If you walked up to a stranger on the street and asked them for $20, odds are they’re going to look at you like you're crazy and walk away. I cannot blame them; I’d do the same. Now… what if, instead, you engaged them in conversation, swapped contact information, developed a friendship over the course of many weeks, and THEN asked for $20? You might have a better shot.

Well, in some ways, email marketing is a lot similar. People are much more likely to support a cause that they are familiar with and trust. So, with that in mind, it might be time to consider how we can be building trust with our subscribers so that we see the most possible success with our emails.

This means that we need to provide content that makes the recipient feel valued as opposed to just another donor. Before we ask for money and support, we need to show the subscriber how much they matter to us; that we do not just care about their wallets.

So what kind of content can we send out that would align with this goal of building trust? I have a few ideas…

Newsletters and informational content

• These emails can be used to inform your recipients on your mission and the news you find most important. Subscribers will be able to see how their values align with your own and, in turn, may acquire more support for your cause.

Feedback

• Do not be afraid to ask your subscribers about their opinions. Whether you need advice on how to go about things or you’d like to know what you can do better in the future, your recipients should be the first people you ask. Their opinions matter most!

Prospecting

• Sometimes the easiest way we can appeal to our subscribers is to ask them what they care to hear about. Our Nucleus CRM allows us to quickly tag our recipients so we can be ensuring we are reaching out to them with their interests in mind.

These are just a few types of emails we can be sending to our subscribers to ensure that we are building trust before forcing asks down their throat. I think you’ll all find that embedding a little love and care into all of our emails will always pay off in the long run.

For more information regarding how to send less aggressive copy while yielding higher return, contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

Making the small talk count

I have mentioned the importance of not solely producing content with a “Call to Action” for your subscribers. These types of requests can range from contributing a donation, making a purchase, signing up or subscribing to pages, joining groups, attending seminars, and so many other things. Sometimes… your recipients just need some validation that they are valued before they contribute anything to your cause.

This type of content is especially important during the warming phases of an email marketing campaign, as it helps retain satisfied recipients and foster stronger relationships. By providing valuable, informational content without a direct call to action, you focus on nurturing the relationship and building trust with your audience, rather than pushing for an immediate conversion. This approach allows recipients to engage with your brand on their own terms, creating a more organic connection and improving brand loyalty, which ultimately helps strengthen your sender reputation and boosts long-term deliverability.

With that in mind, it can be difficult to think of ways to produce this type of content. I am here to help!

Before we begin, it's important to remember that readers typically have a short attention span. This means we should avoid overloading our emails with too much information. Instead, we can break up the content into smaller, easy-to-digest pieces across multiple emails. This not only helps ensure recipients fully absorb the valuable information but also allows you to create a series of emails, which will be useful as you scale up your sending audience during the warming process.

Now… onto the topic of content.

Below, you can find some great prompts to use when creating these value-driven emails:

• Mission Statement
  • What is the primary mission of your organization?
• Financial goals (without asking for contributions)
  • What types of programs/uses are funds allocated to?
• Leading Values
  • If there are multiple values, these can be spread among various emails
• Testimonials/Stories
  • Any related personal stories (i.e. volunteer experiences, funding success, company origins, etc.)
• Company Updates
  • Any recent success or changes within the company
• Newsletters/Educational Resources
  • Informational content that may directly impact your users
• Leadership Introductions
  • Allowing your recipients to be familiarized with your team leaders
• Community Impact
  • Expressing any recent community initiatives and exceptional accomplishments
• Ethical practices
  • Ensuring all subscribers are aware of certain key values and practices
• General Gratitude
  • Simply thank those who have chosen to support your cause thus far

I hope this has given you a bit more insight into how you can leverage different types of emails to drive success, even when you're not focusing on a direct call to action. By strategically using informational and value-driven content, you're able to engage your audience in a way that builds trust, fosters relationships, and keeps them invested in your brand. Remember, sometimes the most powerful emails are the ones that simply inform and educate, allowing you to nurture your audience without the pressure of pushing for immediate action.

For more information, contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

Through the years, we’ve made plenty of improvements and updates to our batching system & with that, I think it’s time for a little review session…

First, we’ll review how to set-up a batch. Then, we are going to review our Nucleus-recommended scaling technique. And lastly, we’ll put your skills to work and run through some examples. Let’s begin!

Set-Up

At the top, we have our selections concerning ‘batch size.’ While I do occasionally see a reason to utilize the ‘percentage’ or ‘remainder’ function (hence its existence), I find that the ‘fixed’ batch size is easiest to manage when warming a new domain, so I recommend taking that route. Below your selection, you can identify the exact volume of recipients you’d like to send to.

