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12 proven ways to personalize your broadcast emails

If we want to get the most out of email, we need to make it personal. If every message we send sounds

Top 10 ways to turbocharge your digital comms

Let’s be honest, this stuff is hard. Never in human history has there been a communication medium more competitive than the Internet.

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

Why you need to stop talking about yourself

Imagine you’re at a party. There are plenty of new people you could meet and talk to. There’s a guy talking himself up.

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.

Never assume anyone knows what you’re talking about

Imagine you’re seeing a 25% open rate on your emails. That means whenever you send a broadcast, 3 in every 4 recipients will

Should you send emails from your ‘organization’ or an actual person?

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

Engage your reader’s emotional brain

Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your

11 ways to give subject lines consequence (with examples)

Consider the moment before your supporter decides whether to open your email. They must sacrifice something in order to give you their attention.

What’s the ideal email frequency?

What’s the magic number of emails you need to send to maximize supporter engagement and minimize fatigue?The answer is “five”. Kidding. It would

How and when to ‘hide’ content

One of the hardest lessons to learn as a communicator is knowing what not to say. In a medium that forces us

A beginner’s guide to remarketing & custom audiences

Have you ever visited a website only to notice that ads for that site seem to ‘follow’ you around the Internet? You’ve been

How ‘list health’ affects email open rates

How does the past experience of people on your list influence their interest in receiving ongoing email from you? It turns out

Has social media dethroned email?

Is email dead? Here’s what the data says... Some people question the relevance of emails in 2026. They ask, “Can’t we just rely

Choose the right messenger

Great communication is not just about what you say but how you say it. Who says it also matters. You won’t always

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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