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Newsletters from Newsletters from start to finishstart to finish

Newsletters from Newsletters from start to finishstart to finish

Making your newsletter an Making your newsletter an effective communication tooleffective communication tool

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Speakers

• Ryan Roth, SHS Newsletter Editor

• John McGowan, South Jersey Chapter Newsletter Editor

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Questions to ask before starting your newsletter

• What belongs in your newsletter?• How much information should be

in your newsletter?• How often should you produce

your newsletter?• Does it have to look glamorous?

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The next step

• Basic, Intermediate, Advanced(In large part dictated by chapter maturity)

– Program Announcement– Member News– Career Development Articles– Pictures

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Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork!

• Developing a newsletter team

• Organizing the team

• Organizing the content

• Determining & meeting deadlines

Ryan

Connie Regi Walt

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• Determining & meeting deadlines

• Standardized Schedule – Board meets 1st

Tuesday– Program on 3rd

Wednesday

• Developing a newsletter team

• Board Input

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Where do you get content?

– Brainstorming among team members– Upcoming events– Reporting on activities of society– Articles from conferences or other

publications (get permission, work with author)

– Regular features (tooltime, interviews, board messages)

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Make sure it’s legal

• Don’t violate copyright laws• Articles can be found on web sites from

various consultants– (Follow direction in crediting or ask

permission to use)– Usually they just ask to reference them as

source– Can write summaries

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Editor Points – Sources (Downloading Clip Art)

• Clip Art and MediaClip of the Day Add to selection basket

http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us

• Make your newsletters shine with clip art

• Create newsletter-style columns • Get your newsletter templates right here • Use Publisher to design your own

newsletter • Send a professional newsletter to

customers

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Sources (Continued) - Variety

• On The Light Side– The Public

Domain– Inspirational

Quotes

• “Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered – either by themselves or by others” – Mark Twain

Four Men It chanced upon a winter’s nightSafe sheltered from the weather.The board was spread for only one,Yet four men dined together.There sat the man I meant to beIn glory, spurred and booted.And close beside him, to the right The man I am reputed.The man I think myself to beHis seat was occupyingHard by the man I really amTo hold his own was trying.And all beneath one roof we metYet none called his fellow brotherNo sign of recognition passedThey knew not one another.Author unknown

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Sources (Continued)

• Consultants (give credit) Food for Thought– Example Frank Patrick

fpatrick@focusedperformance.com– (Unconstrained Thinking columns are archived at

www.focusedperformance.com/articles/utlist.html.)

• Other IIE Newsletters – List Serv

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You’ve gathered your content … now what?

• Chapters – Keep It Simple (KISS)• Same format for each issue• Consistency – same topic page

(Member news, presidents message, etc.)

• Limit to 5 2-sided pages (Postage issue)• Deadlines

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• Societies & Divisions• Organizing content – most

important up front

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Print vs. email, delivery (chapters & societies)

• How do you decide which format is most effective?

• Does it depend on the situation … on what you’re trying to communicate?

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Newsletter or SPAM?

SPAM violations include:– False or misleading header

information– Deceptive subject lines– Failure to provide an opt-out method

and honor opt-out requests– Failure to include:

• Identification that the message is an advertisement

• Sender’s valid physical postal address (not PO Box)

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Sample newsletters

• SHS• South Jersey• Detroit

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Newsletter Competition

• Chapters: Going for the Gold … Platinum

• Get the recognition• Newsletter Guidelines offer good

suggestions: • www.iienet.org/public/articles/index.cfm?

cat=232#format

• Upcoming deadline! (Dec. 17, 2004)

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You Asked For It …(Newsletter Competition)

• Electronic Newsletters Recognized In IIE Newsletter Competition– Need to see newsletter as

attachment– Guidelines For Emailed Newsletters

• Quick note of introduction• All names bcc’ed• Summary of newsletter points in body of

email (because everyone doesn’t open attachments).

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Transition to a new editor

• You have a great newsletter, and the editor is moving or resigning … now what?

• TRANSITION! (Make it easier on the next guy!)

• Share IIE Newsletter Guidelines

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How do you use it to draw people to your Chapter, Society, or

Division?

• Send to faculty advisors and student officers

• Send to member contacts / prospective members

• Local companies• Other professional societies (ASQ,

APICS)

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Effective Newsletters• Increase member participation?• Recruitment Tool?• Revenue generator?

– (Yes, maybe, probably not.)

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Software Options• Word (Insert pictures rather

than cut/paste to minimize file size)

• Publisher (Tailored for newsletters)

• Adobe Acrobat

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Question & Answer

You may ask questions at this time by pressing 01 on your telephone

keypad. You will be able to ask your question in the order it was

received!

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