How to Write a Great Email From Start to Finish Best practices for messages that generate actions, turn out attendees, and recruit volunteers. How to Write a Great Email Overview Materials and Logistics needed for a good email Anatomy of good email message Good Email Messaging Tips to save time when working with your ROO Fun Email Game!! Materials and Logistics Bookmark this page: http://action.sierraclub.org/ROO_Resources The Subject A short and catchy subject line will entice readers to open the email to learn more and take action. Limit the subject to no more than 7 words. Front-load the action: “Tell Governor ____ to ____” It should be clear what issue and/or action you want the email recipient to take The more urgent the subject line the better. When appropriate, personalize the subject line. Example of a Good Subject Line: Four Days to Protect Our Water Example of a Bad Subject Line: Action Alert on HB 1662 & HB 1454 Envelope Along with the subject line, recipients can see the sender’s name and email address before opening the email. You should send messages from people, not from groups. From: Marie Bergen, Sierra Club New Hampshire Use the same sender on your emails so people become familiar with the name. Always use an @sierraclub.org email address. The Message Timely Urgent Explain how taking action will make a clear impact on your campaign Use everyday language Part of a narrative Tell a story Follow-up and close the loop Structuring The Message Only put one ask in the message. Additional asks or options will depress your response. Keep the message short. 200-400 words. Put the ask high in the email. You should tell people what you want them to do by the 2nd paragraph or 4th sentence. Link to the ask more than once. Writing Write to your audience – people don’t read emails, they scan them. Avoid bill numbers and abbreviations unless they are widely known, like EPA. Write out the full name the first time: i.e. Public Utlities Commission (PUC). Use short paragraphs of 3 sentences max. Bold key sentences to break up the text. The reader should be able to understand the email just by reading the bolded parts. No all caps, no italics unless it is a title, and no underlines unless it is a link. Good example: structure and message Bad example: structure and message Dos and Don'ts of Links At least one link should be visible in the top portion of the message. The ask should be linked to about 3 times in the email. Links for more information should be footnotes. If you are making big statements, it is always good to include footnotes. If there absolutely must be a second ask in the email, introduce and link to it in the P.S. below the sender’s signature. Don’t link a long paragraph (short paragraphs okay) Don't link only one word Good example: links Good example: footnotes and second asks The P.S. The P.S. is the place in your email where you can break the rules. The most effective choice for the P.S. is to ask people to forward the message to their friends and family to take action. Helps grow the list. Gets more people to take action. Other Ways to use the P.S: Invite people to join you on Facebook or Twitter If necessary ask people to do another ask Good example: tell-a-friend What and When to Send Send timely messages. If people recognize the issue from the news or word-of-mouth, they are more likely to open and take action. Do not send just because you have space in your email schedule. It is better to give your audience a break than to send something that will not engage them. Do not send too early. The best event recruitment emails are sent a week or less before the event. Good example: timeliness This action alert was sent out in response to a breaking news story. Time Saving Tips! Bookmark the ROO Resources page: http://action.sierraclub.org/ROO_Resources Plan ahead -- 15 minutes of planning can save a lot of time and ensure your email will get out Don't forget to recycle! Rather than start a whole new worksheet, if it's the same topic, you may be able to re-use some language from a previous email. If you're working with a volunteer, show them a few examples of great emails before they write one. Thank you language Get a second set of eyes before you send to your ROO. What's Wrong With This Email: Subject: You THERE, Stop the Slaughter!!! HR 48765 is at stake!! STOP THE SLAUGHTER. 20 years ago LFP&R was formed from humble beginnings. George Smith started the company as a chemist just after graduating from Stanford. Soon after he started his business he discovered hydroglynifungicide. This was a great discovery for him but not for the veronidronofauna that live in Greenville State Park! The hydroglynifugicide causes a tinodenotic reaction in the finella of the veronidronofauna. We can't keep LFP&R from getting away with this!! Yesterday the House Special subcommittee on tinodenotic reactions started considering HR 48765 to stop the slaughter of these adorable animals by George Smith’s chemicals. We hope that this bill won't get pigeonheld and that it makes its way through the subcommitte and out onto the floor of the house for a vote. But then there is always the fillibuster. We need 145 votes to keep that fillibuster from happening and pass that bill. But first is the subcommittee vote. Can you do something to help? We need your help to save the veronidronofauna that live in Greenville State Park. Call your representative today or send your representative an email or you can even go down to the state house and protest with us next week. Its going to be a lot of fun so I really hop you can make it! Stand up for our park! Do it now! Save our veronidronofauna! Thanks! John Smith P.S. Has anyone seen my hat? I lost it at the last committee meeting. Questions? Contact: Central Region: Stacey Kawakami 612-659-9124, ext 305 [email protected] Eastern Region: Marie Bergen 603-224-8222 [email protected]