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Ditch the Boring Memos: 35 Newsletter Hacks Your Employees Will Love
Turning "Ugh, Another Email" Into "Hey, Did You See the Newsletter?"
Russell Cargill
October 21st, 2024
Table of Contents
It's Monday morning, and Sarah from marketing just spilled her coffee in excitement when she saw the pictures from her latest expedition in the company newsletter pop up in her inbox.
Over in IT, Dave's got the giggles over the CEO's latest meme; and in HR, the team's huddle has turned into a heated debate about last week's office playlist feature.
Does this sound like your company newsletter, or does your newsletter put people to sleep faster than a 3-hour budget meeting? If yours is the latter, you’re not alone.
Company newsletters can be a snoozefest. Boring newsletters aren't just annoying—they're expensive.
But your company newsletter doesn’t have to be boring, and it won’t be if you implement some of the ideas I have for you in this article.
Keep reading, and I will share some ideas on how to transform your company newsletter into something your employees actually want to read.
To be fair, it's not easy to keep employees interested and informed, but some of the ideas below can make a big difference.
Let’s get started.
Let's face it – in a world where your team might be spread across different time zones (or just different floors), your newsletter is often the glue holding your company culture together.
It's not just about updates; it's about creating a shared experience that makes everyone feel part of something bigger.
Let me paint a picture: You've got a fantastic new project kicking off, but only half of your team knows about it. That’s an issue, right?
That's where a solid employee newsletter comes in. It's your way to reach everyone – from the newest hire to the most experienced manager.
I think these newsletters are so valuable because:
They’re information hubs.
They build culture.
They stop rumors.
They recognize achievements.
They create unity.
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, but how do I make a newsletter people will actually read, and will Sarah really spill her coffee with excitement?”
I can’t guarantee Sarah and the coffee spilling, but I can say that the ideas below will certainly put you on your way to having an awesome newsletter that your employees will look forward to.
Grab a coffee (don’t spill it; I’m looking at you, Sarah) and let's dive in.
Content Strategy Development
Before diving into the creation of your newsletter, it's crucial to develop a solid content strategy.
This process starts with setting clear goals for your newsletter. Ask yourself what you want to achieve: Is it improving employee engagement, sharing company news, or promoting your culture?
Whatever your objectives, write them down and use them as a guiding light for your content decisions.
Identifying Your Audience
Break your strategy down by identifying your audience within the company.
Are you writing for the entire company or specific teams?
Your messaging will vary depending on who you are writing for. For example, imagine you’re writing content on growth team updates.
You will write on market trends, customer acquisition strategies, and growth metrics.
Here are a few more examples for you:
Engineering updates: Highlight technical achievements, new tools or technologies, and upcoming projects.
Sales team newsletter: Share success stories, best practices, and industry insights.
Company-wide updates: Provide a holistic view of the organization's progress, including updates from various departments.
If you’re unsure what to write about or who your target audience is, consider setting up a survey to gather insights about what your employees want to see in the newsletter.
This information can be invaluable in creating content that resonates with your audience.
When planning your content mix, aim for a balance of news, updates, employee stories, and interactive elements.
I’d suggest following the 70-20-10 principle:
70% core content, like company news and update
20% trending topics, such as industry news or relevant external content
10% experimental content, where you can try new ideas and formats
Crafting Engaging Content for Your Employee Newsletter
Now that you have a strategy, it's time to focus on creating content that your employees will appreciate reading.
But not so fast…
I want you to first create a content calendar before you write a single email. This allows you to plan your topics in advance and align your newsletter content with company events, industry happenings, and seasonal themes.
A content calendar will also help prevent last-minute scrambles for content ideas.
When the time comes to write content, always start with compelling headlines. They're your first impression and can make the difference between your newsletter being opened or ignored.
Use action words, ask intriguing questions, or tease interesting content to pique curiosity.
Yes, even employees need some encouragement to open their newsletters.
When they do open it, most people will skim the content, especially in a work setting, so write a captivating subject line and compelling headlines and hook them in.
How do you hook them in? Start the newsletter strong by putting your most important or interesting information at the beginning.
You can even put a tl;dr section (too long;didn’t read) or a key points section at the top of the newsletter.
Remember, no one likes reading huge blocks of text, so incorporate relevant images, infographics, or even GIFs to break up text and illustrate your points.
Keep your sentences short and use simple words. A 5th grader should be able to read it.
In short, do the following:
Use short paragraphs (3-4 sentences max)
Have subheadings to break up sections
Include bullet points for lists or key takeaways
Use bold text for emphasis (but use it sparingly)
There’s a bunch of themes you could run with. A monthly roundup, for instance, can be a great way to summarize key achievements, project updates, and upcoming events.
