How to Write an Engaging Newsletter for Your HOA Community

Do you want to keep residents engaged in a way that goes beyond routine reminders and notices?  If yes, the most effective tool for you to do this with a personal touch is creating an email newsletter.

But, creating an email newsletter is not as easy as it sounds. Board members and managers often find it intimidating and tedious to create an effective newsletter.

In this blog, we shall talk in detail about the importance of a newsletter, the do’s and don’ts, and how you can create an impressive newsletter that every community resident would love to read! Therefore, make sure you scroll down to the end of this article to get all the information you need about creating an HOA newsletter!

Why is an HOA Newsletter important?

Homeowners constantly complain about the lack of transparency and communication between the board members and them. Now, an HOA newsletter cannot work as a replacement for official notices.

That said, HOA newsletters can foster engagement and include both casual and official information about the latest developments in the community. It provides residents with important information about what is happening and establishes a sense of community and trust in the HOA leaders.

When utilized effectively, newsletters can act as a tool for event scheduling, end any confusion and rumors, and establish a sense of unity among community members.

What should you include in an HOA Newsletter?

Before we jump straight to our unique tips about developing an HOA newsletter, let’s talk a little more about the details that should be included. Here are the basic elements of an HOA newsletter that you must include:

Date

• 1) First and foremost, you need to decide on which date you will send out your newsletters. For example, you can send out your community newsletter weekly or monthly to create a sense of consistency.
• 2) You must include details such as – the date, the issue, etc., to help residents figure out which issue is the latest one.

Consistent Newsletter Structure

The next thing to consider is the newsletter’s layout to catch the attention of the reader. You’ll need to sketch out the sections you want to include and maintain the same structure throughout your monthly issues.

Target Audience Research

You must consider your target audience and what your residents want to read. For example, if your residents love to hear about the latest developmental updates in your society, then make it a point to include them in the newsletter. A survey can be a great way to find out what your residents want to read about.

Other Important Information

• 1) Relevant information about the latest official happenings in the community.
• 2) Any emergencies such as in the case of disasters, emergency water supply and power cuts, etc.
• 3) Any upcoming social events.
• 4) Dates for upcoming board meetings.
• 5) Decisions made in board meetings.
• 6) Any pending maintenance work or projects in the community.

Tips to Create an HOA Newsletter

Now that you understand the basics of an HOA Newsletter, we’ll establish some best practices to help make your content shine.

To create an HOA newsletter that makes a difference, it is imperative to understand the demographics of your community and provide information that will strike a chord with your residents.  To ensure that your residents look forward to the monthly HOA newsletter, add content that will be highly valuable to your readers.  Furthermore, to establish trust in the HOA community leaders, clarify the HOA practices and rules through the newsletter.

You can make a separate section in the newsletter dedicated to the current developments in the residential area. Ensure that this section is filled with relevant images that catch the reader’s attention.

Dedicate a section of your newsletter to announcements and reminders for any new rules and regulations, HOA dues, deadlines, etc.

Lastly, remember that readers don’t always have the time to read a community newsletter word by word. Therefore, you should write short, simple passages and use bullet point lists to create an engaging newsletter design.

What technology do you need to create an impressive email newsletter?

Setting up an email newsletter can be a time-consuming and tedious process. However, the latest technological advancements in terms of generic and specific email solutions have made this task easier.

Here’s how these email marketing solutions can help you to create a comprehensive HOA newsletter for your community:

Generic Marketing Solutions

Email marketing providers offer a wide array of email newsletter templates that you can use simply by creating your account. You can also import these email templates and modify them later per your needs.

This is a cost-effective solution, especially if you’re managing a small residential community. You’ll also get access to countless integration options that will help boost your online presence.

However, the problem with these generic email HOA newsletter solutions is that you must manually create and maintain your recipient list. Along with this, the templates provided by such companies are inherently basic and require significant modifications, which require both time and technical knowledge. These issues can be put to rest by leveraging technology that is specific to the HOA industry.  

HOA Industry-Specific Email Marketing Solutions

Cloud-based HOA software solutions can help improve the work efficiency of homeowners association by miles.  Such software has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that one can use to create beautiful newsletter templates with document and image attachments.

It effectively tackles the problem of manual recipient data entry seen with generic email marketing solutions. In addition, these software platforms also provide integration with accounting software which helps to save time and money when it comes to contact management.  Such platforms also help keep track of email replies to help board members and managers maintain proper records.  Real-time analytics provide managers with exclusive access to a list of residents who've clicked, opened, and replied to an email.  Managers and board members can directly see a resident's reply to the newsletter as well.

 

Conclusion

Writing your HOA email newsletter in an effective and efficient manner can help foster community engagement and increase the interest of residents in the residential area’s development.

It is crucial for the homeowners association newsletter to have an attractive design, relevant content that keeps residents hooked to the newsletter, and an effortless distribution channel.

Note: This article was first published on: https://www.pilera.com/2022/11...