How to Write an Email

Best practices for messages that generate actions, turn out attendees, and recruit volunteers.

By Debbie Chong, Nicole Ghio, Cara Longpre, and Kelly Gould

October 2009

Subject

This is the first (and maybe the only) part of the email that people see.

A short and catchy subject line will entice readers to open the

email to learn more and take action.

Subject Line Best Practices

Work on the subject line first, not as an afterthought. Spend at least 8 minutes just on the subject. Limit the subject to no more than 7 words. Front-load the action: “Tell Governor ____ to ____” When appropriate, personalize the subject line.

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 chapters. From: Carl Pope, Sierra Club

Envelope Best Practices

Format the sender’s name “First Last, Sierra Club.” Adding the chapter may lengthen the sender name so it will not all display.

Use the same sender on your emails so people become familiar with the name.

Always use an @sierraclub.org email address. Never an @chaptername.sierraclub.org address.

Do not use sender names and email addresses that do not match.

Good example: subject and envelope

Bad example: subject and envelope

The Message

Timely Urgent Clear impact 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, and even then write out the full name the first time: i.e. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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

Text Boxes

A text box will dramatically increase the number of people who click on your ask and take action.

Boil the ask down to 1 short sentence or phrase and include it in the box.

Include an action button: i.e. RSVP, Take Action, Sign Up, etc. You can also include an image. Be sure to include alt tags on any images you include in your

message. An alt tag is the text that shows up when you hover your mouse over

an image.

Good example: text box

Links

Don’t link entire paragraphs or only one word. 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.

Good example: links

Good example: footnotes and second asks

Bad example: links

The only clickable link was too far down the page

Images

Add an image to your emails that conveys the spirit of the issue. Resize images before adding them to your email. Be sure to include the image size in the image tag – if people

have images turned off, this will prevent your entire message from being blocked.

Make sure you have permission to use the image. Choose appropriate alt-text for your images that explains what

they are or encourages readers to take action. This text will be visible when readers move the pointer over the image.

Make the images links to the action.

Bad example: image alt-text

The alt-text was from a previous email

about polar bears.

The Icing

Start the email by personalizing it with the recipient’s name. Dear Debbie,

Sign the email from the email sender. Include a robust “tell a friend” in the P.S. You can use a Tell-A-

Friend link or ask people to forward the message.

Good example: tell-a-friend

Before You Send

Have at least one other person read the email. A friend who is not familiar with the issue is a good choice. He or she should be able to understand it.

If you are loading the message into Convio, have 2 people review for spelling, grammar, broken links, image alt-text and display problems.

Check how the email looks in as many email clients and programs as you can. Outlook, AOL, Earthlink, Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail. You can create free accounts just for testing.

Bad example – display problems

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.

Practice makes perfect!

Keep this Powerpoint for reference when you compose your emails.

Use our tips and examples to optimize the impact of your email message and formatting.

Questions?

Contact:

Kelly Gould

Nicole Ghio

Cara Longpre

convio.help@sierraclub.org