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Well-designed email templates are greeeat. But even the best layouts can lull readers into complacency over time. Consider mixing up your formatting occasionally
When you hear of organizations that have amassed millions of online supporters, the first question that often comes to mind is: where
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
It can feel intuitive to place your action form elements at the end of your page—after your theory of change. However, your supporter
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.
Preview text appears in most email clients in the form of a few words after or below a subject line. While it doesn’t
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize
As changemakers, it’s our job to dream up all the ways our supporters can get involved to help our cause or win
Serious question. Success is more than a number. It’s an outcome. An increase in list size isn’t an end-goal; 1,000
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 digital pipelines as pathways that lead your supporters down progressively deeper levels of engagement. Without designing your pipelines intentionally, your supporters
A token is a little snippet of encoded data that identifies a supporter and can be attached to links in your email broadcasts.
Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing
Don’t undercut a great email by hiding it behind a poor subject line. These few words have the power to make or
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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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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