Everyone wants to look good.

Your communications represent your corporate culture and philosophy; they can be your public face. Whether your newsletter is directed to your clients, prospects or to employees, it's important that it be read. A professional can help you get the job done.

Nonprofit and small businesses tend to try to do it all by themselves. You may have a powerful computer and specialized software for doing layout production work. Do you have a staff person with the necessary skills to turnout an effective newsletter? Such skills as writing, editing, proofreading, design, typography, and the ability to work with a printer? Staying on top of this fast-changing technology is a full-time job.

When you need help, call a professional. Hiring a professional communicator can save you time and money.

Before you begin your first newsletter

Here is a checklist of important things to think about before you begin production of your first newsletter:

• What is your purpose?
• Who are you talking to (demographics)?
• What are you talking about?
• What type/length of articles?
• Who will write and edit it?
• What type of image do you want to project?
• How will it be distributed?
• How many copies do you need to distribute?
• How often will it go out?
• How many pages?
• What kind of paper (color, weight, size, recycled)?
• What will be the source of your  graphic elements (photos, clipart)?
• What is your budget? Remember to include initial design, writing, editing,  production, paper, printing, folding, mailing services, and postage.
• Who is in charge of newsletter approval? Management by committee increases project time and costs.

Evaluate your current newsletter

Your newsletter can say a lot about you and your organization. If well conceived, designed, and produced, it reflects positively on your company. Here are some questions to help you evaluate the effectiveness of your newsletter.

• Is it consistent page to page and issue to issue? Is content easy to find (headlines, table of contents, page numbers, and placement of regular features)?
• Are headlines easy to read and clearly related to the articles?
• Is there a sufficient variety of topics and article lengths?
• Are there adequate points of entry for the reader (bullets, drop caps, sidebars, etc.)?
• Is the quality comparable to the image you want to project (not too slick/not too grassroots)?
• Does it use good typography?

Ways you can save money

Your newsletter can be as simple or elaborate as you choose. You can have an effective black-ink publication or an elaborate multicolored newsletter. You can opt for a copier machine newsletter - or print on a full-color press.  Or you can publish electronically, which saves on paper and printing costs.

Whatever your format choice, you want to capture your readers' interest and convey your messages for a mimium expense.

• Know your audience. Who will receive your publication and what does the reader need to hear about your organization? Don't waste time and money on a newsletter that your target audience may not be interested in reading.
• Do your own writing, if you can. You know your organization - and your message.
• If you're not comfortable as a writer, provide copy points and we'll draft an article. Or, we'd be glad to do an interview and develop copy for you. Have all your resource materials available.
• Prepare your articles on a computer disk so they don't need to be re-input.
• Don't over-communicate - a larger newsletter is not necessarily a better newsletter: Don't waste words, have fewer pages.
• You don't need glitz to communicate effectively: Use fewer colors, fewer photos, allow for white space.
• Choose plain paper, use a standard size, use standard folds.
• Hire a professional - me!