Where to Find Great Content Fast for your Newsletter Printing – 18th November 2009
Some fact-finding shortcuts can greatly decrease the time it takes you to research and pull together the content for your newsletters.
You don’t have to generate all original material for each issue. In fact, a lot of great newsletter content is sitting within a stone’s throw of your desk. This chapter tells you how to find content from newspapers and magazines, online, in people’s memories or in other materials that your organisation has already created.
Draw a research map
Research requires more time to complete than writing. When you first break ground on a new issue, draw a research map. Think about who would know or care about your particular subject. More importantly, think about who benefit by helping you would get the information in print. Thinking this through is important, because a research map will lead you to the best treasures as quickly as possible.
Start with sources close to home. Search out experts in your own camp. Talk to members, doctors, salespeople, engineers, fundraisers and so on. Your beat could also include other organisations or industry experts. Request information, and ask if they’ve seen a similar article in a recent publication or online.
If you’re writing about a service or product, collect any marketing materials already written. Websites, brochures and flyers are helpful they already include benefits and reasons for buying.
Keep in mind other sources for specialists. Look for people who have something to gain by helping you-customers who’d enjoy the publicity, consultants, suppliers and associations.
When writing about a broader subject, you’ll need to dig deeper. If you have time, hike over to the library.
Most periodical listings are available on research databases. Enter the subject name you’re researching, and see how many magazines sources you find. For newsletters, magazine articles are usually more current than books. In addition, the information has already been condensed, since there’s limited space in most periodicals.
