Leveraging a premier vehicle for online communication and advertising seems intimidating, but it's not. Creating an excellent e-newsletter couldn't be easier.

Content Rules
Excellent e-newsletters grab your readers' attention as soon as the front page loads. If a reader isn't hooked immediately by provocative content, you can count on them pushing the delete button, which reduces the likelihood they will pay attention the next time you push your message their way.

Content can come from many sources. You can assign article writing to staff members. This allows them to obtain writing experience and it also gets their name in front of clients.

Ask other professionals, both in accounting and other fields to contribute to your e-newsletter. Or you can trade articles and do some cross-marketing.

Content is also available online. Much of it is free, just type "free content" into any search engine. And anytime you run across an article you like, ask the publisher if you may reprint it. In many cases, republishing an article may be as simple as gaining permission and crediting the publisher.

CalCPA Online offers great professional articles. You must receive written permission, but CalCPA encourages members to troll the site--try www.calcpa.org/consumers/ask. If you find a client-friendly article, e-mail editor@calcpa.org, specifying what you'd like to reprint.

Keep it Simple
Your e-newsletter's format should be easy to navigate, and consistent from issue to issue. Start with headlines or a short story synopsis and link. By linking to a full article on your Web site, you encourage readers to visit your Web site and learn more about what you offer.

Text vs. HTML
The great e-newsletter debate is text versus HTML. HTML newsletters are more attractive and allow greater tracking capabilities, but they take longer to load. Depending on your reader's computer speed, text-based newsletters may be more effective. However, if you can support an HTML format, offer both and ask your readers to choose their preferred delivery method.

Themes
Some e-newsletters find success with continuing themes. They run a series of articles that pertain to the same topic in multiple issues. This prompts readers to read the next issue. A series works best if at the end of each article, you include a teaser promoting the next installment. Make sure each article repeats something about the previous topic so that new readers can be brought up to speed quickly.

Keep it Short
Too much material is too daunting to read online. If your readers know they only have to read a page or two, they will be more likely to look forward to--and open--your e-newsletter.

Snippets work well in e-newsletters. Use a top five or top 10 list to grab your readers' attention and allow them to click through to more detailed information.

Design
One of the best ways to determine what makes a good e-newsletter is to check out the competition. Go online and subscribe to other e-newsletters, the accounting profession offers several, but look for general interest ones as well, www.topica.com has a plethora.

Look for designs that are reader-friendly and content that quickly generates interest. Then, adapt those winning techniques to create or improve your own e-newsletter.

Ask for Feedback
Ask for feedback--from clients, your staff and the general public. Also, consider enlisting the help of a professional copywriter to critique your newsletter.

An easy way to incorporate a feedback mechanism in your e-newsletter is to add an e-mail link to the end asking readers to sound off. More involved, but still simple HTML programming and javascripting is linking to a form on your Web site that asks readers about your newsletter's content, ease of navigation and types of additional information they'd like to see.

After you've asked for feedback, be sure to implement appropriate changes so readers know you are listening.

Other Essentials
Your newsletter should have an easy-to-find place for readers to subscribe or unsubscribe. This needn't be complicated, an e-mail link to the person on your staff who maintains the distribution list is fine.

Also include a way for your readers to enter another e-mail address to forward your e-newsletter to friends or colleagues.

With proper planning, once-daunting e-newsletters will seem easy. And you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner.

Linda L. Heineman, CPA, a Pasadena-based sole practitioner, is a CalCPA Technology Committee member. Heineman can be reached at llhcpa@earthlink.com.

© 2002 California Society of Certified Public Accountants. For reprint permission, contact Aldo Maragoni, managing editor.