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Your reader trusts their own mind way more than they trust yours. No offense but it’s true. Knowing this, try to avoid
The moment after someone completes an online action presents a critical opportunity. A well-crafted thank-you email will help cement this action as a
Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think
Of all the ‘rules’ out there for writing page headlines, this is the most transformative. If your headline sits on a petition
A ‘hero’ image is one that carries the most visual weight in your layout. Usually accompanying your headline, this is the image
Technology moves at light-speed. Every day, smart people are pushing the boundaries of digital design, user experience, and communication. If we hope
To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices
These folks are some of the most innovative and transformative communicators in (and beyond) our movement. And they’re on a mission to help
Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your
It would be a lie to claim that ‘delivery time’ is a highly influential factor in email open rates. Compared to heavyweights
What’s the magic number of emails you need to send to maximize supporter engagement and minimize fatigue?The answer is “five”. Kidding. It would
Great action pages will attract people via social media, search, traditional media, and even word of mouth. This means they’re ideal for list-building.
Not every email you send will find its way into an inbox. Optimal deliverability is needed to give your emails a fighting
There’s more than one way to build an email list. The various types of digital assets you can use to attract people to
Who are your supporters? And what do they need from you to reach their potential as star advocates or loyal donors? You might
Cognitive biases are powerful mental distortions that affect the way we think and behave. They are so powerful that they can lead people to act against their own best interests. If you understand them, you can wield them for the forces of good. If not, you and your audience will likely fall victim to them.
Some cognitive biases that are well-known to seasoned advocates include:
Urgency bias
People respond to urgent things more readily than important things. That’s why we hear about scandals (not climate change) on the nightly news.
Conformity bias
People will do something for no other reason than because other people are doing it. This can be especially challenging for changemakers to appreciate, since by definition, we sit among the early adopters of social change. However, as this incredible social experiment reveals, conformity bias is a powerful driver of human behavior. This explains the success behind social norms advocacy.
Default bias
We’re more likely to preference an option if it is set by default.
How to build your own digital power, in 200 pages.
Free eBookCurse of knowledge bias
We tend to overestimate our audience’s background knowledge on a topic if we know a lot about it ourselves. The more we know, the more likely we are to wrongly assume how much others know.
Psychic numbing
People have a surprising tendency to care less about an issue when it affects more people (or animals). As social beings, we’re wired to care about individuals. When numbers can no longer adequately capture the gravity of a problem, empathy takes a hit. This is why communities continually rally behind individual slaughterhouse ‘escapees’, while being unmoved by the operation of slaughterhouses themselves. It also explains why crowdfunding appeals to support individuals often attract more funds than those targeting wide-scale problems affecting millions of ‘faceless’ victims. Overcome psychic numbing by describing ‘big’ problems through the lens of an individual experience.
There are dozens of others, too—each silently manipulating ours and our audience’s thoughts and behaviors. Harness those that can work for you, and circumvent those that don’t.
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Why you need to stop talking about yourself 
One email. ONE ASK. 
11 ways to give subject lines consequence (with examples) 
Excite yourself 
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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