Four Ways to Build Trust

A well-planned publication can do more than communicate a message. An internal newsletter can further your company’s values and mission, create a sense of comradery, help retain top talent, and as explained here, build trust with some of your most important shareholders.

• Be genuine.

1. 1. If your company is going through a leadership transition, experiencing growing pains, struggling through a down economy, trying to fix failing plumbing, whatever the case may be, you have to address it. Use your newsletter to further convey your commitment to transparency. By doing this, you can communicate the message you want, while letting readers know the publication is a trustworthy source of accurate information.

• Get it right.

1. 1. It may sound nit-picky, but when you misspell the last name of your company’s CFO, print the wrong date for the company picnic, or even neglect to change the date on the current issue, it matters. Here’s why: you want readers to believe what you are saying, and when you get little things wrong, the perception becomes that you also get big things wrong. I’m not saying it’s fair, it just is. That said, when mistakes happen, own them and print a correction and apology in the next issue.

• Stay regular.

1. 1. Publishing your newsletter on a set schedule not only builds trust (employees know they can find the cafeteria specials there every Monday, for instance), but it also builds anticipation. Create an editorial calendar, share it with others and live by it.

• Liven in up.

1. Don’t bother with the time and effort of a newsletter if it’s going to be boring. You can’t communicate a message – much less build trust – through words no one wants to read. If you don’t know what your readers consider interesting, enlist the help of someone who does. If you can’t write in a way that is interesting, hire someone who can.

I don’t mean to imply an internal newsletter can solve all of the world’s (or your company’s) problems. As an editor once said to me about a story I was obsessing over, “This ain’t change-the-world journalism.” However, it’s been my experience that a simple newsletter can be a powerful tool for accomplishing a myriad of goals. I’d love to hear about your newsletter experiences.

Sage Johnson, Professional Freelance Writer

I credit my early love of writing – and costume jewelry – to my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Nesbit, a stork of a woman who sang, “Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Boom, boom, boom went my heart.” In junior high, I covered the community college hockey team for my hometown newspaper. I got to ride the bus to out-of-town games with the team – including a certain defenseman – which was payment enough for me. I eventually had to swear off hockey players, but could never shake writing, even when I dipped my toes into other careers (like real estate, long story). My sister says I don’t have a “type” when it comes to guys, and I guess the same is true of my writing experience. I get butterflies at the prospect of a press release on a tight deadline, and I lose all sense of time and space when immersed in a technical paper, case study or cover story. I used to take pride in the commonly-held belief that a journalist is a “jack-of-all trades and master of none.” Although I proudly own my writing promiscuity, I would argue professional writers are masters of The Story. That tall drink of water that enters every room like he owns the damn place. The jaw bone in the tux at the red neck wedding. The perfectly insouciant posture chatting up the bartender. The guy who discusses geopolitics and Packer football with equal passion. Like it or not, we’re all drawn to The Story.