Elements of an Effective E-Newsletter

Darrell A. Dromgoole, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Scott Cummings, Associate Department Head and Program Leader; Professor and Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Effective newsletters don’t happen by accident—they take time, effort, and deliberate focus. Newsletters can serve a number of purposes. They can create or increase awareness, provide basic information, or provide a brief overview technical subject matter material in terms that can be understood by the general public. However, there are few situations where an e- newsletter alone will accomplish a project’s education goals. In situations where target audiences are motivated and have the opportunity and ability to act, an e-newsletter may be all that is needed (Rothschild, 1999).  E-Newsletters are very effective in supporting and reinforcing educational material as part of a larger multi-faceted educational intervention.

While e- newsletters can be an effective part of an educational strategy, they do have certain limitations (Broussard & Flores, 2007).  Research indicates that people tend to scan e-newsletters for interesting information, and rarely reads the e-newsletter in its entirety (Broussard & Flores, 2007). While effective at conveying new ideas or general concepts, e-newsletters are possibly not the best method for conveying highly technical or extremely complex information (Broussard & Flores, 2007). In the case of providing clientele with very complex concepts or research results it may be more advantageous to present this type of information in a bulletin, fact sheet, or a more intensive training activity, which could be referenced in an e-newsletter as a source for further information (Broussard & Flores, 2007).

The following are some steps when conceptualizing an e-newsletter:

• Define the purpose of the e-newletter. The first step to developing an effective  e-newsletter is answering the question: What is the purpose of this e-newsletter? Is the e-newsletter’s goals to increase awareness of an issue, market educational events or activities, provide subject matter information or reinforce information presented in another educational format?

 Extension educators may discover that their e-newsletter has a dynamic purpose: The goal could be to inform readers, and to increase clientele participating in educational interventions. It’s okay to have more than one motivating factor. However, try not to be too broad.

The following are some tips associated with conceptualizing an e-newsletter (Broussard & Flores, 2007)

• Consider the audience. Who are they, and what is important to them? Is this information they need?
• Consider the Reader’s Point of View: Address your audiences concerns from their point of view, not yours.
• Think About How You Present Yourself: The tone of the newsletter should be professional yet friendly.

• Make It Look Inviting: Create a User-friendly design, avoid small and overly ornate fonts, and include relevant images where possible.
• Take Advantage of Existing Material: Use existing materials as a reference and a foundation for presenting new ideas and information.
• Work closely with Subject Matter Specialist: Specialists have a wealth of ideas and content thethey are usually happy to share. Make sure you reference and cite any material developed by Specialist.

Below in Figure 1 is an excellent example of an Integrated Pest Management newsletter produced by Kerry Siders, Extension Agent – IPM in Hockley, Cochran and Lamb counties that is designed to provide growers with crop management updates. The entire newsletter can be viewed at http://counties.agrilife.org/hockley/files/2020/08/August202020.pdf.

Figure 1.         Example of IPM Newsletter.

Figure 2 provides an example of the Know and Grow e-newsletter from Harris county designed specifically to educate “Green Professionals” such as nurserymen.  The entire e-newsletter can be viewed at https://us9.campaignarchive.com/?u=60c39f8f45214bc663259a157&id=18d31f1ad4

Figure 2.         Example of Harris County Know and Grow e-newsletter.

Figure 3 provides an example of an Agriculture Newsletter from Nueces County. The entire newsletter can be viewed at https://nueces.agrilife.org/files/2020/07/July-Newsletter.pdf.

Figure 3.         Example of the Nueces County Agriculture Newsletter.

Figure 4 provides an example of a Better Living for Texans Newsletter.

Figure 4.         Example of Better Living for Texans Newsletter.

Figure 5 provides an excellent example of a Master Gardner Newsletter from Denton County. The entire newsletter can be viewed at https://dcmga.com/files/2020/04/The-Root-May-2020-Newsletter.pdf.

Figure 5.         Example of a Master Gardner Newsletter from Denton County.

How can Extension educators determine if their e-newsletter is really doing what it is intended to do ?There are difficulties in thoroughly evaluating impacts of newsletters alone, and the effort may not be worth the cost in time and other resources (Broussard & Flores, 2007). Before launching a full-blown evaluation effort, it is important to revisit educational plans and determine if the e-newsletter is supporting the Extension educational program or simply serving as a calendar of events. Extension educators could start by asking yourself the following questions (Broussard & Flores, 2007):

• What is this e- newsletter supposed to accomplish?
• Are these reasonable expectations?
• Is it reaching the right audience for its purpose?
• Does it adhere to good e- newsletter practices (see newsletter tips)
• Is this e- newsletter contributing to an educational strategy that results in the adoption of practices?
• Are there other more effective ways to convey this information to the appropriate audience?

Rather than conducting a detailed study of your newsletter to determine its impacts, you could consider these approaches.

• Conduct a self-assessment. Compare the newsletter purpose to the information and education needs of your target audience. If you don’t know what those needs are, you should first focus your efforts on conducting a needs assessment.
• Include questions about your newsletter as part of a more comprehensive end-of-project evaluation effort. For example (Broussard & Flores, 2007):
  • Was the newsletter a useful resource for your target audience?
  • Did the newsletter increase reader knowledge of key issues and management practices?
  • What specifically did readers learn as a result of the newsletter?
  • What specifically did readers do as a result of the newsletter?

Although newsletters are potentially useful educational communication tools, they may not always be the best choice for conveying a particular message (Broussard & Flores, 2007).  In some cases when conveying highly technical information it may be more appropriate to use a fact sheet or technical report. As a stand-alone educational method with other complementary educational events, the newsletter provides limited benefits in most situations. Newsletter effectiveness is best determined as part of a comprehensive program evaluation.

In upcoming Next Step to Success blog we will discuss developing and writing engaging content for newsletters.

Reference

Broussard, S. & Flores, K. (2007). Are Newsletters Effective? Assessing Their Role as a Communication Tool. Purdue University Extension fact sheet # FNR-269-W.