Between holiday parties, shopping for gifts, and the rush of visiting far-flung family members in a short span of time, the Christmas season is stressful. On top of that, there's the deadline for sending out thoughtful holiday cards – stamped with this year's Christmas stamps, and hand-addressed to add that personal touch.
Yes, it's possible to automate a lot of that, and use labels and pre-printed holiday photo cards, but these cards are often exchanged by folks who only hear from one another once a year. It would be nice to give them more than a snapshot of the past year's events.
Why not create a well-executed, fun-to-read e-newsletter instead?
Sending an Opt-In Email Message
First of all, Great Aunt Suzie may not have mastered gmail. It's likely that she, and a few other holdouts on the annual list of Christmas card recipients will need to get cards. For her, it might be nice to print a copy of the newsletter (maybe even in larger fonts?) and include it in a traditional card.
In addition to Great Aunt Suzie, a few other people may not prefer the eNewsletter approach. It's best to send a note - blind copying the recipients to protect their privacy, and the same email address in the "To" and "From" fields.
Tell people what is intended, and how to opt-in. A sample of this might look like so:
This year, I'm going to save trees and time and send an e-Newsletter instead of cards. I know this is not traditional, so the newsletter's name will be "Lazy, Cheap & Tacky." Please reply to this email if you'd like to catch up online instead of snail mail, and I'll put you on the list!
This process cleans up the email list of recipients. It purges invalid email addresses, and provides insight into those friends and family members who don't check their email often enough to warrant inclusion.
Creating Holiday Newsletter Content
Using a simple newsletter template in a program like Microsoft Office Publisher, find the template that works best for the opt-in audience.
Start by selecting the photographs from the previous year that should be included. This will provide article ideas. Photos also take up a great deal of space, so it will allow content planning to go a little more smoothly once they are in place.
Try to select photos of every family member, and plan to include news and updates from every member of the family. Kids can contribute with original artwork (scanned for the newsletter), and moms can interview kids and include brief Q&A style articles.
Try to focus on silly, unusual and positive events from the previous year. Ideas include:
- new jobs
- accomplishments or awards
- completed projects (craft projects, home decorating, home repair)
- vacations, trips, family events
- fun things that happened throughout the year
If it's been a particularly troublesome year, other ideas include recipes, money-saving tips, lists of favorite books or movies, or even updates on hobbies. Because it's a e-Newsletter, it's possible to include live hyperlinks in the text, so people can click to visit YouTube to view a relevant video, connect with on Facebook, or see additional photos on a blog or Flickr page.
Be sure to include a home address and telephone number in the event recipients would like respond.
Converting the e-Newsletter File to PDF
Adobe PDF is the best format for sending the completed file to friends and family. This circumvents any compatibility problems, is a secure file format that won't be mistaken for spam, and the reader software is free to download. If it’s likely that some recipients might not have the software installed, simply include a link in the introductory email.
If you use Microsoft Publisher, converting the saved, final version of the newsletter is simple. Click on File, then select “Publish as PDF” from the menu. It will create a PDF copy of the newsletter. If the newsletter is in another format, there are free PDF converter applications available online.
Use this version as the attachment in a brief email to be sent the same way as the opt-in – with the recipients’ email addresses blind-copied to protect privacy. In the email, include a brief introduction to the holiday newsletter, and well wishes to the recipients!
Read More: Do's and Don'ts of Great Holiday Newsletters
Alicia King - Alicia King has been writing for Suite 101 since June of 2007. For over a year, she was the Featured Writer for the Suite section about ...
