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• Add articles and graphics
• Proofread
• Send it to yourself

Now you're ready to start adding articles to your newsletter.

Add articles and graphics

One distinct difference between a printed newsletter and an e-mail version is the amount of text to include. Unless you are absolutely sure all your readers will be interested in a longer version, you should keep the amount of information to around 1,000 words or less. Anything more becomes tiresome to read in an online format and you may lose their interest before they read the items you really want them to see.

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What to include

Some items to think about including might be new employee introductions, recent awards presented to your company, specials and discounts on products or services, new product announcements, and information on new ways to take advantage of your products or services. Don't include items that might be of interest to only a few customers. You want to capture and hold the interest of as many readers as possible.

Add graphics

Add graphics or pictures with captions to help break up the text and create some visual interest. But make sure whatever you add relates to the adjacent text. A picture of the company dog might be cute, but if the story surrounding it is about a new product, the picture will only confuse your readers. The following example shows a strong relationship between the graphics and headlines.

Contact information

Be sure to include contact information in more than one place. Not only should it be part of your master template, you should include "For more information" contacts or links in every article where it's appropriate. Don't make your customers hunt for the information; chances are they won't take the time.

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Web links

Include links to the company Web site wherever you can. Be sure to update the site to include the information you are referring customers to. It's easy to include hyperlinks in your newsletter that will take customers right to your Web site or get them started with an e-mail to your sales staff.

Link to an existing Web page

1. Select the text or picture you want to link. Open the Insert menu and click Hyperlink. You can also use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+K.
2. Under Link to, click Existing File or Web Page.
3. Do one of the following:
   • If you know the Web address you want to link to, type it into the Address box , and then click OK.
   • If you don't know the address of the Web page, click the Browse the Web button, and navigate to the Web page.

     Switch back to your newsletter and you'll find the URL already inserted in the Address box. Click OK.

Link to an e-mail address

1. Select the text or picture you want to link.
2. Open the Insert menu and click Hyperlink. You can also use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+K.
3. Under Link to, click E-mail Address.
4. Enter the address. Add a subject in the Subject box, and then click OK.

Proofread

When you've completed your newsletter, it's time for one of the most important steps of all — proofreading. Go back through every article, headline, caption, and callout.

Take several passes through the material, looking for different things each time. Trying to catch everything in one pass doesn't work. Look for spelling errors one time, grammar errors the next. Check your punctuation. Verify any addresses, phone numbers, and Web links to be sure they are accurate.

When you've completed this task, give the newsletter to a colleague to look over. A fresh pair of eyes can be invaluable. Above all, don't depend completely on your spelling checker. As good as they are, spelling checkers can't detect the difference between the incorrect usage of words like "too" and "to" or "you're" and "your."

Time spent proofreading is well worth it. For some of your customers, this may be the only contact they have with your company. Make sure you take the time to do a thorough job — after all, this is your company's image and you want it to be as positive and professional as possible.

A number of Web sites provide great tips on things to look for when proofreading. A quick search for "proofreading tips" will give you a variety of sites that outline some proofreading basics.

Send it to yourself

As a last step, e-mail the newsletter to yourself or a coworker.

1. With your newsletter open, open the File menu, point to Send To, and then click Mail Recipient.
2. Type your (or your coworker's) e-mail address, and then add a Subject and short Introduction.
3. Click Send a Copy.
4. Open your e-mail program, open the e-mail newsletter, and take a look at it. If it doesn't look right, modify the original file, save your changes, and send it again.
   

When you are finished proofreading your newsletter, and you like the way it looks, you're ready to send it!

Next step

Step 4: Send your newsletter