Tag Archives: party communications

Caron Lindsay

“Like you, the Liberal Democrats…” Not the most tactful way to write to your members

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 8th November 2014 - 11:15 am

A well-written email is a very useful tool in informing and activating your supporters. One that’s not so well-written or targeted can be counter-productive. There have been a fair few howlers in the past few years from LDHQ, not least that Annette Brooke email following the elections in May this year and one from Nick Clegg a couple of years before in similar circumstances. I also remember a Simon Hughes one in 2011 the week after the appalling Scottish elections when we were still all punch-drunk and heartbroken that started: “This is a good week to be a Liberal Democrat.”

That opening line is oh, so important. It draws the reader in, grabs their attention, persuades them to read on and to take the action requested within it. If the opening is poor, the red mist descends and people hit the delete key.

And so it was last night with an email from Director of Strategy Ryan Coetzee. This presumably went to members and supporters alike. It was nowhere close to even the field next to the ballpark of being as bad as previous examples, but, unfortunately it started with the words:

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | 28 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Michael Bukola
    Much of the stigma surrounding council homes rests in the design of such properties and tower blocks in particular. Building tower blocks addresses housing shor...
  • Pawel Urbanski
    Housing is the symptom, not the disease. But the money at the top isn't sitting in payslips but in assets, and homes are the favourite. An average home in Engla...
  • David Allen
    Governments have repeatedly promised to do something, and have then done nothing, thanks to scare stories about costs from their opponents. What, if anything, ...
  • Nonconformistradical
    @Jason Connor "There are still many developers sitting on so may empty properties so councils should be allowed to seize them for social housing if they are le...
  • Roland
    >” So pleased Mathew to see your comment about Kemi Badenoch” We shouldn’t forget the Conservatives lead the attacks on social services - deriding the...