“Smashing the desk”
By Norman Leahy | Friday, May 16th, 2008 | Catch-AllPatrick Ruffini offers a primer to candidates (and John McCain specifically) on the proper use of email for communications and fundraising. Snip:
This is not direct mail. We are not some people data-mined off a consumer list who’ve never heard from you before. We opted-in. We are the top 1% — the savviest, most interested, most influential supporters. We get the joke. On the flip side, consider how much Hillary and Obama get simply by seeming real in their e-mails, even if they don’t get to cram in as many policy points.
Some years ago, the simplest lesson on email I ever got was from an old GOP warhorse (and top marketer) here in Richmond: “Email is a conversation. Keep it personal, informal and brief.” Every campaign copywriter should have that saying engraved on their keyboards.
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About the author
Norm Leahy has written about Virginia and national politics online since 2002, beginning with One Man's Trash (OMT), and continuing through Bacon's Rebellion (both the blog and the e-zine), Sic Semper Tyrannis, NBC12's Decision Virginia, Richmond.com and Tertium Quids. He is the chief blogger at "The Score" and a producer of "The Score" radio show as well as being a Washington Post contributor.
Comments
3 Responses to "“Smashing the desk”"
Aren’t there studies that demonstrate the average time someone spends reading a single email?
Probably. For the mail, I know you’ve got about seven seconds — assuming your letter was opened in the first place.
It can’t be much longer than that for email.
Norm-
You should charge for this stuff!
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