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Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If
Preview text appears in most email clients in the form of a few words after or below a subject line. While it doesn’t
In 2024, more emails are being viewed on iPhones than any other device. The average iPhone affords us a measly 41 characters
Think of digital pipelines as pathways that lead your supporters down progressively deeper levels of engagement. Without designing your pipelines intentionally, your supporters
It would be a lie to claim that ‘delivery time’ is a highly influential factor in email open rates. Compared to heavyweights
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing an email, a blog post, or a tweet—the full gamut of attention-seeking and attention-keeping tactics apply. Social
Who are your supporters? And what do they need from you to reach their potential as star advocates or loyal donors? You might
Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your
Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing
Sometimes, the purpose of an email can be simply to inform. But often, we’re trying to get someone somewhere. An action page. A
Knowing how much or how little to say starts with being clear about your objective. Rarely is it our job to turn readers
Think of split testing (or AB testing) like a deathmatch for ideas. It’s the best tool we have for figuring out what works
Imagine you’ve been asked to have an important conversation with ... ‘someone’. Chances are, you’ll be much happier to have that conversation if
Not every email you send will find its way into an inbox. Optimal deliverability is needed to give your emails a fighting
The General Data Protection Regulation (commonly, GDPR) came into effect in May 2018. It impacts all businesses and organizations, everywhere in the world,
How can you keep vegans on board with lobbying efforts to incrementally improve welfare standards for systems they’ve chosen to boycott? Let’s apply common ground messaging theory to answer this question.
- Triggers: Ethical vegans recognize that cruelty exists in even the ‘best’ systems. Anything that could be read as an endorsement of animal production may be jarring.
- Common ground: This audience wants to see cruel production systems eliminated.
- What to avoid: Economic arguments and mentions of higher welfare systems could be misinterpreted as endorsements of the status quo.
- What to highlight: Maintain focus on eliminating the target production system, give context to immediate goals by framing them in the bigger picture, and draw attention to the animals whose suffering can be eased.
Don’t say:
“Help secure better welfare for egg laying hens!”
“Urge CruelCompany™ to go cage-free!“
“Together we can make the egg industry kinder to animals.”
“Please thank BetterCompany™ for choosing to use cage-free eggs!”
Do say:
“Help free hens from cages!”
“Urge CruelCompany™ to dump cruel cage eggs!”
“Together we can end one of the cruelest practices ever inflicted on farmed animals.”
“Please thank KindCompany™ for ending its support for cruel battery cages!”
More examples
Here are some other scenarios where common ground theory can help make messaging more impactful and inclusive:
From: Find common ground
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Hi there! I’m Karen. I’m on a mission to reach my former self. Had I known 10 years ago what I know today, I could have achieved more good, made fewer mistakes, and had more weekends. Every time we share what works, we win faster. Let’s create digital experiences that move people — that grow our base and fuel our movements. Are you with me? Please share this with someone you know who wants to up their digital game!
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