The Complete Guide to Crafting an Association Newsletter Your Members Can't-Wait to Read

• Who is your target audience? Focus on your members' needs, interests, and preferences. Survey them or analyze your membership data to understand what they want to read.
• How often will you publish? Monthly, quarterly, or biweekly newsletters are standard. Choose a frequency matching your content generation ability and members' expectations. Consistency is vital to keeping readers engaged.
• What types of content will you include? A good mix might be association updates, event promotion ideas, member spotlights, industry news, and resources. Provide a balance of content that is both informational and inspirational.
• How will you measure success? Track open rates, click rates, replies, shares, and other metrics to determine how readers interact with your newsletter. Monitor trends over time to see how engagement changes in response to your optimization efforts.
• Association news and updates: Share the latest information from your organization. Highlight new members, board members, initiatives, partnerships, or accomplishments.
• Event promotions: Advertise your upcoming events, conferences, fundraisers, or networking opportunities. Provide details on dates, locations, speakers, costs, and registration links.
• Industry insights: Educate your members by summarizing trends, news, resources, and developments in your field or industry. Link to relevant research reports, news articles, or case studies.
• Member spotlights: Interview or profile members with an exciting story to share. Discuss their career journey, association involvement, or advice for other members.
• Valuable resources: Share tools, templates, tip sheets, reports, books, online courses, or other resources that benefit your members.
• A minimal, uncluttered layout: Remove distracting elements and leave plenty of white space. Your content should be the focus, not flashy graphics or colors.
• A mobile-friendly responsive design: With more people reading content on mobile devices, your newsletter must display well on small screens. Choose a publishing platform optimized for all devices.
• Consistent styling: Use the same fonts, colors, and layout elements throughout your newsletter and website for cohesive branding.
• Eye-catching visuals: Include images to bring your content to life, but don't overcrowd the page. Use photos of your events, members, staff, or location. Infographics, charts, and illustrations also work well.
• Straightforward navigation: Group related content under headings and use numbered lists or bullet points to make information accessible.
• Prominent call-to-action: Place your CTA button at the top and bottom of the page. Use a color that contrasts nicely with your template for the best visibility.
• In your email signature: Include a link to subscribe in the signature of all emails sent from your organization.
• On social media: Advertise your newsletter on platforms where you have an active presence, like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Post an image of your latest issue or content highlight with a link to subscribe.
• At your events: Have attendees sign up at registration or include a call-to-action in your presentations and marketing materials. Offer a particular discount or promotion for event subscribers.
• Via word-of-mouth: Ask your current subscribers and members to spread the word about your newsletter to their colleagues and connections. Provide sample social media posts and email templates they can easily share.
• Segment your list: Group subscribers based on their interests and engagement levels. Send the most relevant content to each segment and special promotions or surveys to your most active members. Tailoring messages will increase open and click rates.
• Choose a reputable email service provider: Use a provider specializing in email newsletters and marketing, like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or Drip. They have optimized servers and security protocols to maximize deliverability.
• Maintain an engaged list: Keep your list clean by removing inactive subscribers and those who last opened your newsletter in 6-12 months. Monitor unsubscribe rates and spam complaints to ensure you're sending relevant content. Engaged readers are more likely to receive and open your emails.
• Send regularly and consistently: Stick to your established publishing schedule and avoid long gaps between issues. Sporadic or inconsistent sending can flag your newsletter as spam to email providers and hurt your open rates.
• Follow best practices: Include a clear subject line, preview text, unsubscribe link, and company information in your newsletter. Keep content relevant and avoid aggressive sales tactics, misleading info, or spammy language.
• Monitor key metrics: Track open rates, click rates, unsubscribes, spam complaints, and other metrics to gauge how readers engage with your newsletter. Look for trends to determine what's working and make improvements to increase deliverability and open rates over time.
• Optimize for mobile: With many people reading emails on their phones, your newsletter must display well on small, mobile device screens. Use a responsive design and keep content brief, scannable, and impactful for the best mobile experience.
• Keep it short: Aim for 50 characters or less. Shorter subject lines are more likely to be read on mobile devices and less likely to be cut off in email previews.
• Focus on benefits: Mention the critical benefit or valuable information readers will gain from opening your newsletter. For example, "The 3 Trends Shaping Your Industry in 2020" or "How to Save $500 on Your Next Conference Registration".
• Include an exciting content teaser: Highlight an attention-grabbing article, story, or resource featured in your latest issue. For example, "Exclusive Interview: Meet Our New Board President" or "The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Events: Success Strategies from 5 Industry Experts".
• Use power words: Start your subject line with a compelling verb or power word like "Announcing," "Revealed," "The Secret to..." or "How to...". For example, "Revealed: The Secret to Boosting Member Retention in 30 Days".
• Personalize when possible: For newsletters targeting specific member segments, use personalization to address those readers directly. For example, "Special Offer for Our Loyal Members" or "Resources for New Board Members: How to Get Up to Speed Fast."
• Find your winning formula: A/B test different subject lines to determine which options generate the highest open rates from your subscribers. Look for trends in the high-performing subject lines to develop a formula for success based on content type, length, power words used, and personalization.
• Visit our website: Drive traffic to your site to increase page views, referral traffic, and search rankings. For example, "Learn More About Our Latest Initiatives on [YourWebsiteURL.com]"
• Register for an event: Increase event attendance and registration revenue. For example, "Join Us for [Event Name]: Register Now at [RegistrationURL.com]"
• Become a member: Boost membership numbers and dues. For example, "Experience the Benefits of Membership: Join Now at [MembershipURL.com
• Take a survey: Gain valuable insights into your readers' needs, interests, and preferences. For example, "Share Your Feedback: Take Our 2-Minute Reader Survey" with a link to your survey.
• Access a resource: Offer a content upgrade like a free report, checklist, video, or book in exchange for their email address. For example, "Download Our Ultimate Guide to [Topic] - Just Enter Your Email to Get Instant Access" with a link to your lead capture page.
• Special promotion: Increase newsletter engagement and open rates by offering subscribers a particular discount or deal. For example, "Subscriber Exclusive: Save 15% on Your Next Conference Registration - Use Code [CODE] at Checkout".

