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Let’s be honest, this stuff is hard. Never in human history has there been a communication medium more competitive than the Internet.
When you hear of organizations that have amassed millions of online supporters, the first question that often comes to mind is: where
You are not your audience. Five humbling words that explain why so many messages fall flat, emails flop, and web pages
Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your
Does this sound familiar? Back up your position with facts; the more reasons you can offer, the more persuasive your argument. Right?
In 2026, more emails are being viewed on iPhones than any other device. The average iPhone affords us a measly 41 characters
You’ve sent your action or appeal broadcast. It went okay. But you’re not satisfied that enough supporters noticed it or recognized its urgency.
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
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
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
Of all the ‘rules’ out there for writing page headlines, this is the most transformative. If your headline sits on a petition
You sent 100,000 emails to the wrong list... You directed people to last year’s action... You addressed everyone as “Jane”... It happens.
Who are your supporters? And what do they need from you to reach their potential as star advocates or loyal donors? You might
If your action email has one job—to get your supporter to click through to a destination—then what’s the quickest way to get
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
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.
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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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