Presented at the OEC's Legislative Summit 2012. by Matt Trokan, Sierra Club.

1. How
to
write
the
best
Dang
email
ever!
Jed
Thorp
Ma9
Trokan
Chapter
Manager
Conserva8on
Manager
Ben
Wickizer
Natalie
Fox
Conserva8on
Coordinator
Conserva8on
Coordinator

2. Email
by
the
numbers
• 2.8
emails
are
sent
every
second
• 294
billion
emails
are
sent
every
day
• 90
trillion
emails
are
sent
every
year
• 90%
of
emails
are
spam
or
viruses
• 1.9
billion
people
send
emails
each
year
• h9p://email.about.com/od/emailtrivia/f/emails_per_day.htm
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3. Why
do
we
email?
• Share
stories
• Spread
the
news
• Arrange
a
mee8ng
• Fundraising
• Call
to
ac8on
• To
say
Thank
you
• And
any
other
reason
you
might
think
of?
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4. Write
the
best
dang
email
overview
• Prewri8ng
(Natalie
Fox)
• Content
(Ma9
Trokan)
• Examples
(Ben
Wickizer)
• Ques8ons
(all)
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5. Know
Your
Audience
• Communicate
on
a
regular
basis
• Use
a
standard
and
consistent
format
• Include
Story
of
Self,
Story
of
Us,
and
Story
of
Now.
• Keep
it
concise,
well-­‐
wri9en
and
real.
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6. A
ladder
to
victory
• Ladder
of
Engagement
• Offline
Ac8on
&
Volunteer
Recruitment
• Call
decision
makers
• Forward
to
a
friend
Email
decision
makers
• Submit
online
comments
for
hearings
» Sign
an
online
pe88on
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7. Campaign
ARC
• First
email:
Build
a
founda:on
for
Growth
&
Depth
– Introduce
your
campaign
Tell
your
campaign
story
(through
story
of
self,
us,
and
now)
Offer
an
easy
online
ac8on
to
get
the
largest
number
of
ac8vists.
• Second
Email:
Focus
on
Depth
– Reflect
on
success
of
first
email
and
con8nue
the
campaign
story.
Make
your
second
ask
-­‐-­‐
a
"bigger,"
more
invested
ask
of
the
ac8vist.
This
will
hone
on
the
list
an
iden8fy
poten8al
offline
volunteers.
• Third
Email:
Focus
on
Growth
– Reflect
on
the
success
of
the
second
ask.
Give
"insider"
info
on
how
campaign
strategy
is
working.
Con8nue
to
move
people
up
the
leadership
ladder.
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8. Iden:fy
your
Target
• Select
a
target
that
is
moveable
• Avoid
mul8ple
targets
when
possible
• Make
sure
your
target
has
the
power
to
fulfill
your
ask
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9. Subject
Line
Stand
out
from
the
crowd
• Avoid
spam
• Personaliza8on
• Urgent
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10. Sender
• Important
Persons
First
and
last
name
• Organiza8ons
Name
• Does
not
have
to
be
the
same
address
for
replies
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11. Messaging
• Voice
• Programma8c
• Friendly,
but
professional
• Don’t
be
a
wonk
• Timely
• One
ask
and
only
one
ask
• Structure
• 200-­‐400
words
• Several
links
• Bold
key
sentences
but
avoid
shou8ng
characters
“*@#*!
*#”
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12. Pictures
worth
a
thousand
words?
• Moving
an
emo8ve
– Real
people
working
on
local
issues
– Baby
animals
– Environmental
destruc8on
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13. Links
• Don’t
include
full
URL
but
highlight
text
• Two
links
per
email
max
• Embolden
links
and
test
them
• 90%
mortality
per
link
Don’t
under
es8mate
the
power
of
baby
animals
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14. P.S.
and
Thank
You
• Don’t
forget
to
Thank
those
that
take
ac8on
• Take
the
next
step
up
the
ladder
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15. Examples
of
what
worked
well
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16. Examples
of
what
worked
well
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17. Examples
of
what
worked
well
• The
Ohio
State
Wetlands
are
in
Danger
• Thank
you
for
suppor8ng
us
on
this
issue.
• Please
join
us
on
Saturday
October
22nd
from
10-­‐12
at
the
OSU
wetlands
for
a
Save
Our
Wetlands
Cleanup.
• Follow
this
link
for
full
details
and
to
RSVP.
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18. Examples
of
What
Worked
well
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19. Even
beUer
ifs…
• Dear
Ma9hew,
• Every
day
during
the
legisla8ve
session,
our
commi9ed
band
of
environmental
lobbyists
go
toe
to
toe
with
highly-­‐paid
industry
lobbyists.
• But
they
can
only
do
so
much
-­‐
what
is
needed
is
your
voice.
• Your
legislators
need
to
hear
from
you
and
there
is
no
be9er
way
than
mee8ng
them
one-­‐on-­‐one
in
Olympia
during
Environmental
Lobby
Day.
• As
a
ci8zen
advocate
you
can
urge
your
legislators
to
take
crucial
stances
against
environmental
rollbacks
and
fight
for
the
quality
of
life
Washingtonians
cherish.
