First, Second, Third: How to Organize Your Newsletter Content for Better Engagement

Writing the content for a community newsletter is only half the battle. The real challenge is ensuring that the content you include actually attracts and engages readers. For senior centers and senior living communities, newsletters are a valuable tool for communicating with residents, members, families, volunteers, and prospective residents. However, even the most important information can be overlooked if it isn’t organized effectively.

One of the simplest and most valuable strategies for increasing newsletter engagement is to prioritize content using a “First, Second, Third” approach. By carefully considering the order in which information appears, marketing teams can guide readers through the newsletter and maximize the visibility of key messages.

What to Include in Your Newsletter First: Lead With What Matters Most

Many readers will skim a newsletter before deciding whether to read further. In fact, researchers recently found that our attention span is only eight seconds — shorter than a goldfish’s! So, to immediately grab readers’ attention, your newsletter should feature the content most important to your audience right now first.

If you aren’t sure what to include here, a few suggestions include:

• Major upcoming events
• Registration deadlines
• Community-wide announcements
• Resident or member highlights
• Seasonal programs
• Important policy changes or updates

What to Include in Your Newsletter Second: Feature Stories That Build Community

Once you’ve shared the most critical information, the second thing you should include in your newsletter is content that strengthens engagement and emotional connection. People enjoy reading about people. That's why resident stories, volunteer spotlights, member achievements, and staff recognition pieces consistently perform well in newsletters.

These stories help readers feel connected to the community while reinforcing the value of participation. Some ideas to develop for this section are:

• Personal, biographical stories about residents/members
• Highlights from birthday or anniversary celebrations
• Volunteer contributions and recognition
• Community partnerships and cosponsored events

This content may not be urgent, but it does play a significant role in strengthening relationships and building a sense of belonging in your community, especially when accompanied by photos.

Marketing teams often make the mistake of treating newsletters solely as announcement tools. In reality, the most successful newsletters balance information with storytelling. When readers see familiar faces and meaningful experiences reflected in the publication, they are more likely to engage.

What to Include in Your Newsletter Third: Supporting Information and Resources

The final sections of your newsletter should contain items that readers may still find important but don’t necessarily need to see first. These serve as supporting content, rather than primary attractions. A few examples include:

• Weekly/monthly calendar of events
• Team member names, titles, and contact information
• Volunteer opportunities and descriptions
• Donation requests for supplies needed for activities

Think of this section as the reference area of the newsletter. Readers who need the information will appreciate having it available, while those who are primarily interested in stories and announcements won't feel overwhelmed at the beginning of the publication.

More Tips to Engage Newsletter Readers

If all you do today is follow the three tips above, your newsletter will already be off to a great start. If you want to keep making your newsletter better and better, though, do these things as well:

• Make scanning easy: To better engage readers, remember that most people scan a newsletter or webpage before really reading it. Make sure both your printed and digital newsletters are scannable. Break content into short sections using headlines and subheadings. Bullet points also help. Don’t skip adding photos or other visual elements, too!
• Think like your audience: One of the best ways to improve engagement is to review every newsletter from the reader’s perspective. Ask yourself what you would like to see first. Ditto for your family members. What other kinds of information would attract and maintain your attention?

A Simple Structure Can Yield Powerful Results

For senior centers and senior living communities, this simple newsletter structure has the power to increase readership, improve participation in programs and events, and strengthen connections. When your readers can quickly find what matters most, they’re more likely to stay engaged from the first page to the last.

If you are looking for more ways to improve your community newsletter, a helpful article to read is Newsletter Formatting Tips — 8 Ways to Maximize the Impact of Your Publications.

Don’t have a newsletter yet and want help getting started? We help organizations just like yours create and publish newsletters at little to no cost to your organization thanks to ad sponsorships! Learn more on the LPi homepage and get all the help you need to start the process.