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Don’t undercut a great email by hiding it behind a poor subject line. These few words have the power to make or
It would be a lie to claim that ‘delivery time’ is a highly influential factor in email open rates. Compared to heavyweights
For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup
Imagine you’re seeing a 25% open rate on your emails. That means whenever you send a broadcast, 3 in every 4 recipients will
Consider the moment before your supporter decides whether to open your email. They must sacrifice something in order to give you their attention.
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
A ‘hero’ image is one that carries the most visual weight in your layout. Usually accompanying your headline, this is the image
Most email broadcast systems come packed with standard analytics. Just to be clear, here’s what we care about: Recipient volume This is the
The General Data Protection Regulation (commonly, GDPR) came into effect in May 2018. It impacts all businesses and organizations, everywhere in the world,
SPOILER: it’s not good. Sure—you know you’re writing an email to 5,000 people. But your task is to make your reader feel like
Whether you’re seeking donations or actions, the formula for writing an effective CTA is pretty simple. To persuade your supporter to drop
Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If
Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize
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
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. 
5 ways to nail your ‘thank you’ emails 
Anatomy of an action email 
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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