Why Newsletters Work
In an age of overflowing group chats and social media noise, email remains the most reliable way to reach your members. A newsletter lands directly in their inbox, where it waits until they are ready to read it. Unlike a social media post that disappears from the feed within hours, an email persists until the recipient takes action.
Newsletters also create a sense of professionalism and structure. When members receive a consistent, well-formatted update from the club, it signals that the organization is well-run and worth their investment. This perception alone can improve retention and encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
Content Ideas for Every Issue
The biggest challenge with newsletters is figuring out what to write about. The good news is that your club generates plenty of content naturally. You just need a framework to capture and present it consistently.
- Upcoming schedule: List the next two weeks of open play sessions, league nights, and special events with dates, times, and locations.
- Match and league results: Share recent scores, updated standings, and highlights from notable games.
- Member spotlights: Feature a different member each issue with a short profile covering how they found pickleball and what they enjoy about the club.
- Tips and drills: Include one quick skill tip or drill that players can try at their next session.
- Club announcements: Cover policy changes, new equipment purchases, court maintenance schedules, or upcoming social events.
- Community news: Mention local tournaments, nearby clinics, or relevant developments in the broader pickleball community.
Tip
Create a simple template with recurring sections. This saves time each issue and gives readers a familiar structure they can scan quickly.
Choosing the Right Frequency
The ideal sending frequency depends on how much content you generate and how active your club is. For most clubs, a weekly newsletter sent on the same day each week works best. It keeps the club top of mind without overwhelming inboxes.
If weekly feels like too much work, a biweekly or monthly schedule can still be effective. The key is consistency. Members should know when to expect the newsletter and trust that it will arrive on time. An irregular schedule trains people to ignore your emails, which defeats the purpose entirely.
Avoid sending more than one newsletter per week unless you have a genuinely urgent announcement. Oversending leads to unsubscribes, which shrinks your audience permanently.
Email Tools and Platforms
You do not need expensive software to run a great newsletter. Several free and low-cost tools make it easy to design, send, and track your emails without any technical expertise.
- 1Mailchimp offers a free tier for up to 500 contacts and includes drag-and-drop templates, basic analytics, and list management features.
- 2MailerLite provides a generous free plan with automation features, landing pages, and an intuitive editor that works well for beginners.
- 3Buttondown is a minimalist option for clubs that prefer a simple, text-focused newsletter without heavy design elements.
- 4Google Groups or a basic email list can work for very small clubs, though you lose analytics and formatting options.
PlayRez Tip
PlayRez integrates with popular email tools, letting you sync your member list automatically so you never have to update contacts manually.
Building Your Email List
Your email list is only as valuable as the people on it. Focus on collecting email addresses from players who are genuinely interested in your club, rather than inflating numbers with unengaged contacts.
Collect emails at every touchpoint: membership sign-up forms, event registrations, guest sign-in sheets, and your club website. Add a simple opt-in checkbox that says "Subscribe to our weekly newsletter" so people know what they are signing up for. Never add someone to your list without their permission, as this violates email marketing best practices and can result in spam complaints.
Boosting Your Open Rate
The average open rate for community organization emails is around 30% to 40%. If your rate falls below that range, your subject lines, send timing, or content quality may need attention.
Write subject lines that are specific and useful rather than generic. "This Week: Thursday League Starts, Saturday Social BBQ" outperforms "Club Update" every time. Keep subject lines under 50 characters so they display fully on mobile devices. Send at a consistent time, ideally on a weekday morning when people are checking email.
Prune your list regularly by removing contacts who have not opened an email in the past three months. A smaller, engaged list produces better results than a large, inactive one. Most email platforms allow you to segment inactive subscribers and send a re-engagement campaign before removing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
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