Writing It Right: Reflections on Seven Years of Neighborhood Newsletters

1. Digests. In my experience, the best e-zines—those with the highest open, read, and click-through rates—are those that present useful how-to tips or news in short, bite-size chunks. When the news stories deal with current events, open rates soar. And as for the tips, the more practical and actionable they are, the better.

Company Newsletter. As we grew in size, it became more difficult for employees to learn about each other on a personal basis. So, we began a quarterly newsletter where we’d include everything from company highlights and event pictures to employee birthdays and milestones, as well as profiles and interviews with new employees.