Last month, I wrote a piece about offering targeted newsletters to your customers. Today I’d like to focus on how to create a newsletter just for educators.

You’re probably thinking that you do not have time to write another newsletter. You don’t have to. Look to your staff for assistance, especially if they’re well-versed in the children and YA sections.

Newsletters do not have to be lengthy; they only need to contain useful information. This is how I would break down the content:

• new releases for young readers
• event information for the coming month that might be of interest to students or teachers
• book reviews by you or your staff to further confirm that you are experts
• and finally, a closer look at one of the additional services your store offers

If you feel that any of the sections are too long, post the information on your website and link to it.

Remember that customers who sign up for your newsletter might teach 1st grade, or they might teach Honors English to seniors. When covering new releases, try to include books for all age groups.

What kind of additional services do you offer educators? Probably more than you realize. Do you offer…

• special educator discounts?
• bulk discounts for classroom sets?
• author visits to schools?
• onsite book sales for author visits?
• in-store or onsite book fairs?
• Teacher Appreciation Day?
• book talks for teachers?
• general sale events at the bookstore?
• common core expertise?
• book clubs available for young readers?
• student writing contests?

Be sure to post the explanation of teacher services on your website along with the opportunity to sign up for the newsletter. And whenever you publish the monthly newsletter, get on Facebook and Twitter to announce that you did… along with the link for where to sign up.