Your ’schedule’ is used to determine how each individual batch will be initiated. I generally base this decision off personal comfort and need.

Manual entails the individual sending of each campaign by a user following the campaign launch.

Start means the batches will begin with the start of the campaign – this is likely the easiest option for users.

Delayed would allow you to set times for the batches to be released following the launch of the campaign.

In our ‘reoccurring’ section, you can implement a reoccurrence of batches. I generally do not recommend using the ‘repeat’ selection while warming a new domain/IP as this can affect our reputation, but when it is utilized, I recommend not exceeding more than one send in a 24-hour period.

In order for the batch to send, you will have to set your ‘Status’ to ‘ready’ as it is automatically placed in ‘draft.’

Finally, you can select the email servers that you’d like to include or exclude from your batch. I find that it is easiest to have an individual batch for every server; this allows you to monitor deliverability in the most efficient manner possible.

For more information, contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

Disclaimer: We encourage “rolling” in the case of fire… Just not emails

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

Similar to the response time one may have to being engulfed in flames, I will make this insightful tidbit brief and to the point.

When it comes to block mitigation and server communication, we cannot control how the server responds… or even IF they respond. What we CAN control is how WE respond to the block.

To help make this as simple as possible, our email team has developed a memory tool from the simple and commonly-known (well, I hope it’s commonly known…) phrase “Stop, Drop and Roll.”

STOP

Stop sending completely

Pros – The issue will not progress/worsen; may help to refresh or recover IP/domain reputation

Cons – Domain/IP warming progress may be reversed (in some cases to the point of restarting)

DROP

Drop sending volume

Pros – Can halt a block or prevent further damage; may help to defend our sending practices in server communications

Cons – Can just prologue the inevitable (block) or prevent throttling limits from ever increasing

ROLL

Roll with it (proceed as you would if no issue occurred)

Pros – In rare cases, this issue resolves itself with no loss of volume or engagement for future sends

Cons – In many cases, this worsens the block, making it harder to resolve in this case and future cases for an indefinite amount of time

In contrast to one who may be caught on fire, our team actually discourages “rolling” in response to emailblocks and deliverability errors in most cases. As in the game of poker or the investment of stock, your risks should always be calculated.

Having reviewed that information, keep in mind that every case is different, and nothing is ever definite in the world of email marketing.

If you think you may have encountered a deliverability issue to any capacity and are considering how your team should respond, do not hesitate to reach out to your point of contact for further assistance.

For more information, contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

We’re kicking off the year with some powerful updates to start your operations and year off right! Here’s what’s new in January:

Subscriber History in Email Subscribers – Gain better insights into your subscribers with a detailed history of their activity, helping you track engagement and interactions over time.

New Email Templates UI – Crafting emails just got easier! Our improved email template interface offers a more intuitive and user-friendly design, making it simpler to create and edit your email templates.

Customizable VIP Approval Emails – Now, you can tailor VIP approval emails to align with your brand’s messaging and tone, ensuring a seamless experience for your exclusive audience.

 Export Failed Rows from Any Import – Encountered issues during an import? No problem! You can now easily export failed rows for quick troubleshooting and corrections, saving time and effort.

Already a nucleus user? Check out this new feature for yourself!

Want to experience these features and the solutions Nucleus can offer your team?

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

“I don't want no scrub, a scrub is an email that can't get no love from me.”

Here at Campaign Nucleus, we want to make it as easy as possible for our users to produce the most successful email content possible. With that our team has done some research and put together some information we’ve found helpful in creating our own emails.

Let’s start simple – what are the things that every recipient is going to notice about your email?

1. Your sender
2. Your subject line
3. Your content

Now let’s talk about how we can utilize all 3 of these factors to create the MOST TOP NOTCH EMAIL possible!!

Sender:

When you see an email in your inbox, what is the first thing you see? Likely, the sender’s name. Are you more likely to open an email that appears to be sent from a specific person or one that declares a corporation. Likely, a specific name.

Well, your audience feels the same. This means you can improve your user engagement simply by using a more personalized sender, such as a team member, to make your communications seem more “human”and less “AI generated.”

For example, an email being sent from Julia from Nucleus may perform a bit better than one being sent from the Biden Administration (although that may have more than one reason for performing poorly…).\

With that, consistency is also always key – it’s a good habit to keep one sender and domain affiliated with each type of content being sent.

Subject Line:

Following the sender, you likely immediately notice the subject line affiliated with the email.

