How often do you hear people complain that there’s “nothing going on” in their communities, despite what many of us know to the contrary? All over the U.S., small organizations are doing good by collecting money or clothing for disaster victims, like those affected by the tornados in Oklahoma. Others are holding weekly community meet-ups, where like-minded people get together to share ideas, food, and fun. One need only look at Meetup.com to see how many active neighborhood groups there are, but a resource like that can get overwhelming.
That’s why a community newsletter can be the perfect bite-sized recap of events and happenings going on in your community. And as an added bonus, a marketing tool like this boosts your business’s image in the community, because it enforces the idea that you are more concerned about team- and community-building than profits. That kind of conscious capitalism is a big win these days. If you don’t believe it, just ask John Mackie, the CEO of Whole Foods, whose emphasis on caring for communities and environmental stewardship has helped the company grow from a little hippie health food store in Texas to a 340-storefront organics giant with 340 store, 73,000 employees, and $11.7 billion in sales in 2012.
Before your company hits billionaire status, of course, there a few steps to take. An important one can be growing your brand while simultaneously making a positive difference in your community by printing and distributing custom newsletters that give shout outs to greats in the neighborhood and keep people informed about important upcoming events. See examples at EliteFlyers.com, where you can also contact a professional who can answer your questions about custom newsletters.
Who Should Print Custom Newsletters?
Community organizations (for example, farmers’ market alliances, local political organizations, Parent-Teacher Associations, town committee boards, community service clubs, or athletic groups) can boost their membership and keep current members better informed with the use of newsletters. These newsletters can help to build enthusiasm within the group by putting the spotlight on a new member each week or month, featuring an interview or a short biography of that member. Printing an easy-access calendar of events within the newsletter is another great idea, and will help to ensure that members and newbies show up on time to every activity. If done well, printing customized newsletters can even end up being a fundraising activity for these groups. Those compiling the newsletter can approach related businesses to ask if they would like to purchase ad space. After a few such businesses have signed on, it’s quite possible that the newsletter can become a profitable venture that can be used to fund future events within the group.
For-profit businesses can also benefit from printing custom newsletters. Let’s say that you own a locally-based athletic clothing company. You would do well to create and distribute a sporty local newsletter that features news pieces and updates on all the sports-related activities going on within the community. Feature stories about local fitness instructors and their classes; cover upcoming high school baseball games; interview local triathletes and ultra-marathon runners; and run a story comparing local gyms. Throughout your newsletter, you can feature images of your clothing brand’s logo and name, without making your newsletter look or read like one big ad. This kind of thinly veiled marketing effort will make people in your community take notice that your company is really, really cool. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are connecting people within the community who all the share the common goal of improving their lives through exercise. And people will come to you to purchase their athletic clothing because they will want to support the good you’re doing. In turn, they will parade around the community in your brand, spread more awareness of your company, and probably sing your praises to anyone who asks. It’s a win-win.
Putting together a newsletter can take a little time, but it’s a fun project that gives an excellent return on investment. Go to EliteFlyers.com to see plenty of size and page-length options and to order your custom newsletters right away!
About Jenny DixonJennifer has been apart of the EliteFlyers.com team for over 15 years. She brings a deep understanding of web marketing, thoughtful strategies, that she's able to design, manage, print, deliver multi-media campaigns to meet all client's goals. Her personal portfolio includes high-end design and printing of business cards, flyers, post cards for elite businesses and individuals from all over the world.
