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How does the past experience of people on your list influence their interest in receiving ongoing email from you? It turns out
Think of digital pipelines as pathways that lead your supporters down progressively deeper levels of engagement. Without designing your pipelines intentionally, your supporters
For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup
The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse
To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices
The education system taught many of us that long words and complex sentence structures are signs of sophistication. Un-learn this as fast
Of all the ‘rules’ out there for writing page headlines, this is the most transformative. If your headline sits on a petition
Who are your supporters? And what do they need from you to reach their potential as star advocates or loyal donors? You might
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
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
Whether your call to action (CTA) is a button or a link, don’t get too clever. Speak directly to your supporter and tell
I’m so glad you’re here. While it’s far from the most exciting, retention is arguably the most important factor in the success of
Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize
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
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
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. 
Say thanks (and mean it) 
Picture this when writing your next headline... 
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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