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As changemakers, it’s our job to dream up all the ways our supporters can get involved to help our cause or win
You might know definitively that your call-to-action (CTA) is the single-most strategic thing your supporters can do today to help your cause.
Imagine you’ve been asked to have an important conversation with ... ‘someone’. Chances are, you’ll be much happier to have that conversation if
Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your
Most email broadcast systems come packed with standard analytics. Just to be clear, here’s what we care about: Recipient volume This is the
SPOILER: it’s not good. Sure—you know you’re writing an email to 5,000 people. But your task is to make your reader feel like
Trying something risky and new? These methodologies can save you from diving in head first when it might have been wiser to test
When it comes to targeting the best supporters for specific activities, many of us are using (or have used) the sub-list model.
How does the past experience of people on your list influence their interest in receiving ongoing email from you? It turns out
For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup
Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think
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
If you’ve ever been annoyed by a website that stopped you from watching a video because you’re in the ‘wrong’ country ... you’re
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
You’ve sent your action or appeal broadcast. It went okay. But you’re not satisfied that enough supporters noticed it or recognized its urgency.
I’m not saying don’t do heroic things. Keep that up! But when you’re telling your supporters a story of injustice, there’s only space for one hero—and it’s not you. Let me explain...
Every story of injustice has a victim, a villain, and a hero. The victim is who we’re fighting for. The villain is the person, entity, or system that stands between our victim and their freedom. And the hero...? It’s tempting to cast your organization as the hero of every story. But when we do this, we’re letting our supporters off the hook. If you need your supporter to do something—to take an action, or make a donation—then you need to demonstrate how their action is the key to achieving change.
Your supporter is the hero.
Is it their donation that can put vital equipment into the hands of investigators? Is it their voice that can convince a local representative to stand strong on a welfare policy? Spell it out.
Hero: organization
“Your donation will support our critical investigations.”
Hero: supporter
“Your donation will enable us to send investigators to where animals need them most.”
Reinforce your supporter’s hero identity by involving them in attack stories and victories, just like you would ‘change’ stories.
Change story:
“Your phone call could tip the balance and convince CruelCompany to let hens out of cages!”
Attack story:
“They’re deleting comments on their facebook page. They want to silence your voice. We won’t let them!”
Victory story:
“You did it!! Because you spoke up, millions of hens will soon be free from battery cages!”
This is the language that will make your supporter feel powerful, and make them want to re-engage when you next ask them for support.
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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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