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!

How to Hook Your Reader

To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices but it applies anywhere we’re competing for our audience’s attention (so, the entire Internet)...

3 minute read

To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices...

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The TWO Objectives You Need to Meet in Every Email

Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If your organization relies on—or hopes to rely on—a digital audience to sustain its work,...

2 minute read

Every time you email your supporter, you’re doing much more than delivering a message. You’re cultivating a relationship. If...

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Don’t Be a Hero (Make Your Supporter the Hero!)

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 space for one hero—and it’s not you. Let me explain... Every story...

3 minute read

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...

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Can You Name Your Headline’s ‘Value Proposition’?

Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing their time in your page. Importantly, think about this from your reader’s perspective (not...

2 minute read

Okay, back up—what’s a ‘value proposition’? Think of your value proposition as the reason your reader should care about investing...

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12 Proven Ways to Personalize Your Broadcast Emails

If we want to get the most out of email, we need to make it personal. If every message we send sounds like it was spat out of a template, it’s going to be hard to...

7 minute read

If we want to get the most out of email, we need to make it personal. If every message we send sounds...

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How NOT to Write a Thank-You Email...

For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup asks. This is not an uncommon approach. And on the surface, it’s easy to...

2 minute read

For several years, I drove a strategy at Animals Australia to send ‘thank-you’ emails to action takers that were jam-packed with followup...

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