8 Ways to Make Your Employee Newsletter a Must-Read

August 13, 2021

How much of your employee base is actually engaging with your content? A 2020 Gallup study reported that the percentage of engaged workers ranged from about 31 percent to about 40 percent over the course of the year – that means there’s definitely room for improvement. So, how can internal communicators boost engagement? Here’s one surefire way: Amp up your employee newsletter in ways that help your colleagues feel like they’re a part of something bigger.

Do a strategic assessment. What strategic communication goals are your manager and her manager focused on? Make sure those goals are guiding the content in your newsletter. Similarly, do your articles show how employees are fulfilling the company’s mission? Is the content drawing a direct line between the work you do and the values your company espouses?

Measure so you can manage. Some communicators fear surveys. They might be afraid of what employees will tell them, but you can’t make a meaningful impact unless you have a baseline measurement. Be bold, and find out what colleagues think about the newsletter. Then, use the results to help drive change. But remember, you’ll need to respond to what the survey reveals, or your team’s credibility will take a hit.

Tap into your company network. Have a network of employees from across the business provide feedback—and article ideas. If your organization is spread out over different locations, building relationships with folks on the ground at other sites is essential to building a newsletter that gets views.

People love to read about other people. Reporting on the company’s new widget won’t hold readers’ attention for long. Reporting on the team, or the person, who had to overcome obstacles to get that widget to the market? Now, that’s a compelling angle! These types of articles are also an opportunity to show the diversity and talent of your workforce.

Keep your headlines and teasers short and inviting. Headlines and teasers are what drive readership in your newsletter. Aspire to greatness by modeling your content after The New York Times or BuzzFeed. Don’t just summarize the article; artfully show how readers will benefit or be amused by reading it. (Related tip: keep your articles crisp and scannable. Your readers are super busy!)

Images get eyeballs. You’re scrolling through Instagram, what stops your thumb? A great image or video. Surprise your reader with fun photos. For one newsletter, we asked employees to send in photos of their pets and got a great response. In this age of TikTok, short videos from senior managers will resonate with employees. So if you know a VP who wants to make an impact…

Support your company’s DE&I efforts. In a Deloitte survey, 83% of millennials reported higher levels of engagement when they believed their company fosters an inclusive culture. Reporting on the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts proves these values are important to management. Make sure your employee profiles reflect the diversity of the company’s workforce. Do your holiday photos include a variety of celebrations? Do the stock images you use show diversity?

Connect with conversations. The goal of these tips is to help employees connect with the company’s mission and with each other through your newsletter. To do that you need to keep the tone of your newsletter conversational—banish jargon and sales talk. If your newsletter has a social component, encourage comments by asking a senior manager to chime in on an article.

What works and doesn’t work for your company newsletter? Share your thoughts in the comments section.