Hello, Changemaker!

Karen Nilsen

Hi I’m Karen. I want to share with you the tactics I’ve used to build digital power and engage a supporter base of millions. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

What’s a “Crisitunity”?

We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because of this, it’s been adopted by all the most successful online action platforms...

2 minute read

We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because...

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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 inactive contacts are worth less to your cause than one engaged supporter! Your aim...

2 minute read

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

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6 Things That Stop People Opening Emails

I know what you’re thinking. “Subject lines”. And you’d be right. Subject lines are hailed as the ‘be all and end all’ of email open rates—understandably. But they don’t act alone. To maximize the...

3 minute read

I know what you’re thinking. “Subject lines”. And you’d be right. Subject lines are hailed as the ‘be all and...

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Learn this
Say Thanks (and Mean It)

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. It also means that action pages are often the first meaningful touchpoint for new...

2 minute read

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...

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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. You know—the ‘list within the list’ approach. This involves recruiting supporters onto purpose-designed lists...

5 minute read

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

Learn this
Read this
Formatting for Skim Readers: Essential Tips

Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like this. And not because it doesn’t contain important information. It does. You’ve probably never...

5 minute read

Here’s an important piece of digital communication that you’ve probably never read: Few of us pay attention to stuff like...

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