The Planning Process

The first step to creating an effective newsletter is developing a strategic plan. Determine what you want to achieve with your newsletter and how you will accomplish your goals. Some questions to consider include:

What are your key objectives? Do you want to increase event attendance, drive membership renewals, or boost website traffic? Establishing concrete goals will help guide your content strategy and design decisions.

Developing a strategic plan will set you up for success. Outline your goals, target audience, format, content mix, and metrics for measurement. With a clear vision and purpose, you can craft a compelling newsletter that achieves your key objectives and keeps your members engaged.

Generate Relevant and Engaging Content

Your content is the foundation of an effective newsletter. To create content your members will read and enjoy, focus on relevance, value, and brevity.

Include a mix of content tailored to your members' interests like:

Keep content brief by limiting each item to 2 or 3 short paragraphs. Use bullet points, numbered lists, headings, and images to make information scannable and easy to consume on mobile devices or small screens.

Inject a personal touch by using a friendly, conversational tone. Address readers directly using words like "you" and "your." Ask open-ended questions to spur engagement and make the content more interactive.

Focusing on relevant, value-packed content delivered in a simple, engaging style will keep your readers returning and ensure your newsletter achieves the impact you want. Provide a mix of content to inform, educate, inspire, and motivate your members. Keep things brief, scannable, and personal for the best results.

Design and Layout

A clean, modern design is critical to crafting an attractive, informative newsletter engaging your readers. When it comes to design, simple is best. Here are some tips to guide you:

Choose a template you can customize to reflect your brand and achieve the right balance of text and visuals based on your content. Keep things minimal, mobile-friendly, and consistent for the best design that puts your content front and center where it belongs. A clean, simple layout and eye-catching yet relevant images are all you need to leave a lasting impression and keep readers engaged at first glance.

Build Your Audience And Your Email List!

Having valuable content and an attractive design means nothing if you don't have readers. Focus on growing your email subscriber list to increase the reach and impact of your newsletter.

Promote your newsletter in the following ways:

Add a signup form on your homepage and newsletter page on your association website. Offer a content upgrade like a free report or resource guide in exchange for subscribing.

Growing your email list and keeping subscribers engaged is an ongoing process. Promote your newsletter actively and frequently using all channels available to you. Offer incentives and segment your list to provide the most value. Regularly analyze metrics to see how subscribers respond to your content so you can continue optimizing and improving.

