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 supporters.

First impressions matter. The moment you thank your supporter for taking action says a lot about the relationship they can expect to have with you.

Think about what this interaction says about who you are, how you engage and respect your supporters, and effect change. Don’t leave your supporter asking, ‘Is that it?’ Nothing makes you feel like a cog in a machine faster than being churned out without so much as an on-screen acknowledgement. Fortunately, most of us are getting this much right! Following up with an automated thank-you email will show that you are responsive and attentive. Done well, this little email holds the power to fuel repeat engagement. Done poorly, it can do the exact opposite.

Authentic vs inauthentic gratitude

Know the difference—because your supporter does! Sadly you don’t need to look far to encounter inauthentic ‘gratitude’ online. A ‘thank you’ email loaded with additional requests is not a thank-you email at all. Too many of us are chasing followup actions as if we’ll only ever get one chance to hold our supporters’ attention. When we act this way, it might as well be true. There’s a much bigger goal we need to be hitting in this moment. When you make gratitude an intrinsic part of your supporter retention strategy, you’ll unlock the full power of thank-you emails. And when you don’t—you risk sending stuff like this.

Nail your thank-you email

It’s easy to do it badly. It pays to do it well. Those of us who manage supporter comms might need to craft dozens—maybe even hundreds—of thank-you emails over time. If this is you, it’s easy to fall into old patterns and start sounding like a robot. RESIST! You can turn every thank-you message into a unique and rewarding experience for your supporters. Here are 5 meaningful ways to say ‘thanks’.