Intentional and consistent communication with your alumni community is essential for maintaining and growing a vibrant community. Regular e-newsletters strengthen a sense of community and connection especially during this time of social distancing.
Step 1: Recruit a volunteer to send out communications
If your alumni group does not already have a communications volunteer select one or two volunteers to oversee your group’s email communication. Volunteers would be responsible or gathering email content and sending out the communication via your group’s email platform.
Step 2: Develop a communication strategy
The communication strategy should be guided by your group’s goals. For example if your group hosts multiple events a month then the newsletter is a great tool to share information about upcoming events as well as alumni community and Brown updates. The frequency and timing of the newsletter should align with event marketing needs whenever possible.
If your group does not host events frequently then the newsletter should be used as a tool to keep your community engaged between events. The primary focus of newsletter content should be alumni community and Brown news updates.
We recommend sending monthly or bi-monthly community emails that are informative and entertaining. Here are some content ideas:
Write a featured spotlight on an alumnus/a who is affiliated with your Club, Class, or Affinity Group community.
Share links to previously recorded webinars and podcasts produced by Brown University or information on upcoming events.
Remember that people are looking for lighthearted content as well as informative stories. Consider sharing stories from sources like John Krasinski’s ’01 “Some Good News” webcast.
Spotlight a post from the #EverTrue and/or the #BrunoniansAtHome series
Promote your group’s social media pages and try to get people to join
If communicating to alumni in a region, include information that is regionally specific, such as the work of local nonprofits or news and/or updates on the COVID-19 situation in your state.
You can find some great examples of recent newsletters here (if accessing this webpage on a browser other than Google, download the PDF to view).
Our team can provide additional suggestions and guidance on developing newsletter content.
Class Leaders: class@brown.edu
Club Leaders: alumni_clubs@brown.edu
Affinity Group Leaders: Affinity_Group_events@brown.edu