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Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize
What draws people to your cause? What motivated your supporters to take their first action? What did they feel when they first donated?
To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices
The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse
A ‘hero’ image is one that carries the most visual weight in your layout. Usually accompanying your headline, this is the image
I know what you’re thinking. “Subject lines”. And you’d be right. Subject lines are hailed as the ‘be all and
The General Data Protection Regulation (commonly, GDPR) came into effect in May 2018. It impacts all businesses and organizations, everywhere in the world,
Knowing how much or how little to say starts with being clear about your objective. Rarely is it our job to turn readers
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
When it comes to targeting the best supporters for specific activities, many of us are using (or have used) the sub-list model.
It can feel intuitive to place your action form elements at the end of your page—after your theory of change. However, your supporter
Most organizations want to grow their online audience. Some of us rely entirely on our supporters to fuel actions and fundraising—the organizational
Whether your call to action (CTA) is a button or a link, don’t get too clever. Speak directly to your supporter and tell
Imagine you’re seeing a 25% open rate on your emails. That means whenever you send a broadcast, 3 in every 4 recipients will
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
Take your time.
In the pursuit of saying more with less, I’ll admit—not every big idea can be reduced to a snappy soundbite. Sometimes there really is a lot to say. Still, there are better options than trying to say everything in one interaction. Readers will find it hard to retain dense information. And rarely do we need to place this much pressure on ourselves.
Pace yourself
Whether you’re communicating through your email list or your social media feed, remember that you’re in an ongoing relationship with your audience. You don’t just get one shot at this. When there’s a lot to say, try saying it over a series of linked emails, web pages, or social media posts. Break up your content into bite-sized ideas and deliver them over time to deepen impact. This will reach more people and give each idea its own time and space to resonate.
Think of digital communications like conversations, not lectures. Be the conversation partner that your supporter wants to come back to.
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Don’t let these ‘cognitive biases’ hurt your conversion rates 
One email. ONE ASK. 
A beginner’s guide to digital profiling 
Show. Don’t tell. 
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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