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You are not your audience. Five humbling words that explain why so many messages fall flat, emails flop, and web pages
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.
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
Not every email you send will find its way into an inbox. Optimal deliverability is needed to give your emails a fighting
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
I know what you’re thinking. “Subject lines”. And you’d be right. Subject lines are hailed as the ‘be all and
For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup
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.
Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your
As changemakers, it’s our job to dream up all the ways our supporters can get involved to help our cause or win
Imagine you’ve been asked to have an important conversation with ... ‘someone’. Chances are, you’ll be much happier to have that conversation if
I’m not saying don’t do heroic things. Keep that up! But when you’re telling your supporters a story of injustice, there’s only
On the surface, it looks like the purpose of a title is to introduce the content of a webpage. But of course—you
We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because
It would be a lie to claim that ‘delivery time’ is a highly influential factor in email open rates. Compared to heavyweights
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 
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Email preview text: what you need to know 
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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