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It would be a lie to claim that ‘delivery time’ is a highly influential factor in email open rates. Compared to heavyweights
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
Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing
Not every email you send will find its way into an inbox. Optimal deliverability is needed to give your emails a fighting
You sent 100,000 emails to the wrong list... You directed people to last year’s action... You addressed everyone as “Jane”... It happens.
The education system taught many of us that long words and complex sentence structures are signs of sophistication. Un-learn this as fast
On the surface, it looks like the purpose of a title is to introduce the content of a webpage. But of course—you
Whether you’re seeking donations or actions, the formula for writing an effective CTA is pretty simple. To persuade your supporter to drop
Have you ever visited a website only to notice that ads for that site seem to ‘follow’ you around the Internet? You’ve been
As changemakers, it’s our job to dream up all the ways our supporters can get involved to help our cause or win
To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices
These folks are some of the most innovative and transformative communicators in (and beyond) our movement. And they’re on a mission to help
A token is a little snippet of encoded data that identifies a supporter and can be attached to links in your email broadcasts.
You are not your audience. Five humbling words that explain why so many messages fall flat, emails flop, and web pages
Consider the moment before your supporter decides whether to open your email. They must sacrifice something in order to give you their attention.
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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