Employee Newsletter – Planning
Question:
My CEO wants HR to start producing an employee newsletter. How do I start?
Answer:
This is a huge undertaking – but one that is surmountable with the proper planning. To get started you need to outline your plan by determining the following:
Objective: Why are you doing this? What is the newsletter’s objective – internal communication, entertainment or to promote the culture, inspire others and impact morale? Don’t try to mix business communications, such as sharing changes to policies and procedures, with other types of communications – it’s best to keep them separate.
Audience: Who is your target reader? Is this for internal employees only or will you share with clients, customers or vendors? Is it only for corporate employees, a specific department or the entire company. Know who will see the publication and create content accordingly.
Frequency: How often will you publish? Can you sustain a monthly newsletter? Would it be better to attempt a quarterly option? Be realistic on how much effort you can put into a regular publication or find others that can help provide content.
Format: What medium will be used? Will this be in print, sent via email, published online or readable via the company intranet? This will impact cost and resources needed.
Name: What will it be called? Does your publication have a name, dictated by others? If not, how will this be determined? Does it need to be branded to match other company brands? Is it supporting a new employment brand?
Design: What will your newsletter look like? The format may dictate this as may your organization’s branding requirements.
These are some things to think about before you begin writing your very first word. But you will find if you have a goal and a purpose for your newsletter it will be much easier down the road to decide what to write about and include in your publication.
We’ve never heard employees complain that their employer communicates “too much”. Communication is the backbone of a satisfied and productive workforce. However, providing adequate communication to a diverse group of employees who may require differing forms of communication isn’t always easy. Strategic HR has years of experience creating written communication for employees – including employee newsletters. Visit our Communications page to learn how we can assist you with various communication-based projects.
