Writers can find freelance writing work creating newsletters for companies, but it is important that they understand the scope and the scale of the writing job involved.
Newsletters – often sent by E-mail as E-newsletters – are used by businesses or associations to deliver information on a certain topic to those people who have an interest in the subject.
Types of Newsletters
A newsletter will normally be delivered on a regular basis, weekly, monthly, quarterly. They usually take the form of a small magazine, with news articles, feature articles, and short pieces to entertain its subscribers. They may be used by…
- Businesses to keep their clients or customers up to date with the latest products or special offers.
- Large companies delivering information about news within the business to keep staff or employees informed about successes.
- Associations, such as clubs, schools, churches, charities, or professional societies who want to deliver news and information to their members.
Purpose of Newsletters
Every newsletter must deliver value to the reader, in terms of delivering information that they are interested to know or are actively seeking; but the primary purpose of most newsletters is to encourage support for the organization concerned.
- Businesses hope to encourage their clients and readers to be inspired to invest in services or buy new products.
- Large companies want to keep staff morale and productivity high.
- Associations, like clubs, schools, churches, or professional societies want members to support the group is a variety of ways.
Newsletters are Cleverly Disguised Advertisements
Anyone who takes a freelance writing job producing a newsletter must bear this in mind: newsletters are a form of propaganda for an organization. They are not written objectively, but must always seek to promote the group’s interests.
A well-written newsletter will hide this fact as much as possible by delivering the maximum amount of reader “value” in the stories. That means drawing the reader in with interesting stories.
A newsletter which loses sight of its purpose and fails to deliver articles which are of interest for its readers will not achieve the desired results. Readers will not take the time to read the articles, and will put the newsletter straight into the trash.
Anyone commissioning a newsletter from a freelance writer will be looking for evidence that their money has been well-spent. Like any advertising budget, the money spent must be justified by a rise in orders, sales, production, donations or support.
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Writing a Newsletter
Freelance writing opportunities are not often long term, therefore writing a newsletter can be a lucrative opening for a freelance writer, providing a regular income. However, writers who are commissioned to produce a newsletter for a company, business or group may find that they are not only in charge of writing articles, but will also be expected to take control of
- Content and ideas
- Design and layout
- Photographs
In fact writers can find themselves being asked to act as editors and production managers. It’s important, therefore, to be clear about exactly what is expected, when estimating what to charge, and how much time to set aside for such a task.
