It is crucial to keep alumni informed about the institution but, in our world of instant communications and information overload, the traditional “here we are” newsletters are losing some of their importance. Also, preparing a newsletter from writing and collecting articles to designing and sending can be a heavy resource commitment so it should have clear benefits. Here are some ways to rethink sharing your news:

• Shift to Shorter Formats: Attention spans have shortened, leading to a preference for shorter and more easily digestible content formats like social media posts, videos, and infographics. Newsletters often contain longer-form content that may not align with this trend.
• Preference for Visual Content: Include strong visual content like images and videos because they capture attention more effectively than text-heavy newsletters.
• Immediate Access to Information: Alumni can access immediate updates and news through social media feeds, websites, and mobile apps. Make sure that you are posting news through these other channels. Waiting for a periodic newsletter may not satisfy their desire for real-time information.
• Personalized Content: Social media platforms and modern communication tools allow for personalized content delivery based on user preferences, behavior, and engagement history. Use email tools that allow for your newsletters to have some level of personalization.
• Interactivity: Engagement and interaction options are limited compared to platforms like social media or alumni portals. Consider how to encourage feedback from your Newsletter.
• Spam Filters and Promotions Tabs: Make sure that you design your email newsletters to avoid ending up in spam filters or promotions tabs. This might mean shorter newsletters or a change of format.
• Mobile Optimization: Design your newsletters for viewing on mobile devices, which are increasingly used for accessing information. Poor mobile optimization can deter recipients from reading them.
• Shift to Instant Communication: Social media platforms and messaging apps offer instant communication, enabling real-time interaction and engagement. Share individual news items on a timely basis. Newsletters cannot provide the same level of immediacy.
• Fragmented Attention: Format the Newsletter to accommodate people who multitask and consume content from various sources simultaneously, which can result in lower engagement with longer-form content like newsletters.
• Artificial Intelligence: AI is your new friend! While your content has to be specific to your institution, AI has gotten quite good at composing a first draft about almost anything.

Keeping your alumni informed is more important than ever. It might also be more challenging than ever. Make sure you are sharing the news that interest alumni in a way that they want to receive it without spending too much time on preparing it.

Read more articles in the Alumni Relations Transformations Series at AlmaShines or the Impactrics Resources area.