3 Ways Principals Make Their School Newsletters Pop

When people devote only 10 seconds to reading each email, you’ve got to capture their attention right from the get-go. Here are three ways principals are getting it done.

Did you know that the average length of time that people are willing to devote to reading an email is 10 seconds?

This means that your school newsletter has to grab parents’ attention, and grab it quick. This is actually a pretty easy task, because HEADLINES! Here are 3 ways to grab your readers’ attention right off the bat.

1. Come up with a snappy title

You want folks to click on your email. Use the title to inspire school pride, or make a rhyme, pun, or fun alliteration. It communicates that the newsletter is important enough to require a special name. Here are some examples from actual principal updates:

2. Use the header to communicate school values

You caught everyone’s attention with your creative newsletter title. Now use the subtitle to reinforce aspects of the school mission or annual theme or goals. Here’s an example of a principal update that emphasizes a specific school value in the sub-header:

3. Put the need-to-know first

Use the top section of the newsletter for whatever is the most essential item of the week. Assume that your readers won’t take it all in, but they will take in whatever is first, and (figuratively speaking) loudest. So use that ‘prime time’ space for whatever is most important. Take a look at these two examples from one school:

You know what your own inbox looks like

You need to make sure that  the updates you’re sending stand out for busy parents reading on the go. You’ve got 10 seconds. Ready, set… oh, wait, before you go! Here’s a principal’s weekly update template already formatted for you 😉.

Want to communicate more easily?