A webshop we subscribed to for a one-time discount and never bought from again, an informative email whose subject we hardly even read - these are typical emails that end up in the trash, unread push notifications. Company newsletters can easily suffer the same fate if the content becomes stale. However, content creation is often a tough nut to crack. Coming up with new ideas, regularly renewing, and filling newsletters with exciting content is real work. For this, we present a useful collection of tips!
The Classics: Company News and Novelties
CEO Report: CEO briefings may be necessary occasionally so that employees can be informed directly from the highest level. In addition to current events, business goals, performance requests, and recognitions, it's good if the human side also appears, and some more informal elements, and personal thoughts are also included in CEO reports occasionally.
Division News (where what happened): A common problem is that different departments don't see into each other's work, and colleagues don't necessarily know the people working in other divisions. Therefore, it's worth occasionally highlighting the news and results of individual departments in newsletters. This is expected to have a positive impact on transparency, cooperation, and community.
Communicating Company Values and Goals: Employees like to have a clear view of the company's long-term goals. This is important not only for commitment but also because it makes individual responsibilities more understandable. Basic values and company goals can only be taken seriously (and implemented properly) if we talk about them in everyday life. Let's remind the team of common goals, and values in newsletters, and when new initiatives are launched, let's also mention how they connect to the company's broader strategy.
Presenting Open Positions: Presenting current internal job opportunities in the newsletter can be motivating for colleagues and a huge help for HR. It may be that someone has acquired new skills since joining, is interested in a vacant position, or knows someone who may be suitable.
Presenting the Results of Evaluated Questionnaires: Internal questionnaires can provide very useful information and feedback, but the results of many surveys can also be exciting for employees. These can also be presented in newsletters, such as satisfaction measurements, areas for development, employee needs, etc.
The Human Side: Community Building and Recognition
Recognition of Employees/Teams, Presentation of Outstanding Performance: It is particularly motivating if the recognition of an employee or team's achievements also appears in the newsletter. This is important not only to inform others about the milestones reached, current events, but also to develop a culture of recognition. Therefore, let's pack success stories into the newsletter whenever the opportunity arises!
Birthdays and Work Anniversaries: For example, 10-20 years of employment, name days, birthdays, x years of the y division can all find a place in a newsletter at any time. Let's go beyond just celebrating the company's birthday (which is also important), let's find opportunities to congratulate each other and recognize each other in the newsletter as well. These create opportunities to present more personal stories, strengthen the community, and the culture of recognition.
Supporting Informal Groups (Promoting Company Communities: Sports, Book, Pet, and Other Hobby Clubs): Such initiatives that are organized around the interests of employees can wonderfully bring the community together. Newsletters can share the upcoming events, news, and results of various hobby groups. There is also an opportunity to encourage employees to join a group or create new ones. It is easier to recruit players or a cheering squad for company team sports events with the help of the newsletter.
Photo Gallery (Team-Building Events, CSR Programs, or Even Opening of a New Business): Visual content is exceptionally popular in a newsletter. Employees gladly scroll through photos of company events or galleries from the informal programs mentioned earlier. It is also worth sending out photos of events related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), or even a visual presentation of office renovations, new businesses, or locations. With such light-hearted, colorful content, we can inform at the same time, thank colleagues for their work, strengthen the community, and promote involvement.
Company Events: Company programs, whether formal or informal events, can appear in newsletters in several stages. In addition to promotion and announcements, we can also include reminders, but of course, feedback should not be left out. Textual reports can be spiced up with video or image teasers.
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Focus on Knowledge: Development and Learning
Presenting Training and Development Opportunities: Inform colleagues about available courses, and upcoming workshops, or present the opportunities and results of mentorship programs in the newsletter. In addition to promoting current company training and obtainable certificates, don't forget about feedback here either. Newsletters are perfect for reporting on training successes, and the stories of individual colleagues can create even more colorful content. Presenting company career opportunities, and even transparency, is promoted if the training and development area regularly appears in company newsletters.
Sharing Polls and Questionnaires: Newsletters are an ideal tool for asking colleagues to vote on a topic or ask them to fill out surveys or questionnaires. Either the vote can be cast directly from the newsletter, or we can direct employees to the survey with a link; simplicity is key. It may be worth including in the newsletter how long it takes to fill out.
Sharing Workplace Safety Tips: In addition to occupational health and safety training and repetitions, safety tips and advice that occasionally appear in the newsletter can be very useful. These can be seasonal suggestions (e.g., drink more fluids in the heat), news (e.g., new x machine, this and that needs to be known about it; new regulations, rules), or repeating and practicing routines that are good to put on the agenda from time to time.
Sharing Tips to Support Mental and Physical Health: Many useful and practical tips can be shared in company newsletters regarding employee well-being. Here, too, topics can be raised along current events, such as how to prevent winter depression, focusing on specific problem areas, such as learning healthy conflict management, or in a more general approach, such as the beneficial effects of sports on the community and the individual.
Fun, Fun, Fun: Entertainment and Inspiration
Presenting Customer Success Stories: It can be a truly inspiring experience for employees to learn about stories where the company's (their workplace) products or services have brought about a great change in a customer's life. Let's also discuss these in the newsletter and seize every opportunity for employees to be proud of themselves and the company.
Sharing Leisure Tips (Hiking Places, Top Movies/Books List, etc.) We simply love top lists and recommendations, the five best movies on a streaming service this month, the ten best books of the year, eight wonderful panoramas where you can plan a hike, etc. Newsletters can easily handle these light-hearted, leisure topics that are not directly related to workplace matters.
"Gossip" Section, Sharing Colorful, Interesting News from Around the World: "Sloth baby born at the zoo"-type news is a characteristic light-hearted closing chord of commercial TV newscasts. Company newsletters should also occasionally include extra-soft content about social media trends, and interesting facts, as this can also loosen up the more classic, formal fabric of the newsletter a bit.
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