Your employee newsletter is one of the best opportunities to keep your employees informed, engaged, and connected. It’s a valuable tool for communication within your organization and helps to promote company culture, highlight achievements, and share important updates.
But coming up with content for your staff newsletter can be challenging. You want to ensure that the content is relevant, exciting and engaging. So, to help you build newsletters, your team looks forward to reading, we’ve compiled a list of employee newsletter content ideas to have in your back pocket.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- What are the most important topics to cover in employee newsletters?
- How can you make the content engaging and relevant for your employees?
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What To Include In An Employee Newsletter To Keep Staff Engaged
There are a few key areas you should focus on when building out your next employee newsletter. What makes a good employee newsletter great is the types of content you cover and how you highlight it. Some of the best and most engaging include:
1) Industry news and trends
Sharing relevant industry updates helps employees better understand the context and rationale behind organizational strategies. Incorporating industry news into your employee newsletters helps teams see the bigger picture and understand how their work aligns with broader industry movements. This understanding can foster a sense of belonging and purpose within your organization.
2) Company news
This section should include significant announcements, strategic decisions, accomplishments, and staff changes. Sharing success stories can inspire employees to contribute to future achievements and want in on some of the positivity. Additionally, highlighting minor victories and employee milestones, such as work anniversaries or special recognitions, personalizes the newsletter and makes it more engaging for your team.
3) Industry events
Showcase upcoming conferences, workshops, and seminars that may interest your team. Encouraging attendance at these events not only aids in personal development but also assists in keeping your workforce ahead of industry innovations and practices. Additionally, consider featuring recaps or key takeaways from past events that may be informative and relevant to the company.
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4) Company events
Company events, such as holiday parties, team-building activities, or volunteer opportunities, are a great way to boost morale and camaraderie within your organization. Including these in your employee newsletters informs everyone about upcoming events and showcases your company’s values and commitment to fostering a positive work culture. This can be done in addition to sending a dedicated upcoming events email.
5) Employee spotlights
Highlighting individual employees and their accomplishments in your newsletter recognizes their hard work and makes the company feel good. It’s an excellent opportunity to underscore diverse talents and promote inclusivity within your organization. When thinking about how to highlight an employee in a newsletter, remember that employee spotlights inspire others to strive for excellence and create a supportive and collaborative work environment.
6) Anniversaries and birthdays
Recognizing employee milestones, such as work anniversaries or birthdays, in your newsletter is a simple yet effective way to show appreciation for your team. It adds a personal touch to the newsletter and makes employees feel valued and recognized.
7) Milestones and achievements
Remember to recognize significant milestones and achievements for your company through employee appreciation. This could include reaching a sales goal, launching a new product or service, or receiving an industry award. Celebrating these accomplishments boosts employee morale and quantifies your company’s success and growth.
8) New hires and employee transitions
Employee transitions happen often, and keeping track of all the changes can be challenging. However, your newsletter is an excellent opportunity to introduce new team members, welcome them to the organization, and share their backgrounds. It also helps employees stay informed about any changes within the company, such as promotions or transfers.
9) Your product updates
If your company has recently launched a new product or made updates to an existing one, include this in your employee newsletter. Not only does it keep employees informed about the latest developments within the company, but it also allows them to provide pertinent, early feedback and support for the product.
10) Contests and rewards
Incorporating contests and rewards in your staff newsletter is a fun way to engage employees and boost morale. This could include trivia quizzes, photo challenges, or recognition for exceptional work. Not only does it add an element of excitement to the newsletter, but it also promotes friendly competition and a sense of achievement among employees.
11) Ask the CEO or management
You can build a culture of transparency by including a section in your newsletter for employees to ask questions or share suggestions with the CEO or management. It shows that every employee’s opinion and idea matters while encouraging active participation. Think about creating a section with the most critical questions and responses.
12) Surveys (pulse, eNPS, others)
Employee newsletters are an excellent platform for conducting surveys and gathering employee feedback. These can include pulse surveys to gauge employee satisfaction and employee net promoter score (eNPS) surveys to measure loyalty and engagement. AIHR states that eNPS scores between 10 and 30 are considered ‘good,’ while scores between 50 and 70 are considered excellent. A score above 80 is likely in the top percentiles for almost any industry. Feedback from these employee newsletter survey questions can provide valuable insights for improving the employee experience and addressing issues.
13) Anonymous employee feedback
In addition to surveys, consider including a section in your newsletter for collecting anonymous feedback at work. This provides a safe space for employees to share their thoughts and concerns without fear of judgment or repercussions. It also shows that the company respects employees’ opinions, making them feel heard and valued.
14) Specific CTAs asking staff to take action
Whether signing up for a company event, participating in a survey or contest, or simply communicating important deadlines or updates, calls-to-action (CTAs) help employees take action and stay engaged with the newsletter’s content. They also provide a clear direction for employees and ensure that important information is noticed.
15) Employee benefits information
Include a section in your employee benefits communication. This ensures that employees are aware of their benefits and can take advantage of them. It also shows that the company values its employees’ well-being and is committed to providing comprehensive benefits. Additionally, you can use this section to share tips and resources for utilizing these benefits effectively.
16) Wellbeing information and resources
This section may include tips for maintaining work-life balance, mental health resources, or wellness initiatives within the company. These are just some of the employee wellness newsletter ideas that show that the company cares about its employees’ health and happiness and contributes to a more productive and engaged workforce.
