Writing Corporate Newsletters

Corporate newsletters have the (often deserved) reputation as being dull, insubstantial rags that have little in the way of style or content. This does not necessarily have to be the case. A talented team can create corporate newsletters that both inform and entertain employees and management alike.

The first task when creating corporate newsletters is to determine who the intended audience is to be. If the company wishes to target management, the writers should choose subjects that detail corporate successes, successful projects, spectacular achievements, etc. If the corporate newsletters are to target the rank-and-file employees, then a lighter tone can be taken, and it can focus on employee outings, training opportunities and other subjects of interest. Some corporate newsletters are meant to be circulated among suppliers, customers, and shareholders. In that case, content must be carefully selected that shows the company in the best light. Outside circulating corporate newsletters often serve the dual purpose of informing and advertising. One subject that corporate newsletters almost never contain is bad news. That is still left for the water cooler!

Most corporate newsletters follow a similar format. The front page tends to contain news that is of interest to the entire target audience. Inner sections focus on, among other things, departmental news, special interest articles, upcoming events, and announcements. Some corporate newsletters even feature employee submissions and classified ads.

Corporate newsletters are a valuable way for upper management to communicate with middle management, employers, and even customers and shareholders. The content of corporate newsletter will usually be controlled by upper management, but this should not prevent it from informing and entertaining.