cover them in depth, don't be broad and superficial. Use lots of examples, hypothetical cases, and anecdotes. Include a response mechanism. No gratuitous graphics. More.

DEFINITION: A client newsletter is one that you distribute free, primarily to clients, prospective clients, referral sources, and other stakeholders of your firm. Its objective is to be informative, to demonstrate your expertise, and to promote your services, rather than to earn a profit.

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