Create Professional Newsletters - Easily! (Updated 6/6/12)

As a Campus Technology Integration Specialist, I try to put out a newsletter every week. My hope it to reduce the number of emails I'm required to send and also have an ongoing resource that the Staff and Faculty at my campus can revisit as often as necessary. I started by writing an informal newsletter using tables in Outlook. However, I wanted something sleeker and more professional looking but I didn't want extra work!
That's when I found PressPublisher at presspublisher.com. I've now put out 4 issues of the FJH iTech Newsletter and have found that the online program has done exactly what I want it to do.

Here are my favorite things about the program:

• Accessible everywhere since it's in the cloud


• I can focus on one article at a time and save them throughout the week to include in the newsletter.


• Easy addition of graphics and multimedia.


• Options to password protect, make public, email to users


• Good interface for editing


• Includes upcoming events (I use it to note the computer lab bookings for the week and special technology events at the campus or district)


• Regular features that remain constant throughout the newsletter (mine is Cool Links I've found throughout the week)


• Ability to designate whether articles are feature or cover articles.


• Ability to add personalized logos.


• Ability to sort articles order.


• Past issues are accessible from every newly published issue.


• May include document attachments in articles (important when I'm giving instructions)


• Tutorials available online


• Ability to have multiple editors so can be a group collaboration


• Users can print the newsletter or save as PDF easily


• Newsletters are searchable


• Free version


• Paid versions get 20% discount for nonprofit and educational institutions (see their Sign Up & Registration page for the discount)

The cons:

• There's a bit of a learning curve. By Issue 2, I was sailing but I did need to check out the tutorials on a couple of things.