Problem
An agency needed a newsletter refresh. They lacked a content strategy and a consistent publication approach.
Process
Role
I conducted the research and developed and implemented strategy for this newsletter.
Persona development
First, I developed a persona for the agency. This discovery process helped establish how the newsletter would sound and what topics were important for the newsletter to cover.
Agency Persona
Competitive analysis
I analyzed several existing email newsletters from companies in similar spaces. We liked other newsletters that had:
- A text-based structure, like a letter that arrives in your inbox.
- Regular links in topical areas relevant to the agency’s personality or mission.
Style guide
We wanted the newsletter to feel like a weekly conversation from the agency that subscribers are “in” on. We also wanted subscribers to know that the agency was interested in their growth as well as its own, so we wated to share ways to improve their companies and themselves. With input from other stakeholders, I created the following style guide:
- Written in a letter-type format, with a salutation of “Hi Friends” or something similar.
- Signed by the author for that week.
- Often includes an anecdote from a workday at the agency, or a story about something that happened at the agency. This anecdote often broadens out to discuss agency culture, management culture, or tech culture.
- Displays the humanity and fallibility of the agency.
- Is positive without bragging.
- Often discusses Hard Things or situations that helped the agency grow.
- Partners with a local business development consultant to include weekly journaling prompts, encouraging reflection and growth.
Implementation
I implemented a weekly content strategy process that involved sessions to brainstorm new topics, a writing session, an editing session, and a review process to catch any issues and get feedback.
My writing partner and I also crafted evergreen newsletters and documented a replicable publishing process to handle unexpected absences.