When it comes to subject line, there are a couple things to keep in mind:

• Topic – always make sure your subject line sticks to the point. No one wants to open an email that has nothing to do with the subject line… it appears deceiving

• Length – your subject line length can actually drive your engagement. Short subject lines (below 50 characters) & longer subject lines (above 70 characters) actually have been found to receive more engagement than average-length subject lines.
  

Content:

The last thing the recipient will see but generally the most important portion of the email for them to see.

There are lots of considerations to be made when designing our content & every audience type responds differently to different copy types.

We encourage individuality in your sends but here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be concise – the average human has a reading attention span that ranges from 10-15 seconds… that isn’t very long.

• Consider your call to action – it’s good practice to include multiple links within the email & our system makes it easy to determine where your audience is engaging the most within your email.
  

• Always check variables – we want to make sure we do not address our recipients as “Hello %recipient.first%.”

• Make your email readable – this includes but is not limited to:
  • Having a nice layout – easy to read & pictures should never outweigh text
  • Using color and branding wisely
  • Ensuring pictures are high enough quality that they engage your audience (although too much data can slow your email load time & that isn’t great either)

For more information be sure to contact our team for training or insight and visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

Goonies Never Say Die when it comes to Spam Traps

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

You’ve heard us mention “spam trap emails” – but do you know what that is?

Spam trap emails can catch even the least spammy of emails. This is because these email addresses are utilized specifically to locate senders who are not closely monitoring their recipient lists.

The thought process behind is that, should one of these “fake” emails enter your recipient list, it would be less likely that you are maintaining your recipient list so well that every email on it is a valid & confirmed subscriber.

Sending emails too many of these “recipients” could lead to many blocks that can be detrimental to your domain reputation and overall deliverability.

So how do you know which emails are spam traps? You don’t. They can be previously active but now expired emails, random emails made by servers for this purpose, and really anything in between. The servers use this method to help protect their users from receiving spam content but it surely adds an extra obstacle to those sending mass emails.

At the very least, you are now aware of what we mean when we say “spam traps” & at the very most, you’ll do your best to keep your email list as healthy as humanly possible.

AND LUCKY FOR YOU… we have a few in-platform tools to help you do just that.

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind regarding your recipient list:

ALWAYS turn on validations when importing new lists, especially large lists that may contain emails you are not personally familiar with…

Be sure to review recipient engagement and behavior – this is made easy with our Automation feature. Creating an engagement series for recipients who have not recently engaged with emails allows us to unsubscribe expired or uninterested recipients and their emails.

Respect the wishes of those who would like to be unsubscribed from your list. This means including visible unsubscribe links in all of our emails & reviewing responses for those who may have intended to unsubscribe. This is not only a legal requirement but will benefit you in the long-run. Angry recipients generally yield more spam complaints…

For more information about spam traps and how you can be proactive about keeping your recipient lists healthy, be sure to contact our team for training or insight.

For more information, please visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

In today’s blog, I would like to speak to the importance and value of collecting data from subscribers to improve overall recipient engagement.

The Campaign Nucleus platform offers many features that help you to collect and assign unique data to individual recipients & provides a variety of useful ways to utilize this information.

By locating specific details on recipients, you are able to:

1. Personalize emails to recipients
2. Effectively reach recipient interests

With regards to personalization, this data allows us to address the user in a more customized way to better grasp user attention.

In reference to utilizing specific interests, this data allows us to direct our emails to the most engaged audience possible.

***

The easiest way to collect data from recipients is to combine the usage of Landing Pages & Amplify.

Landing Pages can be created to supply recipients with forms; the data pulled from these forms is then appended to each email profile. We utilize Amplify to send this landing page around in the most efficient manner to whichever recipient list we find appropriate.

Landing Pages offer many options that pull basic recipient information; this would be consistent with data along the lines of recipient name, age, gender, geographic location, and similar details.

In addition, by using our tagging feature in combination with our landing pages & emails, we are able to track specific user engagement and tag the content and interests that they are engaging most positively with.

For more information, please visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR

As Election Day approaches, every moment counts, and staying connected with your supporters is more critical than ever. Are you using Nucleus Text or P2P Messaging to ensure that instant, personalized communication drives your campaign forward?

Imagine this: It's the night before the election, and you're able to instantly rally your base with a targeted message reminding them to vote. With Nucleus, that's not just possible—it's easy. Our Nucleus Text feature lets you send out quick, personalized updates, ensuring your supporters know where to go, what to bring, and why their vote matters.

For a more personal touch, our P2P Messaging tool allows you to engage in one-on-one conversations at scale. Think about the impact of a direct message from a volunteer, asking a voter if they need help getting to the polls or answering any last-minute questions. This kind of outreach can be the difference between a vote cast or a vote missed!

