Evaluating your newsletter

You’re probably heard, “Print is dead.” I’m talking in the headlines and not from the mouth of a teenage kid. As the pendulum has swung (and seems like it may be stuck) in the direction of everything digital, all the time, it may be just the thing print needs to make a comeback.

If you’re a marketer working at an Association or Nonprofit, you’ve probably had to defend and/or cut back on your budgets for print communications. When money is tight, that’s usually the first thing to go. But, make sure the cut is not done in haste. I’d argue that print is still alive, but looking for a different place to take root.

One of our clients recently did a survey of their membership, a majority of which are ages 50+. Nearly 60% of the members said they read every issue of the print newsletter. And 87% read it from cover to cover! While those stats may not be surprising considering the demographic, it just shows that your members/stakeholders have strong opinions about their preference between print and digital communications.

Is it possible to please everyone? Only if you’re committed (money, time, resources) to a multi-channel approach. Print-only or email-only just won’t cut it. I think this resource provides very solid advice on how to wade through the print vs. email (or both) decision. I’ve also been working on my easy-to-follow advice on print vs. email for presentations. I think this shows why a “both” strategy is absolutely essential. 

Creating Your Own Report Card

Now let's stick to the topic of newsletters (digital or not), but take a step back. Some of the evaluation you’ll have to do when determining whether you want to pursue either print or email or both is to critique your current communication. There’s no reason to commit/expand your newsletter program if the current one isn’t up to par. Below is a report card we’ve put together. We recommend rating yourself on each bullet and sub-bullet from 1 to 5, with a 5 being “Yes, we absolutely deliver.” Start working on the areas that you rated with 1s and 2s first since they are where you need to improve the most. Even if you can improve in 2-3 areas, it will be noticeable.

1.      Provide fresh content

• Content is topical to your Nonprofit/Association mission
• Content is timely
• Content appeals to your audience, be it specific or a variety (age, ethnicity, geographic)

2.      Provide unique information

• The reader may not be able to get the particular content elsewhere
• The nonprofit/association’s opinion is included in the news piece (People back you because you are the opinion leader in your space)

3.      Generate revenue

• Highlight tiers of membership benefits (for Associations)
• Ask for donations (planned giving, corporate partners, etc)
• Do you have room for potential advertising space? (even if it’s to highlight a donor)

4.      Drive Traffic to the website

• Feature stories or content that drive traffic to the website or landing page
• Calls-to-action to “get involved” in some way (campaigns, download content, petitions, etc.)

5.      Build the Brand

• Represent the “look and feel” of the organization, so readers know exactly who you are and what you represent
• Tells your organization’s story by creating emotional appeal
• Promote your accomplishments so “why we exist and our value is…” is reinforced

6.      New member/donor solicitations

• Provide information on membership benefits – your sales pitch (for Associations)
• Provide reports (stories, stats) on how donations made an impact
• Encourage readers to pass the news along to a friend who may be interested

7.      Encourage two-way conversation with readers

• Ask for feedback
• Drive Facebook fans, Twitter followers, etc.
• Call for input – questions, stories, photos, articles, etc.

If you want a printable report card, download it on Slideshare!