How to Choose the Best Print Newsletter for Your Audience

Beware the pitfalls of the ‘generic’ newsletter option. Though a common and familiar print product, phoning in your newsletter’s design with a ‘whatever works’ approach is a recipe for disappointing results.

When it comes to newsletters, one-size simply does NOT fit all.

But then you may be wondering, how unique can a newsletter really get? What kinds of choices can one make to improve their audience retention above and beyond the average? In this blog, we’ll break down different industries and examine exactly what they can tweak to improve their newsletter impact. Here’s a hint: it’s all about how you fold it.

Industry-by-Industry Breakdown

Different industries have different types of information to convey and different audiences to communicate with. These two factors drive much of what distinguishes one print newsletter strategy from another. 

Healthcare & Nonprofit Newsletters

We’ve grouped healthcare and nonprofits together because they tend to share the same two newsletter content priorities: Education and outreach. Educational content may focus on service updates, program onboarding, community stories, etc., while outreach content typically targets donors or service recipients, providing information regarding events and requesting specific actions.

These kinds of newsletters require adequate space to support their resource-rich content, but also need to be careful not to overwhelm. This demands a balanced fold-style that starts with a larger sheet, but naturally breaks things down into digestible content sections. Compactness is also useful, allowing these resources to be easily distributed and kept on hand.

Best formats: Accordion-fold, Double Parallel/French-fold

See More Insights: Printing for Healthcare

Financial & Corporate Newsletters

Large corporations, particularly those dealing with complex and highly regulated industries, tend to benefit most from FYI type content. Straightforward, digestible information that clearly lays out key metrics, regulatory changes, industry trends, and Board or C-suite communications.

However, it’s important to differentiate your design approach depending on the audience being targeted. Internal, company-wide communications can be simpler in their design and structure, functioning as part of regular operations. However, newsletters meant to keep shareholders, investors, and other high-impact stakeholders in the know often appreciate a fold style that reads as more upscale.

Best formats: Single-sheet, Gate-fold

See More Insights: Printing for Financial Institutions

Education & Library Newsletters

For most educational institutions and libraries, newsletters provide quick community highlights and keep recipients in the loop regarding upcoming events. This content is specifically meant to encourage patron engagement and affinity for the institution, and often includes a complete calendar for the coming month or quarter.

Accommodating larger design elements, like event calendars, is best achieved with a fold style that provides a large amount of open space between creases.

Best formats: Gate-fold, Single-sheet, Single-fold

See More Insights: Printing for Education

Retail Newsletters

Retail newsletters are most often promotional, sometimes with light narrative or high-level campaign content connecting promotions together. This type of content performs well when a newsletter helps naturally break out the different promotions and announcements through distinct panels. It can also benefit from an ‘open-to-reveal’ opportunity, particularly when rewarding loyalty in existing customers or generating hype for a big offer or product release.

Best Formats: Accordion-fold, Tri-fold, Roll-fold, Gate-fold

See More Insights: Printing for Retail

Manufacturing, HVAC, and Home Services Newsletters

Manufacturing and technical service providers tend to produce predominantly informational newsletters, though this will vary depending on the intended audience. An industry newsletter, aimed at professionals, may feature interviews, industry news, technology updates, regulatory information, etc. However, a customer-facing newsletter is typically better populated with high-level information, tips, checklists, infographics, and service plan promotions.

In either case, the fold style should provide plenty of room for content, while also ideally providing natural breaks and content separation through distinct panels. 

Best Formats: Accordion-fold, Tri-fold

See More Insights: Printing for Manufacturing

Real Estate

Real estate newsletters typically feature multiple listings, either emphasizing quantity with a large number of properties or quality by highlighting a few exceptional gems. To further engage readers, these listings may be complemented with community updates, upcoming development information, or lifestyle content highlighting relevant architectural and design subjects.

While this kind of content can be formatted to suit almost any fold style, picking a style that reads as upscale can be especially helpful for reinforcing the quality of big-ticket listings.

Best Formats: Gate-fold, Double Parallel/French-fold

Direct Mail as a Strategy

Finally, let’s address one more question commonly asked about print newsletter strategy: When is a newsletter a better option than a postcard? 

Regardless of your industry, you’re going to face the same potential risks when mailing your print materials. The more delicate the paper and fold structure, the more likely it is that your newsletter will arrive damaged in some way. 

To counteract this problem, you have three choices. 

First, you can choose the smaller and generally sturdier option of a postcard. If you didn’t have a lot of information to convey anyway, this might be the best move. However, bear in mind that less content and less design can lead to reduced engagement.

Second, you can choose a simpler, sturdier type of newsletter. A single-sheet, single-fold, or tri-fold design printed on thicker paper stock tends to hold up better than some of the more elaborate fold styles while still providing ample space for content. However, though generally more reliable, those unsecured folds can still be vulnerable to damage with extensive handling.

Third, you can choose to secure whatever fold-style you choose, either within an envelope or with an adhesive seal. The extra materials and assembly typically make this a more expensive option, but when wow-factor is the priority, this is a good way to create a more unique, eye-catching mailer that’s also fully equipped to survive the trip.

See More Insights: Printing for Direct-Mail

If you want to discuss your specific newsletter needs with a print industry expert, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Wallace Carlson team today! With nearly 100 years of experience in professional printing, we know what it takes to get you amazing results on your next project.