50 Employee Newsletter Ideas That are Fun and Engaging

Company newsletters don’t have to be stale, boring, and repetitive.

They’re supposed to be an opportunity to bring the team together, distribute news about the company, and generally make sure everyone in the organization is better informed – and/or entertained.

Now, I don’t have the magic beans that can make all your wildest employee newsletter dreams come true.

But I do have 50 employee newsletter ideas you can use to make your company newsletter more fun and engaging.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Company-focused Employee Newsletter Ideas

So how can you jazz up your employee newsletter? Try these fun and engaging employee newsletter ideas.

1. Company milestones.

Talk about the milestones your company has reached, or the milestones you hope to reach in the future. It can help employees feel more confident about how the business is doing – and help them establish a vision for the company’s future.

2. Charts and graphs.

Want to show off how sales have increased? Or how the company is expanding? Show it with data visuals like charts and graphs.

3. Business changes.

What changes are coming to the business in the near future? Are you looking into new types of products? Are you going to expand to a new city? This is all interesting for your employees.

4. “In the news.”

Show off how the company has been featured in the news lately. Are there recent press releases about your latest achievements? Is one of your leaders getting interviewed for a major publication?

5. Competitor developments.

It’s not all about your company. You should also take the time to address your competitors. Talk about new companies that are emerging in the industry – or the longstanding rivals that continue to be a thorn in your side.

6. Individual achievements.

Better yet, talk about the achievements of individuals within your company. Did one of your sales reps land a huge deal? Did someone on the marketing team come up with a brilliant new idea? Show them off.

7. Meeting recaps.

Though a bit more mundane, employee newsletters are a good chance to catch people up on the latest meetings. You can list the highlights and key takeaways, or just distribute an organized set of notes.

8. Anniversaries.

Do you have any employees celebrating a work anniversary? This is the perfect time to show it off.

9. Job openings.

These days, the majority of jobs are filled thanks to referrals – so much so that 80 percent of jobs are never even listed publicly. If you have new job openings, consider mentioning them in your employee newsletter – and inviting employees to recommend people they know for the job.

10. Top 10 lists.

It works great for clickbait. Why not for your employee newsletter? Be serious with things like “Top 10 productivity strategies” or get sillier with “Top 10 messy desks in the office.”

11. Memes.

People love memes. Consider taking a popular meme template and making it apply to your office dynamics or your industry. Just be careful not to look like an old, out-of-touch person trying hard to fit in with youth culture.

12. Jokes.

Who doesn’t love a joke? It’s the perfect way to lighten the mood and capture some initial interest in your work.

13. Pop culture references.

It also doesn’t hurt to throw in a pop culture reference or two – especially when there’s a big movie about to come out.

14. Employee spotlights.

I love when employee newsletters have employee spotlights. Highlight one employee and talk about their position, their history, and even their personal interests; it will make that employee feel special and bring the team closer together.

15. New hires.

Similarly, it’s also worth showing off new hires when you onboard them. They’re not a familiar face yet, so introduce them to the rest of the organization!

16. Remote work highlights.

If your team operates remotely, consider using employee newsletters to help your workers feel closer to each other. For example, you can show off different work stations – or have everyone send in photos of their pets.

17. User submissions.

In fact, almost any type of user submission can work. Ask employees for photos, short writings, and videos that pertain to their job or the company in some way. You might be surprised at what you get.

18. Team spotlights.

Did a team of people recently celebrate a major achievement? Highlight the individual team members here.

19. Department spotlights.

Few employees know how all the departments work together – or exactly what they’re doing over in accounting. Showing off an entire department could lead to better organizational knowledge overall and help break down corporate silos that might otherwise exist.

20. Local recommendations.

What’s going on in the city? If everyone works from home, this may not be ideal; otherwise, consider recommending restaurants, new shows, and other highlights in the area.

21. Books, movies, and TV shows.

You can also recommend new books, movies, or TV shows that you think could enrich employees’ lives in some way.

22. Blogs.

Connect your employees to blogs that can help them learn about themselves or about the industry – or fun blogs that can spark interesting discussions.

23. Podcasts.

You can do the same by recommending podcasts.

24. Social media interactions.

Has your company been mentioned on social media a lot lately? Did your company account have any interesting interactions? This is a great chance to show your employees.

25. Motivational quotes.

Who doesn’t love the occasional motivational quote? We’ve got plenty of them for you to steal here!

26. Surveys.

Conduct short employee surveys in the body of the email newsletter. It’s super convenient and can help you feel the pulse of your organization.

27. Contests.

One of the best ways to get employees engaged is to hold some kind of contest or competition. For example, you can enter your employees into a chance to win a brand new TV if they respond to your survey.

28. Interviews.

Get to know someone in your organization (or someone relevant to your industry outside of it) with an interview. Show the video, stream the audio, or just post the transcript.

29. Learning opportunities.

Connect your employees to external (or internal) resources where they can learn new skills and develop themselves. Most ambitious professionals are constantly looking for ways to better themselves.

30. Company sponsored resources.

Do you offer reduced-price gym memberships? Or are there other “lesser known” benefits offered by the company? Remind your employees that they exist, or teach them about the opportunities for the first time.