An extensive, targeted email list is instrumental to the success of your newsletter. Focus on promotion across all marketing channels, list segmentation, and optimization to build your subscriber base and keep your members opening, reading, and interacting with each issue. Provide value, relevance, and a great experience to turn subscribers into loyal readers and brand advocates.

Ensure High Deliverability For Your Emails

An enormous list of engaged subscribers means nothing if your newsletters don't reach their inboxes. Follow best practices for high email deliverability to avoid issues like spam filtering, blocking, or low open rates.

High deliverability is essential for your newsletter to achieve its purpose. Follow recommended best practices for design, content creation, list management, and email sending to build trust and ensure your issues reach your subscribers' inboxes. Monitor critical metrics regularly and optimize to improve open rates and engagement continuously.

Keeping your newsletter out of the spam folder and in front of your readers requires diligence and a commitment to excellence. But with an engaged list of loyal subscribers, you'll build community, boost member satisfaction, and achieve your key objectives. Focus on relevance, value, and optimization for the best deliverability and results.

Write Impactful Subject Lines

Your subject line is your first impression on readers and determines whether they open your newsletter. Crafting a compelling subject line is key to high open rates. Here are some tips for writing an impactful subject line:

Your subject line is the key that unlocks readership and opens the door to accomplishing your newsletter goals. Craft impactful subject lines that capture attention highlight benefits, and speak directly to your readers' interests. Experiment to find your winning formula and optimize based on open rate data. With a compelling subject line, you'll capture attention and encourage more subscribers to dive into valuable content.

Include Strong Call-to-Actions

A call-to-action or CTA prompts readers to take action after engaging with your content. Include a prominent CTA in each newsletter issue to drive traffic to your website, promote an event, or offer a special deal for subscribers.

Place your CTA at the top and bottom of the newsletter for maximum visibility. The top CTA should appear within the first two paragraphs to capture attention quickly. Repeat the CTA at the bottom of the page once more.

Choose a CTA button color that contrasts nicely with your template for the best visibility. Place the CTA on both the top and bottom of your newsletter to prompt readers to take action as soon as they start engaging and again once they've finished the content.

A robust and compelling call to action is critical to turning your readers into customers, members, event attendees, website visitors, or brand advocates. Include a CTA prominently in each newsletter issue and optimize it over time based on click rates and other metrics. With the right offer or incentive, you'll motivate your subscribers to move from passive readers to active participants in your organization's mission.

Conclusion

When done well, an association newsletter can be invaluable for engaging your members, accomplishing your key objectives, and building a sense of community. By following the best practices outlined in this guide, you'll craft a must-read monthly newsletter that your audience eagerly awaits each time it arrives in their inbox.

Focus on relevant content tailored to your members' needs and interests. Keep things brief, scannable, and impactful for the best mobile experience. Choose a simple yet attractive design with minimal distractions that puts your content center stage. Build your email list through active promotion across all channels and keep subscribers engaged with segmentation and optimization.

Ensure high deliverability by adhering to recommended email marketing guidelines. Write compelling subject lines and include a solid call to action in each issue to prompt readers to take action. Track key metrics regularly to see how your audience interacts with each newsletter and make improvements to boost open rates, click rates, and other engagement over time.

With a strategic approach, commitment to excellence, and continuous optimization, your newsletter will achieve its goals and become vital for building member relationships, brand awareness, and loyalty. Stay dedicated to providing value, relevance, and a great user experience for your readers. Keep experimenting, learning, and improving to craft a newsletter your members eagerly anticipate every time it arrives.

Choose a CTA that matches your key objectives. Some options include:

Creating a Compelling Newsletter: The Ultimate Guide for Your Association

A regular newsletter is one of the most effective ways to build community and boost engagement within your association. When done well, a newsletter can inform and inspire your members while strengthening their connection to your organization.

However, creating a newsletter that people will read and enjoy is challenging. It requires careful planning, relevant content, an eye-catching design, and optimization to drive high open and click rates.

This comprehensive guide provides tips and best practices for crafting a must-read newsletter your members will eagerly await each time it lands in their inboxes. From determining your goals to optimizing based on critical metrics, you'll have all the tools to make your association newsletter successful.