One idea you can explore is creating a spotlight series that focuses on different departments or teams in each issue. This helps employees understand what their colleagues do and builds a sense of connection across the organization.
You could feature interviews with team members, showcase recent projects, or explain how the department contributes to the company's overall goals.
Another option is to use your newsletter to share training opportunities, book recommendations, or industry trends. This will position your newsletter as a valuable resource for professional growth and demonstrate the company's commitment to employee development.
And perhaps most importantly (at least for me), inject some fun into your newsletter.
I’ll be the first to admit that, sometimes, company updates can be as exciting as watching paint dry, but even the most corporate newsletters can be fun.
Here are some ideas to run with:
Pet of the Month: Who doesn't want to see Jen from accounting's adorable pug in a bow tie?
Office Playlist: Create a collaborative Spotify playlist. Just be prepared for Dave from sales to add his entire 80s rock collection.
Guess Who?: Share a baby photo of an employee and let people guess who it is.
Meme Contest: Just set some ground rules unless you want HR to have a meltdown.
Recipe Swap: Share favorite recipes from staff members. It's all fun and games until someone shares a ghost pepper chili sauce recipe.
If you like getting experimental, you can play around with different content formats.
Here are some creative formats I’d consider:
Employee Q&A: For each newsletter, interview a different team member. This will help employees connect with colleagues they might only interact with occasionally.
Day in the Life: Follow an employee through their workday. This format could showcase different roles within the company, highlight your workforce's diverse skills and talents, and build greater understanding and appreciation between departments.
Here is an example template you could use:
Subject: A Day in the Life of Our [Department Name] Team
Ever wonder what makes our [product/service] so great? Let's peek behind the curtain at our [Department Name] team's world!
Meet [Employee Name], our [Job Title]:
[Time]: [Employee Name] starts the day with [morning routine] and [first work task]. “[Quote about their morning routine or first task],” they say.
[Time]: Time for [regular team meeting]. The team [describe meeting activities]. Fun fact: [Interesting team tradition or habit].
[Time]: [Employee Name]'s tackling [important task or project]. “[Quote about the significance of this task],” [Employee Name] explains.
[Time]: [Team activity, like brainstorming or collaborative work]! [Describe the scene]. Team motto: [Team's catchphrase or principle]
[Time]: [Employee Name]'s wrapping up by [end-of-day task]. “[Quote reflecting on the day's work],” they [emotion, e.g., smile, reflect].
Want to know more about other teams? [Instructions for suggesting the next featured department]!
Photo Contests: Challenge your employees to submit photos based on a theme and offer prizes. This user-generated content can significantly boost engagement.
Polls and Surveys: These are a great way to get quick feedback on various topics. These can provide valuable insights and make employees feel heard.
Why Trust Me? Russell, the founder of the InboxConnect marketing agency, has over five years of deep expertise in email marketing. Under his leadership, the agency has become known for innovative strategies with notable successes, including campaigns for renowned clients like Payoneer.
Recurring Segment Ideas
Just about every gym goer knows that Monday is chest day. Why? I don’t know. It’s been that way since the dawn of time.
And just as you can expect to see everyone hitting chest and tri’s on Monday, why not apply this concept to your newsletters?
Kick off the week with an inspirational quote or quick success story and call it Monday Motivation.
Then, hit them with a Feedback Friday theme.
Other recurring segment ideas you could feature that are more suitable for a biweekly or monthly newsletter are:
Product Updates
Latest News
Stock Value
Learning Material
Monthly Challenge
The ideas are almost endless.
Interactive Multimedia Elements
How about embedding quick video updates from team leads? This will add a personal touch and help convey key messages more effectively.
Or include something like clickable infographics. You don’t have to overcomplicate things.
Try a 60-second spotlight with different team members each week or a department digest where you include bite-sized updates from each department in 50 words or less.
User-Interactive Formats
Include quick polls on upcoming company events or initiatives to get feedback and engage your audience.
Run a Caption This contest with funny office photos to add a touch of humor and encourage participation.
You could create a special summer edition featuring employee vacation photos and reading lists. It's a great way to showcase personal experiences and recommend interesting reads for the season.
As the year ends, create a year-end review to recap major achievements with a fun, visual timeline.
You can play around with different seasonal themes depending on where your company is based.
Employee Spotlights: Share stories about team members who live your company values. If you're big on innovation, talk about someone who devised a clever fix for a problem.
Behind-the-Scenes Peeks: Show what's happening in different teams or projects. This openness helps build trust.
