 |
Create Newsletter
Ready. Set. Create Newsletter. - - - Hold on, how do I do that? We will offer some suggestions and tools to go about this, but if you are just starting out, we also will suggest you keep it as simple as possible. The most important thing is that you get a simple one started and keep it going consistently. Simple and consistent is FAR better than fancy and inconsistent. For more advanced ideas - Click Here. Here is a short list of well known programs that can create your newsletter: Adobe, an html (web page) software program, Microsoft Word (or any word processor,) and notepad. Did you say "notepad?" Yup. If you are starting out, this is what I suggest! It is a free program that comes with any MS Windows package. By creating Newsletter in Notepad you are keeping it simple and there are advantages. First of all you can create a simple
template
that can be used over and over again. Once you have finished creating a newsletter, you can easily cut and paste it into your email program AND your word processor for on-line or off-line sending. We will cover this more later and in other pages on this site, but first lets mention other tools if you already have one of these and the expertise to use them:
#1. Adobe Acrobat:This software can create professional looking newsletters with all the bells and whistles handling pics, borders, headlines, etc. It creates what is called a "PDF" file. This file type is becoming more mainstream with computer users all the time. If you have this software and enjoy using it, by all means create your newsletter with it. If you don't, I don't suggest you spend the time or money learning it. You have enough of a learning curve ahead of you in getting launched with your support raising and for the little bit of shine it would add, it simply isn't worth it. Although this file type is very common to those of us who are computer literate, many of your supporters will not be, and it can potentially be a barrier to them receiving or being able to read your newsletter.#2. HTML Editor:Again - if you are familiar and enjoy working with a program that creates "html" like Microsoft Front Page, this is a good choice and has some advantages. One of the advantages is that when you get to the point in your ministry when you want or need your own web site, you can easily integrate your newsletters into your web site, even including a place for back issues of your newsletter. Again though, it is not worth the time and effort if you already don't know how to use html creating software. Save that for down the road. Your mission now is to create newsletter and get communication out to your supporters in a professional and consistent matter. You can always "upgrade" your methods and tools later. (I still primarily use a "notepad" software to create my newsletters although I could easily use html!)#3. Microsoft Word (or any word processor.):Many people are comfortable with a word processor. These work good, especially if you are looking to start just an off-line newsletter and not do an email version. They also have the advantage of being able to incorporate some graphics and formatting items like Headers and Footers that a notepad doesn't have. The downside is when you want to take your newsletterfrom one form to another - in this case - an off-line form to an on-line form (e-zine, website, blog, etc.) you NEVER want to have to do double data entry - or in other words, type your newsletter out twice. When you "copy and paste" your work from a word processor into other work, you need to know how and be careful not to get all the unseen "coding" that goes with it. If you do, when you transfer your work, it could look something like this:{\\\\\\\\rtf1\\\\\\\\ansi\\\\\\\\ansicpg1252\\\\\\\\deff0\\\\\\\\deflang1033{\\\\\\\\ fonttbl{\\\\\\\\f0\\\\\\\\fswiss\\\\\\\\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\\\\\\\\colortbl ;\\\\\\\\red255\\\\\\\\green255\\\\\\\\blue255;}{\\\\\\\\*\\\\\\\\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\\\\\\\\viewkind4\\\\\\\\uc1\\\\\\\\pard\\\\\\\\lang3081\\\\\\\\f0 \\\\\\\\fs36 NETS School Weekly Schedule\\\\\\\\par \\\\\\\\fs22\\\\\\\\par So . . . for a "free" tool and simplicity, consistency, and transferability sakes, that is why I suggest using Notepad to create your newsletter:
#4. Notepad (or any text editor - I use Textpad):When you create your work in Notepad, you are able then to take your text or "copy" and easily transfer into your email program, word processor or other software. A text version of email has the greatest chance to get through to all of your email list also. It is simple. We will show you a few tips on how to make it look good also. You can supplement your communication to your supporters in other ways, like blogs that have pictures, using your simple text newsletter as a sending point to those other resources.So you got your software choice to create your newsletter - great! You will save time and energy if you use a template and have a game plan for your content to create newsletter. |