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!

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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Has Social Media Dethroned Email?

Is email dead? Here’s what the data says... Some people question the relevance of emails in 2025. They ask, “Can’t we just rely on social media to communicate with supporters?” To which my instinct is to rush...

6 minute read

Is email dead? Here’s what the data says... Some people question the relevance of emails in 2025. They ask, “Can’t we just rely...

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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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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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How to Combat Supporter Fatigue

Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize the threat of supporter fatigue after it’s infected our list. By that time, campaign,...

3 minute read

Don’t wait for supporter fatigue to set in before creating a plan to mitigate it. Nice idea, right? Most of us only recognize...

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Why People Don’t Complete Online Actions (and What to Do about It)

There are plenty of reasons people struggle to complete online actions. Poor page layouts, confusing language, onerous forms, and too many (or too few) visual cues to name a few. Seven deadly sins of action page...

5 minute read

There are plenty of reasons people struggle to complete online actions. Poor page layouts, confusing language, onerous forms, and too many (or too...

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