– December 5, 2018
Community Education, Enrichment Courses, Parents, community ed, Program Management, out of school time, building relationships, Free Resources, school-age child care
If you are sending out program newsletters, you’re probably wondering if anyone is reading them. If you’re not sending out newsletters, you’re probably wondering if you should. Newsletters are a great way to let your community know what is going on with your school-aged child care or enrichment programs. It is also very easy to do. Whether you’re a novice or a beginner when it comes to newsletters, here are some tips on making your program’s newsletters awesome!
Email Marketing Service
First of all, if you aren’t sending out email newsletters because you think they are too expensive, we have great news! There are free services out there that allow you to create and send newsletters to your customer base. We found this blog article by EmailToolTester that actually showcases “The 13 Best Free Email Marketing Services – How Far Can $0 Get You?”
Pictures
Remember the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is because pictures evoke emotions more than words. To get your community interested in a topic or course, show a picture. Those will be viewed first, and if the picture catches their attention, they’ll read the words too.
Simplicity
You have so much news to share and you are so excited to share it with families. Before you put fingers to keyboard, which news is the most relevant to your families? Plan it out. What questions are asked the most that you could answer in your newsletter? What important dates are coming up? Due to busy family lifestyles, your families may not have a lot of time to read the newsletter. Keep it to less than a page. If you have too much to tell them, give them the headlines and link the headlines back to a Google doc so that families can pick and choose what they want to read.
School-Aged Child Care Program Management Software
Frequency
How often a newsletter is sent out is perhaps one of the most debatable topics within the marketing industry. The truth is, you know your families better than anyone. How often would they like a newsletter? Once a week, once every other week, or once a month? Ask around and you’ll find the answer.
Enrichment Program Management Software
Feedback
To ensure your newsletter is successful, ask for family feedback either in person or through a Google form. Depending on the Email Marketing Service you are using, you may be able to see who opened your email newsletter and even more importantly if they read it. Feedback from your families and your email marketing services will help you learn which content is most relevant and if any changes need to be made to future editions.
Newsletters are a great way to communicate with families and community members. By listening to your audience and following the tips above, you’ll create a great newsletter to keep your community engaged!
