Christmas Newsletter Do's and Don'ts

Many people choose to send Christmas newsletters each year, either in lieu of or along with their Christmas cards. This has been a tradition for many years and is especially popular among people who live far away from loved ones and who don’t get to see them in person very often.  Here are some tips and guidelines if you’re interested in sending a Christmas newsletter.

1. Only send it to those who really care – Your husband’s boss or your acquaintance from the neighborhood don’t need to know about your son’s RBI average. Either they already know because you have told them in person, or they’re not close enough to your family for you to have such conversations. If they’re not close enough for you to tell them when you see them then they’re not close enough to receive your newsletter. Send the newsletter to those who are truly interested in the events of your family life, but are too far away to keep up with events in person.
2. Don’t brag – These newsletters get a lot of bad reputation at times, and it’s typically because they often come across as a long list of boasts, interesting only to their author. By all means, if you had a baby this year celebrate it in your newsletter, but don’t write about your husband’s great promotion with a 20% salary increase. Nobody cares. Also, don’t make your letter come across as if your children are perfect. Nobody will believe you anyway.
3. Keep it short – Unless you successfully ran for President and cured cancer in the same year, you should be able to sum up your family’s activities in one typewritten page. This newsletter is designed to hit the highlights, not chronicle every single event of the year.
4. Include a photo – If you’re going to tell your loved ones all about the family’s year, it’s a good idea to send a picture along with the newsletter. It lets readers put faces to the names and see how the children have grown.
5. Proofread – Don’t send out a newsletter that is full of typographical errors and sentences that don’t make sense. If proofreading is not your strong suit, pass the letter on to a friend for proofing before you send it out. Just a few minutes correcting mistakes can make all the difference in the way your letter reads.
6. Sign the letter – Typewritten is ok, but your Christmas newsletter will seem so much more personal if you include a personal salutation and signature. If you can include a personal note to each recipient, so much the better. A handwritten signature helps avoid the impression that you’re sending exactly the same letter to everyone.
7. Mail it – As a general rule, you should only email newsletters to people with whom your primary communication is via email. Family members and friends deserve a letter with a card in the mail – at least at Christmas.

Family newsletters typically fall into one of two categories; (1) boring and bordering on irritating, or (2) informative, creative and fun to read. Make sure your newsletter falls into the latter category and the people on your mailing list will be thrilled to receive it.