By: Kenn Dixon, M.A., CDMP, APR

If your newsletter consistently gets ignored, here’s the uncomfortable truth: it’s probably boring. Not intentionally, of course—leaders love to share updates. The problem is that most newsletters feel like long internal memos accidentally sent to the public. That’s why people skim, scroll, and disengage.

Start with the “Hook, Value, Ask” model. Your hook should be one sentence that grabs attention—something intriguing, surprising, emotional, or useful. No one wants to read a newsletter that starts with, “Greetings from the Executive Office.” That’s NyQuil in text form.

Next comes the value. Give readers something that benefits them: a story that inspires them, a tool that helps them, or insight they can’t get anywhere else. Short paragraphs, bold headers, and bullet points are your friends. Dense blocks of text signal to readers’ brains: “Too long, didn’t read.”

Keep your tone conversational, not corporate. The goal is connection, not perfection. And please—please—stop writing like you’re presenting at a zoning board meeting.

End with a clear ask. Not multiple asks. One. What action do you want them to take? Donate? Register? Share? Make it unmistakable.

If you implement these changes, your audience will finally stay awake long enough to engage.

Call to Action: Wake up your audience. Download more tips at www.dixongroupllc.com/resources.