GUIDE TO WRITING A COMPANY NEWSLETTER

In my 20 years’ experience, internal communication is often neglected.  While HR-related updates are considered essential, sharing business, employee and community news internally is an afterthought.   Yet, I believe internal comms are inextricably linked to business success, so to get you started – here’s a brief guide to writing a company newsletter…

Good and regular employee communications help to build loyalty and trust, encourage teamwork and camaraderie, and boost staff morale and job satisfaction.  All of which strengthen and support the foundation of a solid business proposition and aid employee retention.

Employee retention

The UK is suffering employee retention challenges.  According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) three in ten employees leave to join a new organisation each year.  Further analysis reveals that construction is amongst the top ten industries with the highest employee turnover.  Over the course of 2022 and 2023, 27.5% employees working in construction moved to a different employer and 7.6% were not working in year two.

Recruitment is expensive and time-consuming.  Today, prospective employees demand more with an emphasis on health and wellbeing benefits.  This means more than adequate sick leave; it’s about supporting employees and enabling them to thrive as individuals.  Communication is vital for creating this positive work culture.

Direct communication

Most businesses are switched on to the power of regular social media.  However, while employees can be notified, the key objective of this content is to build brand awareness and sales, not to inform employees.  Most staff want to feel recognised and valued – they deserve direct communication.

For large companies, internal comms is often covered by an intranet, but for many the solution is a newsletter, typically.  However, a newsletter requires time and resource – something which many companies have in short supply.  It’s why, for almost all of our clients, we support them in producing a company newsletter.

The key to success is setting a manageable and realistic schedule.  This depends on the messages being communicated.  For the purpose of this article, I am talking about business updates and employee news.  For many, twice a year, or once a quarter is adequate.

What to include in your company newsletter

The best company newsletters are friendly, informative and digestible.  Most important, is ensuring that every employee receives or has access to a copy.  This may mean printing hard copies for staff canteens and pinning to noticeboards on the shop floor as well as sharing via email.  Systems such as Sage are useful for this, capturing those who may have a personal rather than business email.

The content should balance company and staff news.  The latest contract win may be common knowledge in certain departments, but are staff in the workshop aware?  Share images and testimonials of completed installations – let staff see what their hard work has achieved and hear from happy customers.  It will be satisfying to know they have made a difference.  Celebrate staff achievements with announcements on promotion, long-service and exceptional performance.

Address challenges too.  If trading was tough in 2024, acknowledge it.  This will build a trusted relationship between management and staff.  Share plans for the future.

Give staff the opportunity to contribute.  Are they taking part in a charity event and require sponsorship?  Are they a volunteer?  Have they celebrated a milestone?  Awareness of this may contribute to your corporate social responsibility goals.

In larger organisations, it’s a great way of introducing new team members and highlighting individuals.  Training opportunities and resources can also be shared.

Why do you need a company newsletter?

As well as putting people first, internal communication improves your workplace culture, helps maintain a positive image and builds trust.  These are fundamental for business success.

Let’s talk about kick-starting your corporate comms in 2025.

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This article first appeared in the marketing supplement of Glass Times.  Reproduced with thanks.