Employee newsletter -- print or online?

E.newsletters or e-zines are fast becoming the favoured method of producing newsletters. So is it the solution all newsletter producers have been looking for?

The e-zine certainly has many advantages. It’s easy to create and can be done as the news comes in rather than waiting til the end of the month and gathering all the information together for layout. They can be great for both internal and external audiences and e-zines are sometimes favoured by employees who are desk based and who use computers regularly. The other great advantage is that with most e-zine applications you can track results and see how many people have opened the newsletter and which articles they have read. This can be very useful information in shaping your communication message in the future.

The big drawback however is obvious – your newsletter is no longer printed in hard copy. If staff members are acknowledged they like to take home a hard copy. Printing the online version just isn’t the same. The other disadvantage is that it is less portable. Staff can no longer pick up the newsletter on the way into the canteen and flick through it over coffee, it is no longer left in staff areas where someone with a few spare moments can pick it up and read. Also sometimes staff may share access to a computer and therefore do not have time to sit down and spend 15minutes reading the newsletter.


In the end, it really depends on your audience. If a majority of your audience have access to a computer it can be very beneficial. If this is not the case, there is little point moving online.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Marco Greenberg - Meeting a force of PR Nature

I have this afternoon come out of a truly inspiring session at the International Association of Business Communicators World Conference in Washington. I had the great privilege to meet Marco Greenberg who spoke about the work he has done on publicising the story of Ian Burkhart. Ian is using ground breaking technology, called NeuroLife, to bypass a spinal injury that left him with quadriplegia and he is regaining the use of his arms - amazing, uplifting and insightful story. Marco gave us a brief and fascinating look into exciting world of bionic technology, exploring the cutting edge ways in which humans are integrating computers into their bodies. Ian Burkhart, his client is one of world's foremost pioneers in this realm. Although paralyzed from the chest down, when he is hooked up to the computer, and the computer is connected to a special sleeve wrapped around his forearm, he can use his hands to pick up and put things down. The technology reanimates his arm and allows him
Read more

Keynote at Public Relations Institute of Ireland's Annual Conference

Image
What a great honour to be asked to give a keynote address at the Public Relations Institute of Ireland's Annual Conference held on Thursday 20th October in the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin. Fantastic to hear great case studies and examples of best practice from colleagues across the industry. Laoise O'Murchu, Keynote Address: Leading from within: the secret to business communication. If you would like to get a flavour of the event and the atmosphere on the day watch the video below.
Read more

Employee Engagement and Social Media Seminar

What happens when two leading communication experts invite you to an event designed for PR pros, corporate communicators, social media strategists and employee engagement execs? YOU PROFIT! The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Ireland and event partner Diageo have invited two leaders in the communications industry to teach an event in Dublin emphasizing best practices in social media, employee engagement and measurement.  Author of a leading book on employee engagement and measurement Susan Walker is joine d by  the digital communication strategy Manager of the Council of the European Union to present at this seminar. Event Details Date:  Friday 5 th  April, 2013 Time:  6pm-8pm  (Refreshments served 5.15 - 5.45pm) Venue: The Master Brewer Suite, “The Guinness Storehouse”, St. James’s Gate Booking:   http://iabcireland. eventbrite.ie .  If you are a manager working in employee engagement or social media today, you don't want to miss
Read more