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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.
As changemakers, it’s our job to dream up all the ways our supporters can get involved to help our cause or win
Imagine you’re seeing a 25% open rate on your emails. That means whenever you send a broadcast, 3 in every 4 recipients will
If we want to get the most out of email, we need to make it personal. If every message we send sounds
Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If
To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices
What if you could say the right thing, to the right person, at the right time (while you sleep)? The future of communications
Great action pages will attract people via social media, search, traditional media, and even word of mouth. This means they’re ideal for list-building.
You sent 100,000 emails to the wrong list... You directed people to last year’s action... You addressed everyone as “Jane”... It happens.
On-page videos can be your best friend and your worst enemy. At the same time. Know the pros and cons so you
Think of split testing (or AB testing) like a deathmatch for ideas. It’s the best tool we have for figuring out what works
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
Imagine you’ve been asked to have an important conversation with ... ‘someone’. Chances are, you’ll be much happier to have that conversation if
Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing
Inboxes aren’t often exciting places. Neither are the majority of web pages, if we’re honest. This can work to your advantage. Your
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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