Good newsletters can inspire and motivate members, create energy between meetings, and keep your club connected. Two Toastmasters offer these extra tips to help make your newsletter content stick.
- Your newsletter should be informative, entertaining, and a way to showcase club members. It’s also a means to show guests and potential members the personality of your club.
- Give your newsletter a consistent look and delivery schedule so readers will recognize it on arrival. Pick a cadence—quarterly, twice a year, every other month—and stick to it.
- Draw on members’ expertise and reach out personally to those who make a big impression. If a member is particularly adept at delivering evaluations or handling meeting roles with ease, ask them to share their tips in an article.
- Remind newer members and mentees that the newsletter is a valuable resource. For example, say: “Barbara, I noticed that you are going to be Table Topicsmaster for the first time. Why don’t you look at last spring’s newsletter? Bob wrote a great article describing this role.”
- Think of your newsletter as a source for event coverage, photos, and club culture. Save and store each newsletter so that you can refer to them later and track your club’s history.
- Open your newsletter with a pithy column from your Club President, a table of contents, and a calendar of events.
- Create catchy titles for photos and articles.
[Editor’s Note: Here are 700 power words to help you create a great headline.] - Add a photo of the author of an article to help club members put a face to a name.
- Include consistent segments and rotate other features to give room to club contests, special events, etc.
- Avoid using stale information. Instead, use photos from club meetings, add new members’ comments on special meetings or contests, or run inspiring quotes.
Alex Lawes, DTM, and Disna Weerasinghe, DTM are members of Cerner Toastmasters Club in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
