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The Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) newsletter, Let’s Go, has been getting rave reviews. How did Adsoka do it? These four components were kept front and center.
1. A Plan
Transit for Livable Communities had created newsletters before. But prior to Adsoka’s involvement, they felt creating each newsletter was like reinventing the wheel. With so many things going on in the organization, how do you determine what’s worthy? How do you make sure nothing important is omitted? How do you stick to a schedule?
To solve this issue, Adsoka developed an editorial calendar, much like a magazine or newspaper would. The editorial calendar provides a plan for the coming year regarding what content to cover. Departments and columns were developed—such as Wonkery Welcome and Transiteering Tips—which are repeated issue to issue with fresh content. Specific topics correlate to key audiences. TLC is now prepared for special campaigns, seasonal pushes and even the unexpected announcement.
2. Brand Essence Plays Significant Role
TLC has several focuses: walking, bicycling and transit. But at the core of those things is “livable communities;” therefore, Adsoka ensured the tone and essence of the newsletter pointed to livable communities.
We started with the name of the newsletter: Let’s Go. This reveals a sense of community and working together, while also providing a nod to transportation.
The feature article is “What is a livable community?” In the article, two locations of one local grocer are compared to illustrate exactly what a livable community is. This brings the essence to the fore.
3. It Communicates According to How People Learn
It is important to express content in several ways because people learn in different ways. Work in academic circles about how people learn has found these to be significant elements:
- Narratives: stories and first-person tales
- Quantification: numbers, facts, tables
- Visualizations: charts and graphs, maps, illustrations
- Bridging: baby-steps from something that is understood to the next development
- Hooping: taking a common agreeable memory and comparing it to new understanding
- Visioning: telling new by setting up an expectation of a break from the past
- Synthesizing: using combinations of the above techniques
While these descriptions aren’t highly precise, the idea is that effective communication must use a variety of these techniques to reach their audience well. Such as in the Let’s Go newsletter.
The Member Profile uses narrative because it is expressed in first person.
This graphic exercises visualization because it uses a graph.
This exercises hooping because it takes a familiar example and applies a new understanding.
4. Engaging Design
Without an engaging design, all the preparation may have been for naught.
The design brims with personality perfect for TLC. The modern, on-the-go aesthetic matches their audience. No stock photography is used. The cover, with the table of contents organized like spokes, is something that can be refreshed for future versions and will never hold the publication hostage when the perfect photograph doesn’t surface.
The inaugural edition has been met with enthusiasm and a desire for more.
“I’m getting rave reviews on the newsletter. Our members are very happy!”
-Katie Eukel
Communications Manager, TLC |
