Gimme S'More of that: Interactive Newsletters using smore

Did someone say "SMORES"?!  Why, yes!  But it's not what you might be thinking.  When I first heard of this site, I was kind of confused about its purpose.  Was it supposed to be a virtual campfire?  A virtual kumbaya of sorts?  A place to learn about outdoor activities?  But Smore actually has nothing to do with any of the aforementioned categories.  So what IS it and how can it be effectively used by educators or educational leaders?  

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To quote the website, "Smore makes it easy to design beautiful and effective online newsletters."  What I love about that statement is that it is, first of all, true and second, it makes use of the word "effective".  The words in the statement the website creators use to tell about their site were certainly carefully chosen.  So, let's see how:

"Easy"

• This term is fairly enticing all on its own.  As educators and leaders, our time is spent ticking off that endless checklist and, unfortunately, can't devote a ton of time to creating the amazing designs that we covet on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.  But Smore helps make the creation of newsletters a simple process.  You can choose from a large variety of templates or begin with a blank slate.  The site allows you to insert a plethora of media components so that you can make each newsletter unique to your purposes.  Simply drag and drop your media of choice!

"Beautiful"

• And who DOESN'T want a beautiful design?  The first step in piquing a reader's interest is by creating something visually beautiful.  Think about your trips to the bookstore, or window shopping, or a drive down the road.  Your eyes are drawn to the things in which you find beauty, regardless of the contents or details that are included.  Visual marketing is a real thing and should be practiced, even in the field of education.   If you're sending a newsletter on a regular basis to the same audience, it might be important to adjust the graphics and design so that your readers remain curious.

"Effective"

• And here's what's most important about digital newsletters:  they are effective!  There's no point in creating an easy and beautiful design if, in the end, it's not effective.  But effective can mean lots of different things, and that's okay.  What matters is that your newsletter is effective in the ways that you want it to be:  Is it effective at gaining attention of the audience?  Is it effective in getting accessible information out to viewers?  Is it effective in holding an audience accountable?  Is it effective in getting readers to come back again and again?  Does it have a way for readers to interact?  In considering your end goal, you can create a newsletter that is most effective for you and your audience.

What to include...

Of course, absolutely anything can be included in your digital newsletter.  Obviously, it depends on your audience and purpose.  As an instructional coach, I send out a newsletter every two weeks to share about current school events, professional resources, and more.  Here's what I usually include:

• Every newsletter includes a snippet of professional development.  It could be a new professional read, a brief video on a topic of particular interest, or a website link with a blurb included.
• Each of my newsletters also includes any pertinent information about upcoming events with me as the instructional coach.  For example, last month I had teachers sign up for a "Happy Breaks-Giving" that allowed me to provide them a 30 minute break the week before Thanksgiving.
• Specific schools, classrooms, or teachers are highlighted in every edition.  It might be a few pictures and captions from various classrooms, or a resource that a teacher has created and has provided permission to share in the newsletter.
• Finally, I always embed the google form for my coaching services.  It can be completed within the newsletter.  

There are SO many different things that can be included in a digital newsletter.  While I do believe that variation in design elements is important and can affect the appeal of newsletters, readers also enjoy consistency.  A predictable pattern allows your audience to know what to expect.  Therefore, I prefer to keep my broad content topics relatively the same, but take as much creative license as possible with what is posted and how it is presented.

Check out the example beloW!

Share your digital newsletter designs!  Let us know if you use Smore and what makes it easy, beautiful, and effective for you!