31. Upcoming events.

Is your company about to host an important seminar? Or are you gearing up for the company Christmas party? This is a great time to educate employees and prepare them for your upcoming events.

32. Mentorship or advice.

You could also use your employee newsletter as a platform for mentorship or advice. Your more experienced employees and leaders can provide perspective, tips, and strategies to your newer members.

33. “Ask me anything.”

You can also focus on building this relationship in the opposite direction; invite your lower-level employees to ask questions of your higher-ranking team members, and have them answer those questions.

34. A message from the CEO.

Get your CEO (or another leader in your organization) to prepare a short statement – even a couple of sentences can work. The exact content will be totally up to them; it could be informational, motivational, or just entertaining.

35. Other leadership developments.

Is something changing within your leadership structure? Now’s the perfect time to talk about it.

36. A roundup.

Don’t want to create your own content? Consider “rounding up” great content you’ve seen created by others, including other organizations in your industry – or even your own employees.

37. Miscellaneous trivia.

Did you know that broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, and even Brussels sprouts were all derived from wild mustard? You can choose something more relevant to your industry, but miscellaneous trivia makes for great water cooler fodder.

38. “This day in history.”

Similarly, you can talk about “this day in history.” For example, I’m currently writing this on August 23; the day Sacco and Vanzetti were executed in 1927. Maybe you’ll find something more cheerful to write about.

39. Glimpses at the company’s history.

How far has this company come? Let your employees know, especially if the company has a long and interesting history. What was this company like 5 years ago? 10 years ago? 50 years ago?

40. Customer profiles.

Who are some of your top customers? Featuring a company bio, or even an individual bio, can be a great way to help employees see their own impact – and cultivate more faith in the company.

41. Reviews and testimonials.

This could also be a great time to show off some positive customer reviews and testimonials. Let your team know they’re doing an awesome job!

42. New tech and new tools.

Are there new technologies or tools in your company’s arsenal? Or is one of your existing tools getting neglected? This is a great chance to tell your employees about them – and instruct them how to use those tools properly.

43. Reminders.

Are employees deviating from standard procedure? Or is there an important date coming up? You can use your employee newsletter to consolidate and distribute these types of reminders.

44. FAQs.

If there’s a piece of confusing or unsettling company news, or if you’re addressing a common employee complaint, an FAQ section could be a great way to clear up misconceptions and educate your people.

45. Links to further reading.

Similarly, you can include links to “further reading” on a given subject in your newsletter, such as links to videos, blogs, books, or even online courses.

46. Opportunities for anonymous feedback.

You probably collect a lot of customer feedback already, but what about employee feedback? At the end of your employee newsletter, give employees a chance to tell you what they’re feeling – and what they need to be more effective in their jobs.

How to Shake Up a Stale Employee Newsletter

Even with an assortment of the above types of content, your employee newsletter could become stale over time.

Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.

And it’s never too late to break out of that rut.

Here are just some of the ways you can do it:

47. Invite guest editors.

Don’t pin the employee newsletter all on one person. Consider sharing the load by inviting guest editors and having multiple perspectives involved in the process.

48. Try different media.

Tired of writing stories? Experiment with different media, including photos, video, and even audio feeds.

49. Tweak the format.

If you’re in need of a bigger overhaul, consider rebuilding the format from the ground up. Move everything around and start from scratch!

50. Ask for recommendations.

Remember, your employee newsletter is all about your employees. They know what they like and what they don’t like. They probably know what they’re missing as well. If your newsletter isn’t performing the way you want it to, or if you’re just stuck and unable to come up with new ideas, talk to your employees and see what they have to say. They might have some perfect recommendations for your next newsletter.

Why Create an Employee Newsletter?

If you don’t already have an employee newsletter, here’s the gist of how it works. On a regular basis (e.g., weekly or monthly), you’ll send a big email to all your employees with a bunch of headlines, stories, and other content snippets.

Why do this?

• News and information. For some companies, an employee newsletter is a way to publish news and information. New parking garage? New employee health benefits? A minor change to the dress code? Employee newsletters are the best way to spread the news quickly.
• Inbox decluttering. Yeah, you could send a quick email every time you want to update your employees on something. But wouldn’t it be better to consolidate all those tiny emails into one big one? It could certainly help you cut down on inbox clutter.
• Message reinforcement. Employee newsletters can help you reinforce your messages and goals, building a stronger team culture and increasing consistency in the workplace.
• Employee morale. Do it right, and your employees may grow to love your newsletter. It may genuinely make them happy (and help you boost retention).
• Employee feedback. Employee newsletters can also be a great way to encourage employee feedback.

Okay, now you have a bunch of ideas for employee newsletter content. But employee newsletters are just one type of email that keeps your business productive, focused, and moving forward.

You’re also probably sending and receiving hundreds of emails per day, per employee.

That’s a lot of inbox clutter, information, and time to keep track of.

Which is why we came up with the idea for EmailAnalytics.

EmailAnalytics is an analytics tool for your team’s email. With it, you’ll see a detailed breakdown of all your employees’ email activity – including emails sent and received per day, busiest times and days of the week, and average response time.

It’s the perfect tool for improving employee email habits and overall productivity. Sign up for a free trial today!