My Favorite Advice
Keep It Positive (and Personal)
In a world where it feels like everyone and everything is vying for our attention, what does it take for one message to stand out? Well, Change.org analyzed 164K online petitions and figured out which best converted scrolls to clicks and clicks to donations. My main takeaway (there were a lot, really) is that knowing your audience is key. Supporters are already passionate and motivated to act. So how petition creators framed their call to action — for example, whether they put it in positive or negative terms — often made the difference in supporter numbers. According to this study, the most effective headlines start with a strong action word and signal “the ideas of restoration of rights or coming to the aid of others.” Check out the study for many, many examples.