Unsubscribe any time. We respect your data. View the privacy policy.
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
Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think
Of all the ‘rules’ out there for writing page headlines, this is the most transformative. If your headline sits on a petition
Most of us have a hard time keeping on top of emails from people we do know, to let alone give a second
When you hear of organizations that have amassed millions of online supporters, the first question that often comes to mind is: where
What draws people to your cause? What motivated your supporters to take their first action? What did they feel when they first donated?
Technology moves at light-speed. Every day, smart people are pushing the boundaries of digital design, user experience, and communication. If we hope
The needs of supporters at opposite ends of the engagement spectrum are very different. So are the opportunities. If you are tracking your
If you’ve ever been annoyed by a website that stopped you from watching a video because you’re in the ‘wrong’ country ... you’re
Your reader trusts their own mind way more than they trust yours. No offense but it’s true. Knowing this, try to avoid
Sometimes, the purpose of an email can be simply to inform. But often, we’re trying to get someone somewhere. An action page. A
For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup
Have you ever visited a website only to notice that ads for that site seem to ‘follow’ you around the Internet? You’ve been
The education system taught many of us that long words and complex sentence structures are signs of sophistication. Un-learn this as fast
The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that leads us to overestimate the knowledge of our audience. If you allow this curse
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.
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:
Passive entry points include:
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.
Was this tip useful?
Like this tip? Share it!
