Writing tips: ideas for writing branch emails and newsletters

While most of us are familiar with writing emails on a daily basis, it’s not the easiest thing to get right, particularly for union purposes such as promoting your branch. Here are some ideas to help.

typing on keyboard

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Know your audience

Before you start writing, think about who you’re writing to – all members or a group of members with a common link? You can tailor your content based on their level of knowledge and involvement. For some groups, this means recapping previous information before you share new details. For other, more engaged groups, you can be brief on the background and cut straight to the next steps.

No matter who you’re communicating with, think about why you’re writing to them: what do you want them to think, feel and do as a result of your communication? Without this insight, you’ll just be broadcasting information rather than engaging them in activity.

Know your message/purpose

Some communications are simply about sharing information so make the content relevant to the audience’s needs. Always make an ask to do something after reading:

  • Report on a particular event, such as the outcome of a meeting, needs to mention how members’ views were heard and what steps will follow. An ask could be around sharing with other colleagues or giving more feedback
  • Participation and feedback, like in a ballot?
  • Giving notice of a forthcoming event needs to mention why the session is important to members, what are you discussing which matters? An ask is to sign up and share
  • A general branch round-up needs to mention how members’ views were heard, what success the branch has had in the workplace, what hte wider union is undertaking. An ask could be how members can help or get involved further.

Use the subject line of the email to distil the essence of your message, or the email’s purpose, and keep to a short sentence.

Be concise

Keep your stories or emails as brief as possible. Be clear and concise. Keep your sentences short and to the point and don’t repeat yourself

A good tip is to write out everything you want to say, then reorder the text to give better flow, then edit hard.

Break up your paragraphs aslong and dense text can be off-putting to read on screen. Make one point, per paragraph.

Bullet points/bold

Make use of bullet points for lists, statistics or to emphasise your main points.

For example:

  • Staff on Grade A will get a 3% pay increase
  • Staff on Grade B will get a 3.5% pay increase

Bold up words or sentences if they are crucial to your message.

Jargon/acronyms/don’t assume knowledge

Workplaces tend to be breeding grounds for acronyms and jargon, but don’t assume knowledge on your readers’ behalf. This can be particularly off-putting for new staff and, therefore, recruits.

In the first instance, always spell out acronyms in full, even ones that you think are commonly known for example T&Cs for terms and conditions or H&S for health and safety.

Similarly, be as specific as possible and give instructions if you’re giving crucial information, such as the location of a meeting.

Images/graphics

A well-chosen image with a good headline is far more effective at getting your message across than writing 500 words.

Pictures should not be an afterthought but a critical part of your communications. If nothing else, breaking up large chunks of text with a few pictures will make your emails/newsletters much more attractive.

Some good sources of free and royalty-free images:

Proofreading/grammar/punctuation

If possible, ask a colleague to read through your email before sending.Reading what you have written out loud is another useful technique to spot mistakes.

Always check that names, job titles, locations are spelt correctly and use Prospect’s house-style for, among the things, laying out dates, names/job titles and using capital letters,

Try to get apostrophes and other grammar right. Grammarly is a free and useful online tool.