Newsletters Part 1: Know the audience you're writing to

Newsletters can be a useful method for keeping your customers interested in what  you have to offer. They give customers a gentle nudge and a friendly reminder of your existence.

Whether you use a physical newsletter or an e-newsletter depends on your audience. An older audience might prefer a physical paper, while a younger, tech-savvy audience may prefer an e-newsletter delivered straight to their email.

Last summer, I worked for a theatre company (Sierra Repertory Theatre) that used both methods. They created a physical paper a few times a year that they sent to season subscribers and put on display for audience members to read while they waited for shows to start. SRT also sends out an e-newsletter through PatronMail twice a month. The newsletter provides a quick introductory news blurb written as a personal note from the marketing director. It then goes on to provide articles about people involved in current productions. Theatre goers like to learn about what goes on behind the scenes, and the local audience that SRT serves is an old-fashioned one that prefers reading about people over reading about news. SRT's newsletter caters to its audience. It also provides sidebars that remind readers of current production dates and of needs for volunteer ushers.





What do you do to make your newsletter successful?