Beyond Election Day…

But it doesn't stop there. Nucleus messaging integrates seamlessly with your broader campaign efforts. If you're hosting a last-minute rally, use our messaging tools to send out an invite, then track who opens the message and who clicks to RSVP. Need to share crucial updates from the campaign trail? A quick text or P2P message ensures your supporters are always in the loop, no matter where they are.

And as your messages go out, you'll have real-time analytics at your fingertips. See how many people received your message, who engaged, and who might need a follow-up—all in one place, without missing a beat.

As you gear up for the final push, make sure you're equipped with the tools that can make the difference. Log in to your Nucleus account today and start using our messaging features, or reach out to our team for more personalized guidance.

Why Messaging?

Well, besides the fact that everyone has a phone attached to them these days, texts also benefit that other messaging like emails can't give you. Some advantages include:

Higher Open Rates: Text messages generally have much higher open rates compared to emails. Many people read texts almost immediately after receiving them.

Immediate Delivery: SMS messages are delivered instantly, making them ideal for time-sensitive information or urgent updates.

Personalization: Texts can feel more personal and direct, which can enhance engagement and make your messages feel more immediate and relevant.

Conciseness: Text messages force you to be brief and to the point, which can be effective for quick, clear communication.

Better Reach: Text messages can reach people who may not check their email frequently or who have limited internet access but always carry their phones.

Higher Engagement: Due to the personal nature of text messaging, recipients are more likely to respond or take action quickly.

No Spam Filters: Text messages don't get caught in spam filters like emails can, ensuring your message gets through.

Convenience: For quick updates or reminders, texts can be more convenient and accessible than email, especially on the go.

However, it's important to note that text campaigns also have limitations, such as character limits and potential costs per message. Balancing text and email campaigns can often be the best approach, leveraging each of their strengths.

Try these text campaign ideas!

• Voter Reminders

Send out last-minute reminders to your supporters about important voting deadlines, like early voting dates or Election Day itself. Include personalized information, such as polling locations or voting hours, based on their registered address.

• Event Invitations

Quickly notify your supporters about campaign events, rallies, or virtual town halls. Include a link to RSVP directly within the text, and follow up with a reminder on the day of the event.

• Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) Campaigns

Launch a text campaign to encourage voter turnout. Send personalized messages asking if they need a ride to the polls, reminding them to bring the necessary ID, or simply urging them to get out and vote.

• Fundraising Appeals

Use text messaging to send urgent fundraising appeals. A quick, compelling message with a direct link to donate can significantly boost contributions, especially during crucial campaign moments.

• Poll Watcher Coordination

Coordinate your poll watchers or volunteers with real-time updates and instructions. This is especially useful on Election Day, where rapid communication is essential.

• Issue Awareness

Educate your supporters on key issues and your stance on them. Short, informative texts can help clarify your position and mobilize your base on important topics.

• Thank You Messages

After an event, donation, or volunteer effort, send a quick thank-you text to show appreciation. Personalized gratitude can strengthen supporter loyalty and encourage future engagement.

• Surveys and Feedback

Engage your audience by sending out quick surveys or asking for feedback via text. Use this data to fine-tune your campaign strategy or understand voter concerns better.

• Crisis Communication

If there's an unexpected change in the campaign (like a venue change or emergency), a text message is the fastest way to reach your audience and keep them informed.

• Election Results Updates

Keep your supporters in the loop on Election Night with live updates as results come in. Share the excitement and keep them engaged as the outcome unfolds.

So what are you waiting for?

Now is the perfect time to send those texts and get your supporters more engaged than ever!

Nucleus user→ To get started today, contact your client services representative.

Or

By Julia, Deliverability Expert

Have you ever heard the term “seed list” used? Well… we’ve been using this term a lot over here at Campaign Nucleus & we are excited to introduce seed list usability as one of our newest in-platform features.

So, firstly, what is a seed list? This is a list of emails that you have internal access to in order to be on the receiving end of your email sends.

Our email team has found that generally seed lists are not a great representation of inbox placement – this is because, after a few sends, the inbox will start to replicate personalized behavior rather than that of other inboxes with the same server. With that in mind, our team has found a lot of value in using email lists comprised of internal team members to help kickstart our email engagement with new or struggling domains/IPs.

Team members can be instructed to positively engage with these emails. In doing so, we can begin building up a good domain reputation from the very first day of sending so that we are able to find more success with deliverability and inbox placement.

For instructions on how to enable this feature in your tenant, please visit your Nucleus Resource Library!

OR