The company newsletter is a powerful engagement tool. When created well, you can communicate to your customers what your company has been up to, promote your business and brag (just a little) about your successes. But you have to remember to engage the reader. That is the hard part. You want your reader to actually open the newsletter, whether it be in print form or via email, rather than just scan over it with a passive eye, or worse it, file 13 it.
But where do you get the energy and inspiration to even start writing the newsletter? One of the biggest challenges you face as you begin to write your newsletter is what to write about. To start, you need to think like an editor. Why? Because editors are pros at producing great content ideas. They know how to engage their reader with a vast range of diverse and intriguing content.
This list of ideas was composed with that in mind. You may not want to use them all, but integrating a few of the content types listed will help to make your newsletter more effective at gaining audience readership.

1. Testimonials – Share a way in which your business solved a client’s problem. It’s interesting, shows what a great company you are, and you don’t have to brag about yourself; it comes right from that client’s mouth.
2. New Employee – Introduce the new gal or guy in the office with a profile/bio/interview. No one new right now? Re-introduce an existing employee that your readers need to know better. Be sure to include a photo!
3. Industry News – Browse industry publications and websites and see what’s on the radar as far as trends, the latest innovations, and upcoming industry improvements.
4. Q&A – If one customer asks a question, there are probably other customers wondering the same thing. Start a Q&A section to share answers to things you are commonly polled about.
5. Event Calendar – Tell readers about upcoming events in your business (like promotions, seminars, etc.) or industry events such as conferences and expos.
6. Images, images, images – Sometimes well-chosen images can tell a story better than several paragraphs of text. Try a photo of a satisfied client, a product, or something that illustrates a point…as long as it’s appropriate and appealing!
7. Did You Know? – This can be a small nugget of information about a service or product you provide, or other industry-relevant information.
8. Make your company real – Be sure your readers make a personal connection with someone in your company. Ask a different member of your team to write a brief “day in the life” or “5 facts about Sarah in Marketing” to reveal your personal side.
9. Share the Love – our clients are everything, and a great way to make them feel special is to give them a bit of free advertising, especially if they have been busy raising money for a non-profit or having something else of interest to offer your readers.
10. Offers/Deals – Everyone likes a good deal and it’s a way of rewarding the reader. This is a nice way to say thank you for their loyalty.