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Who are your supporters? And what do they need from you to reach their potential as star advocates or loyal donors? You might
SPOILER: it’s not good. Sure—you know you’re writing an email to 5,000 people. But your task is to make your reader feel like
Technology moves at light-speed. Every day, smart people are pushing the boundaries of digital design, user experience, and communication. If we hope
The General Data Protection Regulation (commonly, GDPR) came into effect in May 2018. It impacts all businesses and organizations, everywhere in the world,
Think of a radio tower. Broadcast signals beaming far and wide. Most people think about email broadcasts this way. Please don’t think
If we want to get the most out of email, we need to make it personal. If every message we send sounds
I’m not saying don’t do heroic things. Keep that up! But when you’re telling your supporters a story of injustice, there’s only
Most email broadcast systems come packed with standard analytics. Just to be clear, here’s what we care about: Recipient volume This is the
Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing an email, a blog post, or a tweet—the full gamut of attention-seeking and attention-keeping tactics apply. Social
Your organization and its communication style is unique. Defining it will consolidate expertise, build confidence, and help you and your co-communicators hone an
You sent 100,000 emails to the wrong list... You directed people to last year’s action... You addressed everyone as “Jane”... It happens.
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.
The education system taught many of us that long words and complex sentence structures are signs of sophistication. Un-learn this as fast
Let’s be honest, this stuff is hard. Never in human history has there been a communication medium more competitive than the Internet.
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.
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How ‘why’ is the most important question you need to answer 
Engage your reader’s emotional brain 
Should you send emails from your ‘organization’ or an actual person? 
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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