The publications represented by MAP constantly strive to improve their quality and effectiveness. In each issue, On Top of the World will showcase the operations and innovations of a different member publication to give MAP members a look at how other publications are succeeding.

by Joanie Hammes

As a graduate student in the Missouri School of Journalism, Katey Charles was studying convergence media before convergence even had a name.  “My graduate work, to some, was a weird amalgamation of things,” she says.  “But my focus was to bring all the elements of media — writing, editing, design, photography and artwork — together into one project.” 

For her master's project, Charles produced a multi-media CD-ROM designed to provide information to volunteers and parents for Columbia's Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

With her multi-media experience, she worked as communications manager for famed illustrator Mary Engelbreit in St. Louis where, among other things, she developed the studio's electronic newsletter.  “Mary's retail stores had collected 60,000 e-mail addresses on notepads,” she said.  “They had them for six years and hadn’t used them for anything.” 

Seeing an opportunity, Charles began writing and sending a monthly electronic newsletter in text-only format to the artist's fans.   “We really had no idea how many people were receiving it or if the e-mail addresses were even valid, and it really bogged down our servers every time we sent it out, ” she says. Wanting to learn more, Charles researched how to send an email newsletter with color, graphics and hyperlinks, or an HTML e-mail.  “Mary Engelbreit is an artist, and we were sending text.  We wanted to show her artwork and send the fun stuff. Plus, sending HTML e-mail gave us the ability to track responses to the newsletter."

In December 2002, Charles launched Mary Engelbreit's first e-newsletter in HTML format. As with the text e-mail, she used an editorial and advertising mix of content, but now she had the ability to track if anyone was reading the newsletter at all and what kinds of content they were clicking on.  “One thing we learned is that we had only 40,000 valid e-mail addresses,” she says.

Changes in Engelbreit’s company led to changes in Charles’ position, which led her to venture out to start her own e-mail newsletter publishing and marketing business.  Charles said Engelbreit was an “inspiring entrepreneur,” and when she asked Engelbreit if she should go out on her own, Engelbreit said, “It’s a no-brainer.”  Mary Engelbreit Studios was Charles’ first client and remains one today.  “It was amazing to start a business with an international client,” Charles says.

Charles has since built Katey Charles Communications to serve 47 clients and specializes in e-newsletters, consulting, creative services and technology.  While some clients need the full gamut of services, others are just looking for a push.  KCC services range from simply providing software to a client for an e-newsletter, to writing, editing and designing a full e-newsletter on a monthly basis.

Charles says it’s important to remember that e-newsletters require every bit as much effort as any other type of publication when it comes to writing, editing and design.

“People tend to think e-newsletters are easy because it’s e-mail,” she says.  “But content and editing is even more important because attention spans are shorter on e-mail.” 

One thing to remember about e-newsletter writing is the importance of writing in layers, she says.  “If you want to direct people to your Web site, you have to write a compelling teaser, or layer, in the body of the newsletter to get them to the Web site,” she says.

“Because there is so much competition in an e-mail inbox, newsletters have to be extremely relevant and to the point,” she says.  “They can’t be filled with fluff.”

The ability to track how many people are opening and clicking on links in a newsletter (and who they are!) is a huge advantage to e-newsletters.  “You know right away if you’re hitting the right focus areas and topics that are hot with your audience,” she says.  For Charles, that was a draw to the business.  With an e-newsletter, she says, you can tailor subject lines and even test them to see which ones are more enticing to open. 

Tracking isn’t the only draw for e-newsletters.  There can be significant cost savings, too.  Some organizations opt to reduce the frequency of their printed newsletter, add a monthly e-mail with more timely information, and they still end up saving money overall, Charles says. 

Many magazines are using electronic newsletters as a supplement to their publication.  Sharon Reus, publisher of Louie, the Magazine for St. Louis Teens, says their publication actually makes money from their e-newsletter because advertisers are paying more for the e-newsletter ads.  “Advertisers want this outlet,” Charles says.

Any way you slice it, e-newsletters are a new spin on a classic media outlet, and they are here to stay.  And Katey Charles is in it for the long haul.

Katey Charles Communications
536 Mc Lain Lane
St. Louis, MO 63122
P 314-835-0342
info@ kateycharles.com

Or visit the Katey Charles Communicaitons website at www. kateycharles .com