Community Action: Talk about how your company gives back. You could include:
Stories of employees volunteering
Company charity events
How you're making a difference locally
Diversity Celebrations: Show off your efforts to include everyone and value different viewpoints. This matters as more and more job seekers care about workplace diversity.
Big Wins and Milestones: Give a shout-out to personal and team achievements like:
Work anniversaries
Finished projects
Personal victories (maybe someone ran a marathon or got a degree)
New Faces: Introduce new hires with fun facts about them.
Upcoming Events: Keep everyone in the loop about company gatherings or team-building activities.
Ask the Boss: Do a Q&A session with leadership to make them more approachable.
Helpful Tips: Share advice on managing stress or time better.
Learning Opportunities: List upcoming workshops or training sessions.
Company Roundup: Give a quick overview of what's happening across different departments.
How To Personalize Your Internal Company Newsletter
To make your company newsletter feel like it's written specifically for each employee, you can start by creating sections that are specific for each department.
Marketing might get the latest campaign results, while engineering sees updates on ongoing projects.
You’ll have to segment your list and then use custom tags so that you can narrow down on your personalization.
For example, you could segment the list by job level. Entry-level employees might see more learning opportunities, while managers get leadership tips.
Here are some more ideas:
Location-Based Updates
Personal Milestones
Project Involvement
Career Development
Company Goals Progress
Employee Interests
FYI, beehiiv’s segmentation tools make it easy to create these personalized versions without spending hours on multiple newsletters.
Measuring the Impact of Your Internal Newsletters
Creating a great newsletter takes a ton of time and effort – effort you don’t want going down the drain.
Measuring the impact of your internal newsletters requires collecting data and insights that can help you continually improve your communication strategy.
Start with the obvious and track open rates. While industry averages hover around 21.33% for company newsletters, you should aim higher for internal communications.
Click-through rates (CTR) offer a deeper level of insight. Consider benchmarking your CTRs with known industry averages to understand where you stand.
But generic data like open rates and CTR isn’t the be-all and end-all of company newsletters. I’d argue that any feedback that you get directly from employees is far more valuable, so ask for it.
The next time you’re at the coffee machine, ask employees what they think of the newsletter or gather a small group for an in-depth discussion about the newsletter and enable comments for real-time feedback if your platform allows it (beehiiv does).
When comparing your newsletter to your competitors’ newsletters, there are really only a few things you can do.
The first thing you can do is sign up for a competitor's newsletter. It’s a bit cheeky, but don’t worry—we all do it. Once signed up, open their welcome email, if they have one, and then look out for their next newsletter.
Then, go through a checklist of everything you want to benchmark your newsletter with theirs.
You can go the extra mile and then check out their socials to see how they promote their newsletter.
Another way to do some competitor analysis is through networking or talking to people you may know who have subscribed to your competitor's newsletter.
Get their feedback on it and ask them what they love and hate about it. Take notes and implement them into your newsletter.
Remember, the goal isn't to copy but to improve your newsletter, whether in design, content, or marketing.
Best Practices for Distributing Your Company Newsletter
Distribution is like the final boss. Even the most brilliant newsletter will only have an impact if it reaches your employees.
Timing is everything when it comes to email. The best time to send your newsletter can vary depending on your company culture and employee habits.
I could suggest the best day/time for you to send your newsletter, but, honestly, I’d just be guessing.
The only way to truly know the best time for your newsletter is to test several different times and days.
Aside from send times, you have to have the basics in order. Things like design, DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), Domain-based Message Identification, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), etc., need to be sorted.
The same goes for making sure your design is optimized for mobile readers. I’d dare say that most, and I’m guessing about 80% of your employees, will be checking their email on mobile devices. That means your newsletter needs to:
Have a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes
Use large, easy-to-tap buttons for your CTAs
Consist of short paragraphs and plenty of white space for easy reading
Consistency is another significant factor in newsletter distribution. Whether you choose a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly schedule, stick to it. This creates anticipation and helps your newsletter become a regular part of your employees' routine.
Conclusion
Alright, I’ve covered a lot in this article, but here's the thing: Ideas are just the beginning.
Company newsletters are a very important aspect of any business for customers and employees, and that's where beehiiv comes in.
With beehiiv, you're not just sending out another company memo. Boring!
beehiiv’s tools are designed to help craft a newsletter that your team will look forward to.
Remember, your newsletter is about building connections, engaging with your employees, and shaping your company culture.
In a world where remote work is the new norm, your newsletter can be the glue that holds your team together.
Are you ready to turn your newsletter into a culture-building powerhouse?
Sign up for beehiiv today and start your 30-day, free trial. No credit card needed -- just bring your ideas and get buzzing!
Happy mailing!
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