Four Steps to Writing a Condominium Newsletter

Vera Leigh reports:

"You do not have to be a natural or even a great writer to produce an entertaining, informational newsletter. Rely on the voices and abilities of your neighbors. That is exactly what professional newspapers and magazines do. And follow a few simple steps to take the hassle out of writing the newsletter every month...Remember your audience. Newsletters often get a barrage of new items, memos, announcements and advertisements. But not all of that information applies to the residents of your community, and it may not be cost-effective to produce a 12-page newsletter. New Brunswick Climate Change offers these questions to help you discern what stays and what goes: 'What do you enjoy reading? Why? Readers want to learn something new that is important and relevant to them. Does the article offer anything new for readers such as information, tips, advice, resources or benefits? Give readers reasons to read and they will.'...Ask for help...Ask other community members--especially those [who] you know are excellent writers--to write sections of the newsletter for you. For example, you may ask one or two community members to write a monthly column on gardening or crime. The latter works especially well if you have a condo board member who is acting as a safety liaison with the police department...Write one main article per issue and fill the rest of the space with freelance columns, community announcements and photos. A main feature article will grab the attention of condo members and will help them engage in the community, especially if the main feature is about a community member. You will create a sense of unity and hopefully get people to read the newsletter...Use statistics and facts in boxes. If you are trying to fill white space, consider making a list of interesting statistics about the community. Crime stats work well in this space, and you can get them from your local police precinct. Statistics about the community work well here, too. For example, the number of dogs, cats or children in the community. Or, you can insert a poll to get more interaction with community members. Ask a question of the month such as: 'What is one improvement you would like to see in the community?' Offer multiple[-]choice answers plus a fill-in space for an additional idea."