The tips and resources below can help you produce an engaging office or department newsletter that aligns with the university's Brand Identity Guide.
Incorporating the university's logo will align your newsletter with the SUNY Cortland brand.
Changing the colors is a quick and easy way to make a stock template feel Cortland-specific.
The university has two official fonts available for download as well as suggested alternatives when these fonts cannot be used.
White space can assist with reading comprehension, direct the reader's attention and keep your design clean.
Determine your newsletter's goals and curate engaging content. Suggested topics include:
Top newsletter tips are below. View the Writing Style Guide for a comprehensive list.
Include contact information for your office or department on the last page of your newsletter.
Office/department name
SUNY Cortland
Building, Room number
Phone number
Email address
URL (optional)
Marketing Office
SUNY Cortland
Brockway Hall, Room 311
607-753-2519
marketing@cortland.edu
cortland.edu/marketing
People who browse using a screen reader can use headings like a table of contents to "skim" through pages.
Stark contrast between text and its background can increase reading comprehension, especially for those with visual impairments.
If your newsletter is in web or PDF format, hyperlink your URLs using descriptive text.
If your readers might print your newsletter, you can include the full URLs in an appendix or as footnotes.
If your newsletter is in PDF format, run an accessibility check. This will assess your headings, alt text, reading order, color contrast and other features.
If you use an online layout program such as Canva, it may be challenging and time consuming to address all accessibility concerns. In these situations, include a plain or rich text version of your newsletter. If using Microsoft Word, be sure to use heading formatting so text is correctly tagged. This feature is available in the styles gallery of the Home tab.
Adopt a publication schedule that makes sense for the amount of new content you have: weekly, monthly or semesterly. Sending too often may cause readers to delete your emails without reading them or to become frustrated.
Considerations when determining frequency:
Be consistent with your frequency, design, newsletter name, tone and other elements.