Ecko newsletters are created by writing individual Stories and then assembling them into an Edition. An Edition is a completed newsletter that you can publish and share with readers through your usual communication systems.
Create the Stories you want to include
Start by creating the Stories that will appear in the newsletter. Each Story is a distinct piece of information, like a message from the Headteacher or the PTA, details about an upcoming event, a notice or reminder about a school policy or a flyer or supplement from the school or another organisation. Think of individual Stories like articles in a newspaper.
Check what will appear in the next Edition
Before creating the Edition, check which approved Stories Ecko is ready to include automatically. You can always add Stories to or remove Stories from an Edition manually, but it’s easiest to let Ecko put the Edition together for you in the first instance.
- Open Stories.
- Select Manage Stories.
- Open the Next Edition tab.
The Next Edition tab is really useful – think of it as a preview of what your Edition will include. If any Stories are showing here that you don’t want to include, hover over it and click Archive. This will update its inclusion rule to prevent it from appearing automatically in future Editions.
Create and publish an Edition
When the Next Edition list looks right, it’s time to create an Edition. Ecko will automatically populate it with the eligible Stories. After creating the Edition, you’ll have a changes to review it and make any changes you need to before publishing it – that includes adding any missing Stories, removing Stories or changing the order that Stories appear in the Edition. When everything’s in place, it’s time to publish.
Share the Edition with families
After publishing it’s time to share the Edition through your usual communication channels, whether that’s email, SMS, Arbor, Famly or any other platform.
Ecko also provides QR codes that you can print out and display on notice boards, in reception at the school gate or anywhere else that families might see it.