What does it take to create, organize and present a great newsletter? 

It takes time, dedication and organization.  It also takes some design skills, content contributors (unless all the content comes from you) and some time management skills.

Here’s five important tips so you can create, organize and present a great newsletter:

•  Use the KISS Theory – Keep It Simple, Silly.  Create your master layout before adding any content.  Make sure the design is pleasing on a PC, laptop, iPad or handheld device.  Balance your layout so there’s not too many graphics and that your text has bullet points and white spacing for easy reading on any device.

• Balance Information and Self-Promotion – Your newsletter contacts will look forward to (and open) your emails if they know you’re offering them good information.  One of the purposes of writing a great newsletter, though, is to keep your name in front of prospective clients.  So, a little self-promotion goes a long way.  If you’re offering something for sale in your newsletter (like an ebook, special report, etc.), make sure you balance out the sale with a lot of free information.  Make your newsletter about “news”, not sales.  Try a few different ways to balance your content and see what works and what doesn’t.

• Can They Count on You? – Starting the newsletter is actually easier than keeping up with it on a consistent basis.  If you’ve decided that you are going to do a weekly newsletter every Thursday, then do a weekly newsletter every Thursday.  Your readers should be able to count on you to send out your newsletter consistently on the same day of the week or month.

• Not Just Another Pretty Face – A good  layout with fabulous graphics can add appeal to your newsletter, but content is hands down more important.  Be sure your newsletters are set up to be delivered in HTML format so that your readers will be able to see your graphics as well as the text.  Some programs disable photos from newsletters.  So, you’ll want to make sure your newsletters are easy to read and understood in text format, too.

• Let ‘em Go, Louie – No one wants to see contacts opt out of our emails.  Making it difficult to opt-out, though, is unwise to say the least. We need to make sure the opportunity to opt-out is clearly part of our newsletter.  The CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business  clearly outlines the best practices for business.

I challenge you step away from the cookie-cutter pre-written newsletters and create, design and present your own newsletter with your own content and branding.  Creating, organizing and presenting a great newsletter takes time and consistency.  However, it’s one of the best (and often overlooked)  ways to help your readership while keeping your name head and shoulders above your competition.