• Environmental
Lobby
Day
• When:
Wednesday,
January
25
from
8:30
am
-­‐
5:00
pm
• Where:
United
Churches
of
Olympia,
110
11th
Ave
SE,
Olympia
• Bus
Transporta,on,
carpooling,
and
financial
assistance
offered.
• Pre-­‐registra:on
deadline
is
January
22nd,
2012:
$15.
[Fee
includes
breakfast,
coffee,
tea,
fruit
and
materials.]
• Student
Rate:
$10
(student
I.D.
required)
• Bag
lunch
op:on:
$7.50
• Day
of
Event:
$20
without
lunch
op8on
• Register
today
at
www.pugetsound.org/lobby-­‐day.
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20. Even
beUer
ifs
con:nued…
• A
ci8zen
from
our
district
who
communicates
an
issue
to
us
is
more
powerful
than
any
paid
lobbyist,
because
at
the
end
of
the
day
we
represent
you.
You
don’t
need
to
be
an
expert.
Speak
from
the
heart.”
-­‐-­‐-­‐
Rep.
Dave
Upthegrove
(33rd)
• At
Lobby
Day
you
will:
• Receive
detailed
briefings
on
each
priority;
• Receive
training
on
how
to
lobby
from
top
environmental
lobbyists;
• A9end
cons8tuent
mee8ngs
with
all
three
of
your
legislators;
• Celebrate
the
unveiling
of
the
Puget
Loop
Birding
Trail
with
Audubon
Washington;
• Get
fueled
up
with
complimentary
breakfast
snacks
and
all
the
coffee
you
can
drink!
• If
you
choose
just
one
day
to
come
to
Olympia
to
support
a
healthy
Washington
and
healthy
environment,
this
is
the
day
to
do
it!
Your
voice
will
be
joined
with
over
400
other
concerned
ci8zens
to
speak
out
on
three
key
environmental
issues.
You
will
be
advoca8ng
for:
• Pollu:on-­‐Free
Prosperity.
Preven8ng
a9empts
to
weaken,
delay
or
roll
back
state
environmental
laws
and
programs
that
are
cri8cal
for
clean
air,
clean
water,
and
healthy
communi8es.
• Toxic-­‐Free
Kids.
Protec8ng
children’s
health
from
cancer-­‐causing
flame
retardants
and
helping
to
put
businesses
on
the
path
to
using
chemicals
that
won’t
harm
the
environment
or
the
bo9om
line.
• Fulfill
Our
Clean
Energy
Ini:a:ve.
Sustaining
the
success
of
I-­‐937,
our
state’s
voter-­‐approved
clean
energy
ini8a8ve,
in
bringing
investments,
jobs,
and
economic
development
throughout
Washington.
• No
experience
is
necessary,
you’ll
get
all
the
informa8on
you
need
to
be
an
effec8ve
environmental
advocate.
This
is
a
crucial
8me
for
the
state
-­‐
and
your
voice
will
make
a
difference.
• Register
today
at
www.pugetsound.org/lobby-­‐day.
• Thanks
for
all
you
do,
• Kerry
McHugh
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21. Really
I
swear
this
is
all
one
email
• This
alert
is
part
of
a
series
of
ac8on
alerts
from
the
Environmental
Priori8es
Coali8on,
a
network
of
leading
environmental
groups
in
Washington
state
who
believe
we
can
have
a
strong
economy
that
provides
everyone
with
the
opportunity
to
prosper
and
a
clean,
healthy
and
safe
environment
for
ourselves
and
our
children.
Formed
in
2003,
the
Environmental
Priori8es
Coali8on
selects
priority
issues
each
legisla8ve
session
that
are
important
to
protec8ng
public
health
and
welfare.
• The
Environmental
Priori8es
Coali8on
is
a
combined
effort
of:
• American
Rivers
• Cascade
Bicycle
Club
• Climate
Solu8ons
• Conserva8on
Northwest
• Earth
Ministry
• Environment
Washington
• Faith
Ac8on
Network
• Fuse
• Futurewise
• Heart
of
America
Northwest
• The
Lands
Council
• League
of
Women
Voters
of
Washington
• Na8onal
Wildlife
Federa8on
• The
Nature
Conservancy
• NW
Energy
Coali8on
• People
For
Puget
Sound
• Sierra
Club
Washington
• Surfrider
Founda8on
• Transporta8on
Choices
Coali8on
• Washington
Conserva8on
Voters
• Washington
Environmental
Council
• Washington
State
Audubon
• Washington
Toxics
Coali8on
• Washington
Wildlife
and
Recrea8on
Coali8on
• Zero
Waste
Washington
• In
order
to
ensure
delivery
of
this
email,
please
add
Kerry_Mchugh_Environmental_@mail.vresp.com
to
your
address
book
or
safe
senders
list.
• You
have
received
this
email
because
you
are
a
member
of
one
(or
more!)
of
these
organiza8ons.
This
email
is
part
of
a
special
series
of
ac8on
alerts
on
urgent
environmental
issues
facing
the
Washington
state
legislature.
This
email
was
originally
sent
to
maUtrokan@gmail.com
.
If
you
would
prefer
not
receive
addi8onal
alerts
from
the
Environmental
Priori8es
Coali8on,
you
can
unsubscribe
below.
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22. Ques:ons
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