After leading IT departments for over a decade, I’ve learned that communication is often our biggest challenge – and opportunity. Through trial and error when writing various newsletters, I’ve discovered what truly works to keep our teams connected, informed, and engaged.
Let me share what I’ve learned about creating a newsletter that people actually want to read.
Be sure to check out our example IT Newsletter template.
Table of Contents
Timing and Frequency: Finding Your Sweet Spot
I’ll be direct: your brilliant newsletter won’t matter if no one reads it. Through extensive testing, I’ve found that Tuesday or Wednesday mornings around 10 AM get the best engagement. Here’s why:
- Mondays are chaotic – everyone’s planning their week
- Fridays are a write-off – people are in weekend mode
- Mid-week mornings catch people when they’re most receptive
With remote teams across multiple time zones, I schedule our newsletter to hit inboxes at 10 AM Eastern time. This ensures our West Coast team members see it first thing in their morning, while our European colleagues can catch up before ending their day.
I limit it to once per month since it takes a few hours to aggregate the data and send it out. More often than that and people seem to tune it out easier. Plus, the content creation seems to work best every 30 days or so.
Distribution: Keep It Simple but Smart
When I first started, I overthought the distribution process. Now, I use a multi-channel approach that works seamlessly:
Primary Distribution
- Microsoft Teams announcement channel
- Department-wide email distribution list
Secondary Access
- Archived on our IT portal
- Linked in our weekly team meetings
- Referenced in our onboarding materials
Pro tip: I learned the hard way always to test the formatting on mobile devices. About 40% of our staff read the newsletter on their phones during their commute or between meetings.
Formatting – Keep It Simple
Simple is better for this newsletter. You will want to have images/photos when the time is right, but simplicity is key. Do not worry about some professional-looking design.
Just write an email, use a bold heading for each new section, and spend your time on the content.
Finally, this is NOT a personalized newsletter. Each person will receive the same newsletter, sent via email. Again, keep it simple.
Content That Connects: My Proven Formula
A newsletter is for communicating and making sure everyone is kept abreast of what is happening in the department (and company).
Over time, I’ve developed a content structure that consistently engages our team members. Here’s what works for us:
The Core Sections
Pro tip: Keep a running document of content ideas. You’ll thank yourself when you’re up against a deadline and need inspiration.
This Month in IT
This is mainly department updates.
- Major project milestones
- New technology rollouts
- Upcoming maintenance windows
- Security alerts and reminders
Co-Worker Spotlight
Each month, I highlight a different team member (usually one per month). This has become our most popular section, especially with remote workers who miss the office connections.
I try to help everyone learn something fun about co-workers. Past examples are:
- A co-worker was a significant extra in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. I posted the backstory and photos of him in the movie itself.
- A co-worker won a food-eating contest. We acquired a video of the disgusting contest (not everyone kept the food down) and shared it in the newsletter.
- A co-worker was a contestant (and won) on the game show Wheel of Fortune. He won a car that he was still driving around 8 years later.
I ask a new co-worker each month to be featured and provide an interesting story. I work with them a little, but most people find something interesting. They write up a few paragraphs and that is what gets included in the newsletter.
Tech Corner
I keep this practical and relevant.
- Tips and tricks for our most-used tools
- Security best practices
- New feature walkthroughs
- Productivity hacks we’ve personally tested
- Apps or browser extensions that may help everyone
New Team Members
Larger departments might have new employees starting every month. Scrum team members can be a bit siloed in their teams, so this is the opportunity to introduce new faces to everyone.
Job Openings
Many co-workers love to help recruit and refer people, so I want them to know what positions are open.
Co-Worker’s Birthdays
I want to help the department celebrate each person on their special day, so this is one way to do it. Just don’t post their age – trust me on this.
Upcoming Company Holidays
Something like, “The company is closed on the 18th for Dog Appreciation Day. Be sure to accommodate for this closure when you provide project estimates”.
The Fun Stuff
Here’s where I get creative. I’ve found that mixing in surprising elements keeps people coming back for more:
- Monthly tech trivia
- This month in tech history – Lots of content at the Computer History Museum’s This Day in History website.
- “Guess the Legacy System” photo contests
- Home office setup showcases. This was a big one during the COVID lockdown.
- Tech humor – What did the computer have during his break time?… A byte!
One of my favorite additions has been our “Time Machine” section, where we look back at our department’s tech from 5-10 years ago. It’s not always easy to see the department’s progression every day, but pulling back a bit makes all of our hard work more evident.
Keep It About the Department
I’ve seen a lot of executives include a brief personal note at the beginning of each newsletter. I don’t do this since it makes me feel that the newsletter is about me and my thoughts. I try hard to focus on the department.
I want each co-worker to feel like they contribute to the success of the organization and can speak up regardless of their position. When I put a personal note, it just feels like a top-down authoritative structure. I believe in hiring and empowering the right people and rarely feel smarter or more important than anyone else.
I’ve seen enough Executives share their “personal notes of wisdom” that never get the effect they expected. It can sully a department’s culture vibe, so I just avoid it.
Engagement Strategies That Work
Let me share what actually gets people involved. You want people to get conditioned to respond to the newsletter.
- Interactive Elements:
- Quick polls about future IT initiatives
- “Ask the CTO” section where I answer submitted questions
- Shout-outs for cross-team collaboration.
- Recognition and Rewards:
- Certification achievements
- Project success stories
- Innovation spotlights
- Work anniversaries
Best Practices From Experience
After many iterations, here’s what I consider essential:
- Keep articles concise – I aim for 2-3 paragraphs max
- Use headers and bullet points liberally
- Include at least one visual element per section
- Maintain a consistent structure month to month
- Always proofread – I learned this after sending out an email about our “pubic cloud strategy“. Doh!
Building Community Through Content
The most rewarding outcome of our newsletter has been its role in building department culture. I encourage team members to contribute content, and we celebrate diverse perspectives. Some of our best ideas have come from junior team members who see things differently.
Remote employees frequently tell me that the newsletter helps them feel connected to the larger team. I make sure to include plenty of photos and stories from both our office and remote colleagues to maintain that sense of unity.
A Living Document
Our newsletter continues to evolve. I regularly ask for feedback through quick surveys and informal chats. Sometimes the best insights come from casual conversations about what people enjoyed reading or what they’d like to see more of.
Remember, your newsletter should reflect your department’s personality while serving its communication needs. Don’t be afraid to experiment – some of our most popular features started as “let’s try this and see what happens” ideas.
The key is to start somewhere and refine as you go. I’d rather send out a good newsletter consistently than wait for perfection. After all, in IT, we know that perfect is the enemy of done!
