Newsletter Ideas
GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT TOASTMASTERS YOUR CLUB, DISTRICT 42 JUNE, 2006
Most Important Story!
Rhys Davies, ATM-S/CL My Toastmasters Club XXXX-42 Edmonton, Alberta Congratulations! You are about to start the next Toastmasters year as Vice President Public Relations. This role is most important to ensuring club success, and a club newsletter is a vital marketing tool. As two-time editor of the District 42 newsletter, Prairie Horizons, I have learned some ideas and techniques that have helped me create an exciting club newsletter. A newsletter editor has a lot of influence. Mass media conveys a powerful message, and club newsletters are essential to club communication. The content in your newsletters ultimately reflects the personality of your club. The club newsletter keeps members and guests informed about the activities happening in the club and in Toastmasters. A newsletter bridges communication among club members and promotes camaraderie.
Your TM Club
Meetings Tonight @ 7:00 p.m. 123 Maple Street Edmonton, AB T5J XXX
Reasons for a newsletter Why write newsletters? There are five reasons, including those offered by Toastmasters: ► Document and publicize current events. ► Inform with educational material. ► Provide visitors with takehome publicity. ► Submit for District contest. ► Credit towards Competent Leader Goals 6 and 10. Keep in mind what is most important about a newsletter is the content. A simple, four-page newsletter with relevant stories provides sufficient information. The message is most important. Best of luck to all of you! This article words. has about 220
Newsletter Ideas
Training Materials For Up-and-Coming Newsletter Editors
Editor
Rhys Davies, ATM-S/CL (780) 449-1444 rhysdavies7@shaw.ca
Publisher
President Name, CTM/CL (780) 444-XXXX clubpres@shaw.ca
Features
► ► ► ► ► ► Where do I Start Guidelines, Part 1 Marketing Ideas Guidelines, Part 2 What’s Next Guidelines, Part 3 2 2 3 3 4 4
Next Issue: September, 2006
Newsletter Ideas
June, 2006 – Page 1
Ed. Article/Pres. Message
Club President, ATM-S/CL My Toastmasters Club XXXX-42 Edmonton, Alberta
Now that you have taken on the role of editor, you’re probably asking yourself, “How am I going to put this newsletter together? What am I going to write about?” I asked myself these questions when I first started out as editor. As an experienced editor, I would offer the following suggestions to the novice editor. The beginner newsletter should focus on meeting highlights and member profiles. The primary focus is newsletter content. (1) Shoot for highlights from club meetings. Also list any upcoming announcements that are of interest to club members. (2) Congratulate achievements, or outside People love to print. members on their whether it is inside of Toastmasters. have their name in Use English that could be understood at a high school level. Complex or technical words used in place of plain English do not impress readers. In fact, it confuses them. Think of your articles as minispeeches. Also remember that doing the letter should be a team effort. As an editor, you have a chance to delegate tasks to fellow members. For example, as Editor of Prairie Horizons (the District 42 Newsletter) in 2006/07, I will be requesting articles from Toastmasters across Alberta and Saskatchewan. There is no way that I could think of all of the ideas myself. To get your club to buy into your newsletter, enlist your Club President and Executive for support. Afterwards, approach each member individually for a story. Once you get people to buy into your newsletter, the second article will be much easier. Also, other members will be inclined to submit articles. Now you’re on your way! Have fun! This article has about 320 words.
Newsletter Guidelines Part One
If there are any ideas that should be considered, I think that these three are most important. (1) Have fun. If you follow this rule, it is very likely that you will create a newsletter that the club will also enjoy. Note: Failure to follow this rule will result in greater difficulty for you to achieve an enjoyable club newsletter. (2) Be yourself. You are the one writing the newsletter, so why try to be anybody else? This approach is no different from the one used in delivering your speeches. Your club accepts you for who you are. Don’t try to write something that doesn’t fit your style. (3) Try new ideas. If you can think of new ideas for your newsletter, try them. You can try ideas from other club newsletters, or even try ones outside of Toastmasters. If you don’t limit yourself, you will have a great newsletter. This article has about 170 words. This text box can include short features on members, reminders or items like Distinguished Club Program.
(3) Always strive for positive comments. Refrain from saying anything negative in the newsletter. Written words have a lasting impact.
