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For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup
Consider the moment before your supporter decides whether to open your email. They must sacrifice something in order to give you their attention.
On-page videos can be your best friend and your worst enemy. At the same time. Know the pros and cons so you
Well-designed email templates are greeeat. But even the best layouts can lull readers into complacency over time. Consider mixing up your formatting occasionally
There are plenty of reasons people struggle to complete online actions. Poor page layouts, confusing language, onerous forms, and too many (or too
Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think
Here’s how the internal dialog usually goes: “We’re torn. We see other organizations sending from individual people but how do we know if
You are not your audience. Five humbling words that explain why so many messages fall flat, emails flop, and web pages
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
Whatever you do—don’t just imagine your headline on your page itself. Consider how your headline performs without the rest of your page to
So you’ve cracked the code to writing a great email. The next step is to push it out to as many people
The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse
Bolding the odd word or phrase can help skim readers catch key ideas you don’t want them to miss. It’s also great for
Think of split testing (or AB testing) like a deathmatch for ideas. It’s the best tool we have for figuring out what works
Of all the ‘rules’ out there for writing page headlines, this is the most transformative. If your headline sits on a petition
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. 
Do you know why you’re building an email list? 
Say thanks (and mean it) 
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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