17) Education and learning opportunities
Training programs, workshops, or webinars help employees develop new skills and advance their careers. 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development. Providing career growth resources benefits individual employees and strengthens the organization’s overall knowledge.
18) Multimedia and video
Incorporating multimedia content, such as videos or infographics, in your employee newsletter can make it more visually appealing and engaging for employees. It breaks up blocks of text. This can include highlights from company events, interviews with employees, or informative graphics about company updates. Including different forms of media also caters to various learning styles and makes the newsletter more interactive.
19) Blog posts or articles
Consider including blog posts or articles written by employees in your newsletter. This not only showcases the diverse talents and perspectives within the company but also provides valuable insights and information for employees to learn from. It also creates a sense of community and encourages knowledge-sharing among employees.
20) Top lists
Including top lists in your staff newsletter, such as the best local places for lunch or must-visit spots in the city, can be a fun way to engage employees and promote a sense of camaraderie. It also helps employees discover new things and contributes to building a strong company culture.
21) Volunteer and community involvement opportunities
Lastly, consider including information about volunteer or community involvement opportunities in your newsletter. This highlights the company’s commitment to giving back and allows employees to participate and make a difference. It serves as a team-building activity and improves employee satisfaction by promoting a sense of purpose, volunteerism, and impact within the community.
To learn more, read our list of staff newsletter best practices and our comprehensive list of ideas for employee newsletters. Also, check out our internal newsletter strategy checklist. If you want ideas to try each month, check out our monthly employee newsletter ideas. Finally, if you would like some new actionable staff newsletter strategies, check out our complete how-to guide to employee newsletters.
How Can You Make the Content Engaging and Relevant for Your Employees?
You can use an internal newsletter tool like ContactMonkey to personalize the employee newsletter for each team member. When thinking about how to make a great employee newsletter, some of the things you can do with ContactMonkey include the following:
Sending to the right audience with segmented lists
By dividing your employees into segments based on departments, roles, or interests, you will better tailor your newsletter’s content to match their needs and preferences. This customization makes the newsletter more personally relevant and engaging for each employee. Most workplaces that utilize Outlook or Gmail already have several distribution lists. Generally, internal communication teams rely on their IT department to configure these lists. However, in times of crisis, waiting isn’t an option. Fortunately, ContactMonkey’s List Management feature empowers you to swiftly generate distribution lists and CSVs for tailored email lists within minutes, ensuring efficiency and prompt communication. This is one of the first steps to consider when thinking about how to create an employee newsletter.
Fine-tuning email success by tracking engagement metrics
Utilize ContactMonkey’s capabilities to track your newsletters’ open rates, click-through rates, and other engagement metrics. This data allows you to understand what content resonates most with your employees and to continually refine and improve the relevance and engagement of your newsletter over time.
For example, let’s say you want to ensure the maximum impact of an element in your email. Using ContactMonkey, you can track click-through rates and email analytics to see which aspects of your email content were most enticing to employees. Tracking and measuring your newsletter content will help you to maximize engagement and further increase newsletter click-through rates.
Encouraging engagement with interactive content
Incorporate polls, surveys, and quizzes directly into your newsletter to encourage employee participation. This makes the newsletter more interactive and gives immediate feedback and insights into your employees’ opinions and preferences.Let’s say you’re trying to gauge the temperature of the company’s attitude toward a new initiative. In that case, you could use ContactMonkey to embed a pulse survey directly into your email newsletter rather than sending a separate survey through another platform.
Capturing attention with well-designed employee newsletter templates
To make your newsletter visually appealing and ensure it captures your employees’ attention from the moment they open it, consider using an email template builder to create a design that aligns with your company’s branding. This can include company colors, logos, and other branding elements reinforcing your corporate identity.
ContactMonkey’s library of employee newsletter templates allows you to design newsletters that look great on any device, whether your employees are reading on a desktop at the office or on their mobile phones while on the go. This consistency in visual presentation not only strengthens your brand but also enhances the readability of your content, making it more likely that employees will engage with the material you’ve provided.
Learn more about how easy it is to create internal newsletter templates with ContactMonkey. And for inspiration, check out our complete list to the best employee newsletter templates for internal communications.
Keeping the reader engaged with well-written copy
Writing engaging copy for your staff newsletter is crucial to capture and maintain the interest of your readers. Your content should be concise, informative, and written in a tone that reflects your company culture. Start with a compelling headline that sparks curiosity and encourages further reading. Use subheadings and bullet points to break up text and highlight essential information, making it easier for employees to skim the content if they’re short on time. Check out our guide on effective writing for employee newsletters for more tips.
If you’re stuck, you can use the generative AI from ContactMonkey’s ChatGPT email assistant to find the right message and tone. You can also use it to generate email subject lines and body content or develop ideas for your newsletter.
Start Building Your Next Best Employee Newsletter
Whether creating a new employee newsletter or looking to improve your current one, there are many ways to make your content more engaging and relevant for employees.
Try incorporating some of the content types and strategies mentioned above, and utilize tools like ContactMonkey to personalize and track engagement. With the right approach, your staff newsletter can become a powerful tool for communicating important information, fostering a positive work culture, and engaging employees in their workplace community.
Start building your next best employee newsletter today! If you’re ready for an elevated experience with your newsletters, you can try ContactMonkey for free.
