Check out these six tips for writing great petition emails that will motivate people to take action and help take your list engagement to the next level:
- Use a lead that pops: The first sentence of your email is the best opportunity you have to grab people’s attention and compel them to continue reading. Try using shocking statistics, poignant quotes or compelling anecdotes to evoke a visceral response that will make it impossible for the reader to close the email without learning more.
- Link early and often: Include well-labeled links to your petition throughout the email, including as close as possible to the top. We’ve found that including a simple call-to-action right at the top of the email tends to perform well.
- Keep it simple: Don’t overcomplicate the issue, particularly toward the beginning of the email. If there’s a significant amount of detail or context you need to include, save that for the end of the email, after you’ve characterized the problem and opportunity in the simplest terms possible toward the beginning.
- Clearly name the ask and target: In the first few paragraphs, and in the first ask, call the target(s) of your petition out by name and specify precisely what you want them to do. If your target and ask aren’t abundantly clear, most people won’t click a link or sign your petition.
- Make it skimmable: Use short sentences and bolding to make your email skimmable. As more and more people read emails on their phones, this is becoming even more important.
- Include buttons: In testing with several different email communities, I’ve found that including one or more linked buttons reading “sign the petition” or “add your name” significantly increases the action rate.