How to Design a Newsletter in Word: Top Tips for Success
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Newsletters are a great way to share important messages with your employees and customers alike. The balance of design and copy make for a striking way to capture attention and get your point across. So, if you’re looking for how to design a newsletter in Word, then you’ve come to the right place.
Once you see the many steps and considerations you have to keep in mind when using a word processor like Microsoft Word, you’ll discover that using a web-based email builder is actually a much easier choice.
Newsletters are a must for modern-day brands.
They’re an affordable, quick way to connect with an engaged or “warm” audience (people who have already expressed an interest in your business.)
You can use a newsletter to:
Before you start designing a newsletter in Word, you’ll need to prepare the page.
Here’s how you can do that:
Taking the time to set up a Microsoft Word document will speed up the writing process.
Make it even easier, and maintain consistency between newsletters, by using the same template regularly.
If your goal is to learn how to design a newsletter in Word that looks professional, consider creating a header and footer.
Luckily, it’s easy to do so.
Simply open Microsoft Word, go to the Insert tab and select Header. From there, you’ll be given a selection of pre-made choices, or you can create a custom header.
Add the text and graphics needed. Most good newsletter designs include the company logo and newsletter title in this section.
You can follow more-or-less the same process to add a footer to your newsletter. Just select Footer instead of Header when you open the Insert tab.
Good design should never be underestimated. It can transform your newsletter from just another email to something that’s professional, engaging and acted upon.
So let’s cover some quick tips on how to boost the visual appeal and readability of your newsletter:
Email builders like Publicate take away the guesswork so you can design an email newsletter with ease. Hundreds of professional, customizable templates made to suit every industry save time and maximize engagement.
Every template has been designed following best practices, using email-optimized code to ensure your layout renders perfectly on every device.
Simply choose a template and customize it with your own content and branding. Features like dynamic web scraping, in-line image editing, and Brand Kits containing your brand assets make this a breeze.
The right formatting makes your newsletter professional-looking but most importantly, easy (and enjoyable!) to read.
Help make your text stand out with a few easy-to-follow steps:
If you’re not sure where to start, try an email builder like Publicate.
Every Publicate template follows a visual hierarchy so your readers can scan and get maximum value from every newsletter. Simply drag and drop modules to update the layout of templates if needed, for customization down to the last detail.
Upload your brand’s font and color palette to the Brand Kit, so everyone on your team can access the assets and use them in their newsletter. This enables consistency and collaboration, without the need to upload fonts with every newsletter you create.
The right images elevate your newsletter by supporting your message and making the whole thing more enjoyable to read.
So how can you add images and graphics to yours?
First, it’s important to choose images that are relevant to your content and your brand. Make sure images are high-quality, too.
Add them to your newsletter by using the Insert tab in Microsoft Word and clicking Pictures.
To make changes, click on the image and use the Format tab. That lets you play with the size, position and alignment of the image. You can also add effects and borders to style it.
Microsoft Word is famously clunky when it comes to formatting images! You’ll probably realize it’s not straightforward to learn how to design a newsletter in Word. Take some time to practice adding and styling images, while ensuring they don’t negatively impact the rest of your layout.
However, you can skip the headaches and save time by using an alternative. An email template builder like Publicate includes a library of around 2 million royalty-free stock image, GIFs and videos, so you can add images in seconds. The drag-and-drop editor makes the process seamless.
Publicate is also the only email builder with in-line image editing. That means you can move, crop, rotate and align images without leaving the platform - gone are the days of editing images elsewhere and repeatedly uploading and testing them in your newsletter.
Now that you have the bare bones of your newsletter and you know how to design a newsletter in Word, you can decide on the types of content to include.
We’ve rounded up some content and sections that most newsletters consist of:
Headers and subheadings: Organize your content and help readers seamlessly navigate your newsletter.
Before you’re ready to send a newsletter, you’ll need to make sure it’s error-free. Grammatical mistakes and incorrect facts aren’t a good look.
You can use a free grammar and spelling checker tool to catch any mistakes your eyes miss.
Be sure to double-check all facts and data using reliable sources.
With the nitty-gritty parts taken care of, take an overall look at your newsletter: Is the formatting easy to follow and does it flow nicely? Ensure you’ve presented ideas clearly and that your newsletter is consistent and clutter-free. Knowing how to design a newsletter in Word is just the start; you need to ensure it’s accurate and professional before sharing it.
Don’t be afraid to send your newsletter to a colleague to ask for feedback.
With email builders like Publicate, you can get this feedback in real time. The platform streamlines the editing and approvals process thanks to a live collaborative feature. Get instant feedback, make edits and export the approved newsletter to your favorite ESP, such as Gmail or Outlook, to distribute it.
With your newsletter created in Word, you’re ready to share it with the world. (Or, at least, with your subscriber list.)
There are multiple ways to share your newsletter, with some more effective than others when it comes to saving time and money.
So, save your newsletter and consider the following distribution methods:
Admittedly, the distribution process isn’t exactly straightforward and you aren't able to send it as an actual email newsletter if you use Word. Looking specifically at email, attaching newsletters as PDFs isn’t the best practice - plus it’s highly time-consuming!
You can overcome this by creating newsletters in an email builder like Publicate and export them however you like.
Make use of a direct integration with Gmail and Outlook, that lets you send your newsletter to an unlimited number of recipients in just a couple of clicks. Alternatively, you can share your newsletter via channels like Slack or Teams, on social media, or as a fully responsive web page.
