We are convinced that the trouble with most newsletters is an excess of ego. When you think of a newsletter as a vehicle for ME to tell YOU about ME it doesn't have much value to the reader and will likely be round-filed. If, on the other hand, you approach the content with the idea that you're going to share some new, interesting and useful stuff with your readers -- and you actually do -- you'll have a newsletter that's valued and kept. If, additionally, you package your newsletter with attractive graphics, write it in a creative, entertaining style, and concentrate on articles of real value to the audience, you have the sort of newsletter your customers actually look forward to receiving. That's the sort of newsletter we do at Ripley-Woodbury. News-to-Use... It feels a little odd, frankly, using our own newsletter as an example for this category. But we formed a lot of our opinions about newsletters in the development of " News-to-Use." For example, we have always stuck with articles we thought our readers (mostly people in the marketing departments of companies we'd like to have as clients) would find valuable and interesting. We keep a high proportion of "how to" articles, with bulleted lists. We scan the trade press for interesting ideas to pass on. We always have a word game or puzzle. We keep mention of our own name and excellent reputation to a minimum. And we keep the style light and clever. It's the kind of newsletter we put out, because it's the kind of newsletter we'd like to receive. Click here to review some of the informative articles from our past issues.