For many people, producing content for their newsletter can feel overwhelming. If that’s you, just remember that writing is not a gift, it is a discipline. And like every discipline, the more you do it, the easier it will get.
Always be on the lookout for things you can write about, whether it’s an experience, an idea, a news event, a helpful tip, or educational. Keep a running file of topics and content ideas.
Below are our recommendations for the types of content you can include in your newsletter.
- Feature Article
Your feature article should be a personal story that gives the reader a peek into your character, your beliefs, opinions, ideas or more. It should be encouraging and motivational. The first issue of your newsletter should be your origin story: who you are and why you do what you do. - Professional Article
This can be in the form of an FAQ, Consumer Tip, or a general topic about some legal issue that affects your readers. - Special Expertise
If you have specialized expertise in a niche topic, consider creating a separate section for that. - Social Proof Article
You can include testimonials or share a recent client success story. - Staff Spotlight
Talk about a member of your staff. Make it personal so people feel like they’re getting to know the person. - Office News
Talk about interesting events, ideas, and happenings in your office. - Client Spotlight or Reader Spotlight
People love reading about themselves in publications. You can spotlight clients who’ve done noteworthy things. Or you can spotlight local businesses. - Recipe
This can be a generic recipe, or a favorite family recipe that anyone from your staff can share. If you can attach a story to it, it will be more compelling. - Verdicts & Settlements
Discuss successful outcomes of cases with a focus on monetary rewards. The goal is to highlight your success and show people the types of cases you handle. - Current Events
Comment on current events that are related to your practice area. - Pets/Hobbies
Write about your pets and specific hobbies such as sports, gardening, food, crafts, cars, guns, movies, travel, reading, etc. Make recommendations and give reviews and opinions. - Contest/Games
You can run trivia contests, games, and giveaways from time to time. We can also include funny comics and cartoons on a variety of topics. - Repurposed Content
If you write content for an online blog, we can repurpose content from the blog in your newsletter. If you’ve written books and consumer guides, we can takes sections of content and repurpose them as articles in your newsletter. - Contributing Writers
You can ask others (colleagues, staff, associates, family members) to contribute content to your newsletter. This is especially helpful if they already produce content for other purposes (such as their own blog or newsletter) and can share articles that they’ve already written with you. - Offers
You always want to give people opportunity to contact you. Your newsletter should have clear offers and call to actions. We’ll help you with this.
The First Issue (Premiere Issue)
We recommend the first issue of your newsletter be an Evergreen Issue. That means the content should be such that you can use it the same way you would use a law firm brochure. Consider making your feature article your “origin story” that tells people how you got to where you are, why you do what you do and why it matters to you. Also include client testimonials, ads for your books and resources, and an article that communicates your practice areas. Avoid seasonal or “dated” content (for example, you’re moving offices, hiring staff, etc.).
Don’t Be Boring
Remember to add personality by writing in a friendly, conversational style. Don’t be afraid to add some “edge” and opinion to your writing. You can relax the “professional image” a bit and be funny and entertaining. This is what will make a connection with people and make you more approachable.
The team at Zine are experts in newsletter production. They will answer questions, give you ideas, support your work flow, and direct you to resources to help you. If you would like to know more about our newsletter program, complete the form below.