Creating a Usable Electronic Newsletter In House:

An onslaught of unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam) has made readers wary of marketing attempts. To reach these wary readers, companies need to create e-newsletters that respond to their audience?s specific needs?namely usability and trust. By following a few guidelines, you can launch a usable and successful e-newsletter.

Amy Lawless, one of my coworkers, wrote this article for the Usability SIG of the Society for Technical Communication. The article is based on efforts that she led to create style and quality guidelines for electronic newsletters published at our organization. Recommended reading if you manage e-newsletters or are considering launching one.