(4) Ensure correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Visit Toastmasters Online If you write a resume and covering letter, Visit our club website: spelling mistakes are deadly. Think of your newsletter as your District 42: www.d42.org club resume to current and prospective members. Toastmasters International: www.toastmasters.org
Newsletter Ideas
June, 2006 – Page 2
Member Profile Here
Rhys Davies, ATM-S/CL My Toastmasters Club XXXX-42 Edmonton, Alberta
At this time, it could be around midOctober. The novelty of the fall club meetings has worn off, and the club has to go out and recruit members. You could be asking yourself, “How do I do this?” Marketing the club is a team effort. However, as VP Public Relations, you are team captain. What could you do to recruit new members? The VP Public Relations Officer works closely with the VP Membership. Together, they come up with a program to promote the club. Here are some ideas that I have come up with to market our Toastmasters club to the community. By no means is this a complete list of ideas. (1) Write a press release about the club to your community newspaper. The time you take to do this is well-spent. (2) If you do talk to the media, be wary about what you say. Reporters are very good listeners, and they could report anything you say. Therefore, strive for positive comments and think of your responses in advance, just like Table Topics. (3) Club posters are a great promotional item for the club. Post these wherever public space is available. (4) Also, club brochures are useful. I have found these are best posted in libraries or shopping malls. (5) I created business cards one year, and our VP membership included those in every package. (6) Bookmarks are great promotional items. Like business cards, bookmarks are often kept around. They can promote a club. (7) Finally, more clubs are promoting their own websites. There is no question to the value of having one. One warning though: only start up a website if you are absolutely sure that you can maintain it. Material on websites has a short shelf life. For more information on websites, Toastmasters International offers www.freetoasthost.org as a resource for developing club websites. Starting in 2006/07, Public Relations promotions count as credit towards goals six and ten in the new Competent Leader manual! Finally, I wish each of you luck in promoting Toastmasters to your community. If you can think of other ideas, you have nothing to lose by trying them.
Newsletter Guidelines Part Two
If you're ready for a new challenge and would like to make your newsletter more attractive, consider these suggestions. If doing these is not your forte, consider having an experienced member mentor you. (1) Create a masthead that relates to your club newsletter. It requires time, careful thought and patience to create an attractive masthead. (2) Look for ideas from Toastmasters, whether it is from the Toastmaster magazine, or from the District Website. Be sure to credit your sources. (3) Aim for graphics and/or graphics boxes that will complement your layout. (4) Boldface names to recognize your members. (5) Write in an active tense. This takes some practice. You may want to consult with a club member who has strong English skills if you are inexperienced with this style. (6) Aim for a periodical format. Using two columns makes your articles easier to follow. (7) Ensure that graphics are properly laid out and lined up. Neatly-arranged graphics gives the newsletter a nice ring. (8) Introduce pictures in the newsletter. With scanners and digital cameras, this is becoming simpler to do. June, 2006 – Page 3
Newsletter Ideas
What Can I Do Next?
Rhys Davies, ATM-S/CL Fun Speakers Toastmasters 3146-42 Edmonton, Alberta You’re starting to gain confidence as an editor. You’re thinking to yourself, “I’m having a blast.” Not only that, but the club is doing great, and members are enjoying themselves. What else can you do as VP Public Relations? Now is the time to get out and spread your wings. If you want your club to get more exposure, here are a few suggestions: (1) Visit other clubs to get new ideas, and to build your network. Even if it is just a casual visit, you still network with people, and you make new friends. (2) Go to Area and Division Speech Contests and write stories about them. If a member of your club is participating, he or she will appreciate your support. (3) Go to other Toastmasters events (e.g. Training Sessions) and report them. You are a vital link to the club. Writing stories on these events will inspire other members to participate.
Newsletter Guidelines Part Three
These suggestions will make the newsletter stand out.. (1) Study layouts in other magazines and newsletters, and apply them to your newsletter if they suit you. (2) Allow for sufficient white space in the newsletter. (3) Keep on top of club events (as VP Public Relations) and events happening in your area, and report them back to your club. (4) If you want a shot at the District 42 Newsletter Award, ensure that your newsletter complies with the contest rules. Review these rules from time to time. (5) Study other winning newsletters from past years. Adopt some ideas if you think that they will work for you. (6) Research various sources for information. Be sure to credit those sources. (7) Look for new ideas that will make your newsletter unique.
The next few ideas depend on your budget: (4) Attend Toastmasters training and social events. Ones in the Edmonton Area include the Chinese New Year and Toastmasters Leadership Institute. (5) Attend a district convention. Not only do you get to write about them, you also get to have the same fun as any other Toastmaster. Finally, do not forget to submit your newsletter for the District contests. The deadline for the District 42 contest is May 15. A final word. Always remember that writing a newsletter should be fun. If you put the fun first, you will enjoy doing the newsletter, and people will enjoy reading it. Best of luck in your role as VP Public Relations!
Upcoming Club Events
► June 10, 200X – Club Officer Training, Address, Edmonton, Alberta ► June 30, 200X – Conclusion of the Toastmasters Year. Have a good summer! ► September 6, 200X – First Club Meeting!
Congratulations to our Members!
► To Joe Toastmaster, for achieving his Competent Toastmaster Designation. ► To Mary Smith, for her upcoming marriage this summer! This text box can be adjusted to reflect the number of events!
This text box can also include information related to the club executive (names, phone numbers and email addresses), or Area and Division information.
Newsletter Ideas
June, 2006 – Page 4