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Beat the curse of knowledge

The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse

Why we need to stop thinking about email as a ‘broadcast’ medium

Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think

Give your headline ‘consequence’

Of all the ‘rules’ out there for writing page headlines, this is the most transformative. If your headline sits on a petition

Formatting for skim readers: essential tips

Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like

9 creative ways to mix up tired email formats

Well-designed email templates are greeeat. But even the best layouts can lull readers into complacency over time. Consider mixing up your formatting occasionally

A beginner’s guide to automated supporter journeys

What if you could say the right thing, to the right person, at the right time (while you sleep)? The future of communications

How to combat supporter fatigue

Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize

Don’t say everything all at once

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.

Avoid these 4 mistakes when embedding videos

On-page videos can be your best friend and your worst enemy. At the same time. Know the pros and cons so you

A beginner’s guide to SEO (search engine optimization)

New to SEO? Here’s what works in 2026. If the currency of the Internet is web traffic, then search engine referrals are money

Segmenting for high and low engagement

The needs of supporters at opposite ends of the engagement spectrum are very different. So are the opportunities. If you are tracking your

You botched an email broadcast. Now what!?

You sent 100,000 emails to the wrong list... You directed people to last year’s action... You addressed everyone as “Jane”... It happens.

What’s a “Crisitunity”?

We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because

Anatomy of an action email

It might seem too obvious to mention. But it’s critical that you’ve defined the objective of your email. Often, it’s to lead your

The TWO objectives you need to meet in every email

Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If

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.

From: Say more (by saying less)

Karen Nilsen

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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