Whats the Key To Writing Effective Emails for Your Club

KEEP IT SHORT.

Your eye moves differently over an email than a print document.

When you’re looking at this article, you can see the whole thing at once. Your eye moves over the whole thing. You glance at eye-catching graphics, you skip from one section to the next.

But when you’re reading an email, the visual area is different. Your screen -- whether on a computer or on a cell phone -- restricts you to a shorter viewing window that you move downward as you scroll. You don’t see the whole thing at once.

Grab the reader’s attention right away. If the reader has to scroll through a lot of text and graphics before you get to the point, your reader will lose interest and delete your email without getting to your message.

Shorter paragraphs are easier to read in an email. Longer paragraphs seem like a wall of text, especially when they’re crunched to fit into a cell phone screen.

Focus on your message.

Your email should have a goal. What is it that you want the reader to do? Maybe you’re asking people to join your organization, or inviting them to participate in an upcoming event.

Think of this goal as an action item. You want the reader to want to take that action and get involved. Eliminate extraneous information to streamline the reader’s pathway to your action item.

That action item often takes the form of a link -- the webpage where you want the reader to go to sign up, to take the survey, to do the thing. If you have any images, they should link to this page -- and there should be links within the text, too.

Three short paragraphs can be plenty.

Let’s say you want to get the word out about an upcoming class at your range so local scouts can earn their Rifle merit badge.

Your first paragraph should provide the basic information about what’s happening, and where and when. Start with a verb to give your message an active tone. There should be at least one link to your action item.

Bring your scout troop to the Rifle Merit Badge Class on July 22 at the Spoondale Sportsmen’s Club!

Your second paragraph should tell the reader how this action item will benefit them.

NRA certified instructors and BSA merit badge counselors will be on-hand to help your scouts learn how to handle a rifle safely. Scouts can complete all of the requirements at the event.

Your third paragraph should tell the reader how to sign up, and who they can contact for more information.

Space is limited, so sign up today! For more information, email us at rifle@spoondale-sportsmen.org.

You can add a button to the bottom of the email so that people who have scrolled all the way down have one last reminder of what you want them to do. (Make sure that this is a text-based button; some email systems will block graphics, and you don’t want to lose readers who don’t understand what you want them to do.)

Nebraska Became the 27th State to Adopt Constitutional Carry

Nebraska became the 27th state in the nation to pass constitutional carry on April 25th, 2023, when Gov. Jim Pillen signed the bill into law.

“Nebraska joined 26 other states whose constituents and leaders recognize that law-abiding Americans should not have to ask for special government permission and pay additional fees in order to exercise their rights outside of the home,” said Randy Kozuch, executive director, NRAILA. “The NRA has worked tirelessly to protect the rights of Americans to defend themselves for decades, and we’re thrilled that this protection has now come to Nebraskans.”

Constitutional carry protects Americans’ right to carry a firearm for self-defense by eliminating the requirement that law-abiding gun owners obtain a permit to carry. The law does not affect previously issued permits, and does not eliminate the permitting system. Those who wish to obtain a permit to carry in states that recognize Nebraska permits still can. In addition, this bill does not change who is permitted to obtain a firearm. Felons and other disqualified persons can still be punished under federal, state and local statutes for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Travis Couture-Lovelady, NRA Nebraska state director, said, “This is a great bill that will make gun laws less restrictive and more streamlined for law-abiding Nebraskans. The NRA would like to thank Sen. Tom Brewer for his leadership on this important piece of legislation, and applauds the legislature and the governor for passing and signing the bill.”

Nebraska is the 11th state to adopt Constitutional Carry since President Joe Biden took office in January of 2021 – which goes to show that the majority of America supports our right to Keep and Bear Arms. Your NRA-ILA will continue to fight for Constitutional Carry in the years to come.