The 7 Things I Know About Cyber Security After 25 Years | April 2024
Campaign Email
1. Welcome!
We will be starting the training session shortly.
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2. EMAIL CAMPAIGNING
Presented by Lauren Miller,
Elizabeth Warren for MA
6. Presenter:
Lauren Miller
New Media Director
Elizabeth Warren for MA
@laurenm
7. OBJECTIVE
Learn best practices, tips & tricks to
write awesome emails and run an
excellent email program.
8. AGENDA
Why email is important
Theory of change
Basic structure of an email
10 tips for better emails
Questions
9. WHAT CAN EMAIL DO FOR YOU?
• Enhance what you’re doing offline
• Quick, cost effective communications to
supporters
• Rapid response to breaking news
• Activate and empower your members
• Raise money
9
10. A FEW KEY PRINCIPLES
• Email is part of a larger communications
strategy
• It’s about telling a story over time
• Plan ahead
• Email is results driven
10
11. THEORY OF CHANGE
A cause-and-effect sequence that begins with
something the reader can tangibly do and ends with
the resolution of the moment.
OR
How does the action you are asking your supporters
to take lead to the change you want to see?
Key: authentic and plausible.
12. THEORY OF CHANGE
#1: College football won't
have a true national
champion until there is a
playoff system. Sign our
petition to demand a
playoff.
Theory of Change:
MISSING
13. THEORY OF CHANGE
#2: Wisconsin Gov. Scott
Walker is pursuing a
radical anti-worker
agenda. Call his office
and tell him to stop.
Theory of Change:
IMPLAUSIBLE
14. THEORY OF CHANGE
› #3: Puppy mills are
more concerned with
their bottom line than
the health and well
being of the dogs in
their care. Americans
for Puppies Everywhere
is rallying day and night
to stop them.
Theory of Change: Contribute now to
TRUST ME keep us going.
16. BASIC EMAIL STRUCTURE
• 1st Sentence:
Attention Grabber
• Try to keep it to one
sentence -- one line, if
possible
17. BASIC EMAIL STRUCTURE
• 2nd
Sentence/Paragraph:
Summary of why
you’re sending the
email
• Don’t include too many
details, facts, quotes,
etc -- that’s what the
rest of the email is for
18. BASIC EMAIL STRUCTURE
• 3rd-4th Paragraph:
Take Action
• Explain what you want
people to do
• Remember to explain
your theory of change
• LINK (before the fold)
19. BASIC EMAIL STRUCTURE
• Links should be
stand-alone links (not
as part of another
paragraph)
• Should you use
hyperlink text or
written-out url’s? It
depends.
• Don’t just have
picture links
20. BASIC EMAIL STRUCTURE
• After the First Link (if
needed)
• 2-4 paragraphs with
more background
information,
blockquotes, details,
etc.
• Another explanation of
why it’s so important for
people to take action,
and another link.
• Repeat if necessary
22. WELL, IT DEPENDS….
How often do you have something urgent, important and
interesting to say?
Quarterly Monthly Weekly Daily
TYPICAL
Almost Probably too
certainly too much
little
Credit: Idealware
24. 1. KEEP IT SHORT
• People don’t want to read a long essay. They’re
skimming what you write.
25. 2. THINK ABOUT YOUR
SUBJECT LINE
It’s the most important part of your email.
Be concise (5-7 words)
Grab attention, but don’t cry wolf
Be creative & mix it up
26. GOOD SUBJECT LINES
• Reality 2, Bush 0
(John Kerry)
• I agree with George W.
Bush (Howard Dean)
• Did you get my email?
(MoveOn.org)
• I have a confession to
make (Courage
Campaign)
• Spill baby spill (Brave
New Foundation)
27. BAD SUBJECT LINES
• The McCain Update
(John McCain)
• Tell your Senators to
• vote NO on S. 2191
(Eagle Forum)
• Urgent FEC Deadline
(Mitch McConnell)
• Maryland GOP Calls for
end to new poll tax
for absentee voters
(Maryland GOP)
28. 3. KEEP IT CONVERSATIONAL
How do you sound when
you write an email to
coworkers?
• Snarky is ok. A formal letter
isn’t.
• Have voices, personalities in
your emails. It keeps things
from getting stale.
29. 4. NEVER SEND AN EMAIL
WITHOUT AN ACTION…
All people can do is unsubscribe.
Sign a petition Call Congress
Write a letter Make a donation
Tell a friend Give us your
feedback
Watch a video
Attend an event
Remember your theory of change!
30. 4. NEVER SEND AN EMAIL
WITHOUT AN ACTION…
…But try not to have more than one action per email.
Don’t confuse people.
• Multiple actions/links overwhelm people
• Splits the returns of your action
• Better solution: Daisy-chain your actions
• Exception: PS Message
31. 5. ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY
WANT
Surveys are good for
you and your list
• Find out who your
audience is, what they’re
interested in
• Solicit new ideas without
hiring a new staff member
• Make your supporters feel
like they’re a part of the
team
32. 6. TREAT NEW SUPPORTERS
DIFFERENTLY
Make a good first impression.
• Send an introduction/auto-response email, describing the
group/org and what they can do
• Trying to raise money? Don’t ask immediately – but don’t wait
too long to ask
33. 7. USE IMAGES SPARINGLY &
AVOID FANCY FORMATTING
Don’t use images just for the sake of using images.
• Simple buttons that clearly explain
the action can help action rates
• Compelling images can help grab
attention
• Don’t hold up your email just for
an image
• Don’t make your whole email an
image
34. 8. TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Sometimes it’s better to be the
first than be the best
• General wisdom: Tuesday
Thursday late morning send best
• More important: Getting an email
out when news breaks, something
happens
• If you’re waiting 3 days for policy
experts to fact-check your brilliant
email, you’re too late.
35. 9. CHECKLIST YOUR EMAILS
One bad mistake will ruin your otherwise excellent
email
• Ask someone who didn’t
write it to proofread it
• Ask someone to look at a test
message to read every
sentence, click every link, and
take every action.
36. 10. TESTING AND SEGMENT
Figure out best for your own list
Test: Segment:
• Sender: name/format • Donors/non-donors
• Subject lines: long/short, punchy, • Highest previous contribution
snarky, questions, current events
themed, “invite” or “video” • Geography (including stories)
• Time of day (tough to implement) • Past actions
• Images: yes/no, upper right vs. • Signup date
across, header or no header, simple • Whatever info you’ve got!
vs. artistic, colors, language
• Email length: full email vs. up to 1st
link
• Link style: hyperlinked text vs. urls
• Landing pages
NOINOI on DemandIntroduce Hope who will do the polls and manage the chat box, 45 min + Q&A, use chat-As you can see from our poll we have folks from lots of different organizations on this webinar. Some from party committees or candidate campaigns, some from labor, some from 501(c)3 non profit organizations.-There are different laws that apply to different types of campaigns, and each state also has its own laws for elections. What that means is that nothing we say on this webinar is legal advice for your specific campaign or organization. We recommend to every campaign and organization that you hire your own legal counsel, someone who is familiar with election law in your state. If you're even in doubt, ask your lawyer!-Here are some additional resources that can help you. (Introduce OGEA for state laws, and Alliance for Justice for 501(c)3 organizations in particular to make sure whatever their campaign activities that they are following the law to protect their tax status.)
