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Don’t undercut a great email by hiding it behind a poor subject line. These few words have the power to make or
So you’ve cracked the code to writing a great email. The next step is to push it out to as many people
Does this sound familiar? Back up your position with facts; the more reasons you can offer, the more persuasive your argument. Right?
Whether your call to action (CTA) is a button or a link, don’t get too clever. Speak directly to your supporter and tell
When you hear of organizations that have amassed millions of online supporters, the first question that often comes to mind is: where
Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like
When it comes to targeting the best supporters for specific activities, many of us are using (or have used) the sub-list model.
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.
How does the past experience of people on your list influence their interest in receiving ongoing email from you? It turns out
Bolding the odd word or phrase can help skim readers catch key ideas you don’t want them to miss. It’s also great for
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
A token is a little snippet of encoded data that identifies a supporter and can be attached to links in your email broadcasts.
Most organizations want to grow their online audience. Some of us rely entirely on our supporters to fuel actions and fundraising—the organizational
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
To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices
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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