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Your organization and its communication style is unique. Defining it will consolidate expertise, build confidence, and help you and your co-communicators hone an
If we want to get the most out of email, we need to make it personal. If every message we send sounds
As changemakers, it’s our job to dream up all the ways our supporters can get involved to help our cause or win
The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse
Sometimes, the purpose of an email can be simply to inform. But often, we’re trying to get someone somewhere. An action page. A
When you hear of organizations that have amassed millions of online supporters, the first question that often comes to mind is: where
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
The needs of supporters at opposite ends of the engagement spectrum are very different. So are the opportunities. If you are tracking your
When it comes to targeting the best supporters for specific activities, many of us are using (or have used) the sub-list model.
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
One of the hardest lessons to learn as a communicator is knowing what not to say. In a medium that forces us
On the surface, it looks like the purpose of a title is to introduce the content of a webpage. But of course—you
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
Whether your call to action (CTA) is a button or a link, don’t get too clever. Speak directly to your supporter and tell
Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing
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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