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A beginner’s guide to web page optimization

You are not your audience. Five humbling words that explain why so many messages fall flat, emails flop, and web pages

A beginner’s guide to digital profiling

Who are your supporters? And what do they need from you to reach their potential as star advocates or loyal donors? You might

Why you need to stop talking about yourself

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.

Do you know why you’re building an email list?

Serious question. Success is more than a number. It’s an outcome. An increase in list size isn’t an end-goal; 1,000

How ‘why’ is the most important question you need to answer

What draws people to your cause? What motivated your supporters to take their first action? What did they feel when they first donated?

Segmenting for ‘behavior’ vs ‘intention’

When it comes to targeting the best supporters for specific activities, many of us are using (or have used) the sub-list model.

Why we need to stop thinking about email as a ‘broadcast’ medium

Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think

Beat the curse of knowledge

The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse

A beginner’s guide to automated supporter journeys

What if you could say the right thing, to the right person, at the right time (while you sleep)? The future of communications

12 ways to maximize your list building strategy

When you hear of organizations that have amassed millions of online supporters, the first question that often comes to mind is: where

When to tell your ‘movement story’

Call it what you will. It’s the idea that when we work together, we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. If achieving

11 ways to give subject lines consequence (with examples)

Consider the moment before your supporter decides whether to open your email. They must sacrifice something in order to give you their attention.

A beginner’s guide to digital pipelines

Think of digital pipelines as pathways that lead your supporters down progressively deeper levels of engagement. Without designing your pipelines intentionally, your supporters

7 traits of a clear writing style

The education system taught many of us that long words and complex sentence structures are signs of sophistication. Un-learn this as fast

Don’t say everything all at once

Take your time. In the pursuit of saying more with less, I’ll admit—not every big idea can be reduced to a snappy soundbite.

List Building & Retention

Are You Prioritizing the Right List Building Entry Points?

2
Minute read
Are You Prioritizing the Right List Building Entry Points?

There’s more than one way to build an email list. The various types of digital assets you can use to attract people to your list are your list building entry points. Choosing the right entry points can either set you up for long term success or agonizing frustration.

Define the terms of your relationship

The very first touchpoint that brings someone to your email list is defining. That moment is responsible for establishing the terms of the relationship they will have with you. Will the interaction position them as an action taker? Or a spectator? Consider how supporters can best help your organization achieve its mission, and then design list-building entry points to mirror that.

Active entry points include:

  • Signing a petition or other online action
  • RSVP’ing for an event or rally
  • Donating or buying merch

Passive entry points include:

  • Generic e-mail list signup form
  • Asset offers (recipes, literature, e-books, etc.)

Simply put, if your core list-building strategy relies on passive entry points, it’s going to be harder to mobilize your supporters into action. You’ll find plenty of digital agencies keen to push passive entry points because they’re easily applied in a commercial environment. However, we have something more valuable to work with. So play to your advantage—optimize online action pages such as petitions and advocacies to fuel your list building strategy. Prioritize your active entry points. These highly-sharable assets will build audiences faster than generic signup forms every time.

From: A beginner’s guide to list building

Karen Nilsen

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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