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The News In Brief
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News In Brief OKNEWSMW.doc |
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Important Note:
Please be sure to save the template to your hard drive; then open the file from within Word before making your own changes.
Newsletters are popular because newsletters work. As a marketing tool, a newsletter allows you to mix information with advertising. In return for some value, your prospect concedes to some selling.
The problem with most newsletters is they require lots of time to produce. It takes lots of words and pictures to fill four or eight pages. And once you're committed to a quarterly, bi-monthly or monthly schedule you must stick to it to maintain your credibility — whether you have the time or not.
This "news in brief" format offers an alternative - it doesn't require a great deal of information, in fact you can create a complete issue with as little as four or five hundred words. And it won't demand lots of layout and design time - you simply string stories one below the other.
It is a particularly good format for a small business or an individual within a larger organization. The idea is not new - The Kiplinger Washington Letter, for example, has been using a letter-like format effectively for decades. Short, informative blurbs and stories, make it a quick, enjoyable, read. Using the typewriter-like typeface, Courier, gives it a letter or telegram-like quality - up to the minute news.
You can create your own version, no matter what your business. The example shows how a real estate broker might use the newsletter to keep clients, prospects and suspects up-to-date about happenings in the local commercial real estate market. Imagine how effective it would be to meet a prospect, add them to the list, and mail the newsletter a couple of days after that first meeting. In the months to follow, the newsletter will be a great way to stay in touch and build a relationship.
This version includes a greeting from the realtor(1), a section of "Newsbriefs" (2) - one sentence tidbits about the vendors, colleagues and the industry in general. He follows with several one or two paragraph stories (3) and personalizes it by adding his signature at the end (4). At the bottom of side two is a response section that prompts the reader to write, fax or call for more information.
The key to preparing your version is to gather substantive information - not just advertising copy about your products and services. Put yourself in the reader's shoes and think about the factual information or opinion you would enjoy reading. Include tips, techniques and details that help the reader understand the ins and outs of your business.
Customizing it for your audience couldn't be easier - dream up a title and add a photograph or clip art illustration to establish the subject matter. You can repeat the same image issue to issue or change it from time to time. You might even try printing it on a distinctive color to make it that much more memorable - a visual cue for the reader that your latest "news in brief" has arrived.
All templates are compatible with the C5000 Series, C7000 Series and C9000 Series digital color printers from OKI® Printing Solutions.
Template design by: Chuck Green, Logic Arts (804-266-7996,
www.ideabook.com);
Impact, Adobe Systems (800-68-ADOBE,
www.adobe.com);
Skyline photograph: from US Landmarks and Travel, PhotoDisc (1-800-528-3472,
www.photodisc.com) )
Microsoft, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
