Hello, Changemaker!

Karen Nilsen

Hi I’m Karen. I want to share with you the tactics I’ve used to build digital power and engage a supporter base of millions. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Show. Don’t Tell.

Your reader trusts their own mind way more than they trust yours. No offense but it’s true. Knowing this, try to avoid ‘telling’ people what to think. That includes making assertions that some things are cruel,...

2 minute read

Your reader trusts their own mind way more than they trust yours. No offense but it’s true. Knowing this, try to avoid...

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How to Hook Your Reader

To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices but it applies anywhere we’re competing for our audience’s attention (so, the entire Internet)...

3 minute read

To steal a mantra from our friends in journalism: don’t bury the lede. The idea might have started in newspaper offices...

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Never Assume Anyone Knows What You’re Talking about

Imagine you’re seeing a 25% open rate on your emails. That means whenever you send a broadcast, 3 in every 4 recipients will be unfamiliar with what you sent last time. Some recipients will be new to...

2 minute read

Imagine you’re seeing a 25% open rate on your emails. That means whenever you send a broadcast, 3 in every 4 recipients will...

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What’s a “Crisitunity”?

We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because of this, it’s been adopted by all the most successful online action platforms...

2 minute read

We have Homer Simpson to thank for the term that perfectly describes a communication model that turbocharges action requests with urgency. Because...

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A Beginner’s Guide to Segmentation

So you’ve cracked the code to writing a great email. The next step is to push it out to as many people as possible, right? Wrong. Segmentation is the practice of dividing your supporters...

5 minute read

So you’ve cracked the code to writing a great email. The next step is to push it out to as many people...

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Why People Don’t Complete Online Actions (and What to Do about It)

There are plenty of reasons people struggle to complete online actions. Poor page layouts, confusing language, onerous forms, and too many (or too few) visual cues to name a few. Seven deadly sins of action page...

5 minute read

There are plenty of reasons people struggle to complete online actions. Poor page layouts, confusing language, onerous forms, and too many (or too...

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