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Why ‘busting myths’ often backfires

How tempting is it to ‘bust myths’ and confront your opponent’s ridiculous claims head-on!? Hint: very. Proceed with caution—countering false claims can unintentionally

How to write statistics for impact

A well-placed stat will add weight to your writing—particularly when it’s referenced with a credible source. When working with numbers, all care must

Segmenting for ‘behavior’ vs ‘intention’

When it comes to targeting the best supporters for specific activities, many of us are using (or have used) the sub-list model.

Email tokenization: what is it?

A token is a little snippet of encoded data that identifies a supporter and can be attached to links in your email broadcasts.

Show. Don’t tell.

Your reader trusts their own mind way more than they trust yours. No offense but it’s true. Knowing this, try to avoid

6 ways to make page titles click-worthy (not click-baity)

On the surface, it looks like the purpose of a title is to introduce the content of a webpage. But of course—you

Picture this when writing your next headline...

Whatever you do—don’t just imagine your headline on your page itself. Consider how your headline performs without the rest of your page to

Avoid these 4 mistakes when embedding videos

On-page videos can be your best friend and your worst enemy. At the same time. Know the pros and cons so you

You botched an email broadcast. Now what!?

You sent 100,000 emails to the wrong list... You directed people to last year’s action... You addressed everyone as “Jane”... It happens.

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

3 common segmentation mistakes

Segmentation gives digital communicators the power to reach the right people with the right message. The shift from a broadcast communication model to

How NOT to write a thank-you email...

For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup

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

Why we need to stop thinking about email as a ‘broadcast’ medium

Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think

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

Sometimes, the purpose of an email can be simply to inform. But often, we’re trying to get someone somewhere. An action page. A donation form. A video...

When your email has a destination, be protective of the pathway that leads people there

The instant someone clicks on a link in your email, they’re not coming back. Consider your email narrative finished. In other words, you get one chance to lead someone to a web page with your email. Make it count.

The truth is, the more options we offer—the more links we include—the more asks we make—the less likely it is that our supporters will do the one thing we most need them to do. The best action emails have a crystal clear, singular goal. Be conscious that every link that points somewhere other than your ultimate destination will dilute your conversion rate.

Think of your email like a hiking map. Every link in your email is a crossroads with a signpost that points to a destination of interest. If you don’t want supporters wandering off into the wilderness, then don’t lead them astray.

If you want to maximize engagement and neutralize choice paralysis, then limit your asks to a single call to action per email. It’s fine to repeat your CTA, but try your best to make all links point to a single destination.

From: Anatomy of an action email

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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