My email is inundated with donation appeals for candidates and political causes. While they rarely motivate me to give, I am fascinated by the varied approaches campaigns take in their pleas for funds. Some are touting their success and asking me to join the bandwagon, while others issue grave warnings of what will happen if I don’t contribute today.
Subject line examples include:
- A massive fundraising disadvantage
- We’re done, team
- Momentum is building
- We’re asking for just $1 to flip…
- The situation has gotten so dire
- Defend this seat
- Crying tears of JOY
- Stop what you’re doing and read this
- We’re tied in the polls
Instead of being annoyed by these, they cause me to consider what is effective. Is it a more powerful approach to say, “We’re behind, help us,” or “We’re on a roll, join us”? Am I more compelled to contribute to those in need or to those having success?
You can take the lessons learned from the emails and translate them to: Does your team want to help solve a problem or enact a vision? Do you sell the issues or the merits? Should your message focus on challenges or potential? Is it more effective to say we need resources because we’re losing, or we need them to win?
Instead of automatically deleting that spam folder, take a few minutes to peruse and ponder what resonates with you — and how you can use that knowledge in your own messaging.
