15 Steps to Creating an Enjoyable Holiday Newsletter

People seem to have a love-hate relationship with the holiday newsletter. People like sending them, another group either loves or hates to receive them. The two main complaints about holiday letters are: 1) they seem mass-produced and impersonal, and 2) they are often tiresome and boring to read.

The good news for those of you who like doing a holiday newsletters (or for those of you who have been afraid to try it) is that, if done well, they can be a received with enthusiasm and possibly even anticipated as the holiday nears. Here are 15 steps you can take to make sure your holiday newsletter is the best it can possibly be.

1. Consider your audience. Who is the newsletter for? Just for intimate family? For family and friends? When you write your newsletter be sure to do it in a way that all people will find it interesting. While you and your close family might be fascinated by every burp and gurgle that comes out of little Emily, my guess is that the audience for that news will number somewhere around five (if that). Instead, create a nice mix of personal news with other things that casual friends will find useful and inspiring.
2. Monitor your tone. Had a hard year? Had a great year? Watch for the extremes of both. A holiday letter should be upbeat and pleasurable to read. It’s okay to admit your hardships or tragedies, however, consider putting a spin on it that will turn it into something positive. If you’ve had a fabulous year of successes, please do share them, but watch that you don’t cross over the line from pride into bragging. Also remember that some of the people who receive your letters may have had one of the worst years of their lives.
3. Include pictures. People love pictures. They are interesting and break up long paragraphs of text which will make your newsletter easier for busy people to digest. Instead of using clip art or stock photos, use your own personal photos that reflect activities or accomplishments throughout the year. You can also add interest by drawing in silly thought balloons or informative captions. Whatever pictures you use, make sure the people are big enough to be identifiable and do use a good print quality so the photos are clear and attractive.
4. Find the humor. Even a newsletter that is low on the scale of interesting can be salvaged if it contains a few nuggets of humor. Try to find humorous things that have happened in your life over the year and include those or try to put a funny spin on something ordinary. If you don’t feel like that’s your style of writing, maybe you can have a family member do a “guest column” in your newsletter — maybe they will have a funny interpretation of your year or a particular event. Another alternative is humor through pictures. If there are any amusing photos be sure to include them!
5. Add value. In addition to sending your newsletter, consider adding something in with it that will be interesting to your reader. Do you have a new favorite family recipe or an old family recipe that would be good to share? If you’re a gardener, include some heirloom seeds you’ve harvested from your garden. Other things to add could be handmade bookmarks from the kids, a book review column covering the family’s favorite books or maybe a list of easy ways to be frugal or a boxed feature of “Dad’s fix-it hints”. These would be interesting to anyone, even if they didn’t know your family.
6. Involve the entire family. Kids are clever and creative. Leave a little space for them to make fingerprint animals or painted handprints. Scan a color drawing to decorate the page or maybe even have them doodle a border that you scan in and use as part of your template. Give them their own 1/4 page that they can do anything with or if you have many children make a 2-page newsletter — one for the grownups, one for the kids. What a great way to spend quality time together!
7. Honor someone. Has someone made a big difference in your family’s life? Honor someone who has made a difference for you by featuring them and their kindnesses. Not only is this a way of showing gratitude but it also could serve to inspire others to do such kindnesses for others.
8. Feature family philanthropy. Is there something you and your family do in the way of community service or a cause you are devoted to? Be sure to talk about what it means to you and, if you can, include a picture of the family participating in that service — maybe the family picking up trash on Earth Day or planting a tree on Arbor Day or collecting cans for the animal shelter, etc. There are so many small things one can do to make a difference and maybe when someone reads about you doing it they will be inspired to do it, too!
9. Remember diversity. Bear in mind if you are sending this newsletter to lots of different people you know, you’ll have an audience of people with many different values, ethnicities, religious and political beliefs. It’s best to write a neutral holiday letter without political opinion and religious proselytizing in order to avoid inadvertently offending someone.
10. Make it personal. One of the big complaints about holiday newsletters is that they are impersonal. Leave a space at the bottom of your newsletter where you can write a personal note and include your signature. This should be customized to each individual recipient. People will be able to see that you actually ARE thinking of them, not that they are just a name on a list of 100 people you send a letter to during the holidays. If your first reaction is to say, “That’s just too much trouble…” my first reaction is to reply, “Then you don’t need to be sending out a newsletter at all.” I cannot stress enough the importance of making your holiday letter personal.
11. Watch for “TMI” and don’t gossip. You’ve heard the expression “TMI” which stands for “too much information”? There definitely is such a thing as too much info! While one might find it tempting to disclose some of the more amusing family indiscretions, please resist. It is neither appropriate nor is it desired. Also, gossip or commentary on the lives of friends or family members is another big no-no. When sharing news about extended family such as engagements, pregnancies, surgeries, please ask their permission first. Some people may want to keep those events private or share them in their own way.
12. Keep it short. One page will do. If your newsletter is really super cool and creative with people clamoring for quarterly editions, then you can probably get away with double-sided, but beyond that would be pushing it.
13. Leave it overnight and pre-share. After you finish your newsletter, leave it for a day or two and then come back and re-read it to see how you feel about it. You can also share it with a local friend or relative before sending it to gauge their reaction. Does it leave people with a warm, connected feeling? That’s your goal.
14. Use recycled paper. We can all agree there is too much paper flying around the globe. Utilized recycled paper, envelopes and earth-friendly inks in your holiday printing projects.
15. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Not once, but several times. U dont’ want yer reederz 2b distracktid buy typos & por gramer.

Do you do a holiday letter? What are your best ideas? Do you receive holiday letters? What are your favorites? What annoys you about them? Please share your thoughts with me.

Tags: family, holiday, holiday newsletter, kids, letter writing, letters, newsletter