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E-Newsletters or Print? Let’s Ask U of M Alumni Susan Diekman. Research Question. Are there best practices for higher education e-newsletters?. I wanted to know…. Does reading eNews affect the likelihood of readers reading other university publications?
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Research Question • Are there best practices for higher education e-newsletters?
I wanted to know… • Does reading eNews affect the likelihood of readers reading other university publications? • Are the best practices for eNews the same as for corporate e-newsletters?
Corporate E-Newsletter Best Practices • 300-400 word stories • 5-7 stories per issue • Choose relevant stories
Stanford E-Newsletter Study • 92% of readers who expressed interest in and satisfaction with the story selections gave the Stanford e-newsletter an overall excellent rating.
Corporate E-Newsletter Best Practices • Distribute 1-2 times per month • Archive back issues on Web site • Use to compliment Web and print publications
Research Methodology • Pilot survey sent to 49 U of M staff • 25-question survey sent to 1,036 readers • Response rate 24%
eNews Story Length(300-400 words) • They are just right (73%)
Number of eNews Stories (7-9) • There are just the right amount (73%)
eNews Content Preferences • University research (179) • Public events (133) • Practical tips (116) • Administrative news (112) • Legislative news (111)
eNews Distribution Frequency • The way it is now: twice a month (52%) • Less frequently: once a month (33%)
Viewed Past Issues on the Web? • Yes (26%) • No (63%) • Don’t know (11%)
Reading eNews does not affect reading of other communications • Minnesota magazine (63%) • M newspaper (40%) • Web (69%)
Best practices for eNews and Corporate E-newsletters • 300-400 word stories • Choose relevant stories • Distribute 1-2 times per month • Use to compliment other communications
eNews Research Differences • 7-9 stories per issue • Do not archive past issues on Web site
Are there best practices for higher education e-newsletters? • Yes