E-newsletters build member loyalty. (Communication).

Association members are overwhelmed with information from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and Web sites. They may not think of your association as the number one source of vital industry news, but you can change their perception with a carefully honed e-mail newsletter.

Every weekday evening, the Newspaper Association of America's New Media Federation sends a summary of the day's most relevant news stories or research reports to more than 800 Internet executives. Since its first edition in September 1998, the "Online Publishing Update" has become the most popular of three publications for federation members. The Digital Edge Web site (www.digitaledge.org) and companion newsletter, The Edge Unplugged, provide lengthy analysis pieces on a monthly basis. But it's the e-mail newsletter that builds the essential relationship between NAA and its digital-media members.

Getting started. The first step is to determine the newsletter's frequency based on your staff resources, the pace of change in the industry, and the amount of available material. I commit 60-90 minutes per day to the newsletter. Others may opt for a weekly or twice-monthly schedule.

Newsletter content. A list of headlines appears at the top of the message so that readers can quickly scan. There are typically five to seven stories per day. Each item consists of a headline, a one- to three-line summary (more if it's a major topic), the source, and a hyperlink to the original article or press release. I'll add original material when there's breaking news.

Format and delivery. All that's needed for a basic newsletter is a word-processing program and an e-mail account. The text is copied and pasted into an e-mail message screen and sent to members through NAA's e-mail discussion group list, which uses software from Lyris Technologies, Inc., Berkeley, California. If you don't operate a similar service, you can create a personal e-mail list that contains the recipients' addresses. Consider HTML e-mail for snappy design and enhanced advertising placement.

Benefits. In addition to solidifying the value of association membership, the update inspires members to comment on hot topics and share information through the e-mail group. It's a great vehicle for promoting upcoming conferences, new products, and other association happenings. And the heavy passalong rate among members leads to frequent "how do I get on the list?" questions. "Join the federation," we reply, and many of them do.

Submitted by Rob Runett, manager of electronic media analysis, Newspaper Association of America, Vienna, Virginia.

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