WP_Query Object ( [query] => Array ( [name] => emailing-capitol-hill [post_type] => resources [resource-type] => blog ) [query_vars] => Array ( [name] => emailing-capitol-hill [post_type] => resources [resource-type] => blog [error] => [m] => [p] => 0 [post_parent] => [subpost] => [subpost_id] => [attachment] => [attachment_id] => 0 [pagename] => [page_id] => 0 [second] => [minute] => [hour] => [day] => 0 [monthnum] => 0 [year] => 0 [w] => 0 [category_name] => [tag] => [cat] => [tag_id] => [author] => [author_name] => [feed] => [tb] => [paged] => 0 [meta_key] => [meta_value] => [preview] => [s] => [sentence] => [title] => [fields] => [menu_order] => [embed] => [category__in] => Array ( ) [category__not_in] => Array ( ) [category__and] => Array ( ) [post__in] => Array ( ) [post__not_in] => Array ( ) [post_name__in] => Array ( ) [tag__in] => Array ( ) [tag__not_in] => Array ( ) [tag__and] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__in] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__and] => Array ( ) [post_parent__in] => Array ( ) [post_parent__not_in] => Array ( ) [author__in] => Array ( ) [author__not_in] => Array ( ) [ignore_sticky_posts] => [suppress_filters] => [cache_results] => 1 [update_post_term_cache] => 1 [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1 [update_post_meta_cache] => 1 [posts_per_page] => 10 [nopaging] => [comments_per_page] => 50 [no_found_rows] => [order] => DESC ) [tax_query] => [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( ) [relation] => [meta_table] => [meta_id_column] => [primary_table] => [primary_id_column] => [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( ) [clauses:protected] => Array ( ) [has_or_relation:protected] => ) [date_query] => [queried_object] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1690 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2017-10-08 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-08 00:00:00 [post_content] => Hill offices are inundated with more than 200 million emails and letters each year, making it challenging for legislators and their staff to read and respond to every letter. If you are looking to contact a Member of Congress, you need to make sure your email is personalized and relevant to their office. Here are some tried and tested tips to keep in mind the next time you email a Member or staffer on the Hill.

Use BCC Sparingly

Using BCC to send mass emails has limitations—add more than 25 recipients in the BCC field and your message could be flagged as spam by House and Senate mail servers. In addition, legislative staff is far less likely to prioritize emails that are sent to “undisclosed recipients.”

Try Mail Merge

Having to send multiple emails and copying and pasting the body for each message is a hassle. Instead, use a mail merge to ensure your message is delivered to the correct recipient without wasting time and by avoiding the risk of spam filters. Both Gmail and Outlook have mail-merge functions, or you can use a mail merge platform like MailChimp or Quorum.

Make It Personal

Your message is one of the hundreds of emails Members and staffers receive each day. With a limited number of staffers to handle the correspondence, it’s imperative that you cut through the noise by personalizing your messages. It goes without saying that if you have a personal relationship with staff members or legislators you should be emailing them personally and not through a mail merge. For others, you should personalize your mail merges with their names and titles, and use a conversational tone so it does not read like a cold, impersonal email blast.

Keep It Short

Too many advocates fall into the trap of sending lengthy emails that staff don’t have the time or desire to read. Keep your email short and conversational. Instead of including endless paragraphs of information, summarize your key points in a sentence or two and include a link to a detailed document explaining your position or issue.

Track Your Opens

Using a service like bit.ly to generate short links helps track how many times your link is being clicked. If you have some time and are short on cash, create individual bit.ly links for each contact you plan on emailing and add them to a spreadsheet to track individual open rates. Platforms like Mailchimp and Quorum automatically track clicks and provide detailed open reports, saving you time and frustration.

Be Helpful

The majority of emails Hill offices receive are asking for an action, whether it be to support a bill, to speak at an engagement, or to schedule a meeting. When a message comes through that doesn’t include an ask, but rather offers a piece of information that helps them do their job, it will stand out. Better yet, sharing useful content, such as policy updates, keeps your name fresh in their inbox, establishes you as an industry or policy expert, and helps build relationships. It’s okay to ask for things sparingly, but you will find more value in positioning yourself as a trusted resource, and Hill offices will as well.

Send in Moderation

With so many messages flooding congressional inboxes, make sure that your correspondence is not overwhelming legislators. Consistent communication is important, but only when it is specifically tied to your organization’s work or issues.

Invest in a Platform

If you’ve developed personal relationships across the Hill and need to effectively and efficiently communicate with your contacts and track their interactions, or are short on time and patience for mail merges, it’s time to invest in a platform. You should look for a comprehensive solution that provides a contact management database, easily customizable templates, robust reporting, and most importantly, is user friendly. [post_title] => Eight Tips for Emailing Capitol Hill [post_excerpt] => Hill offices are inundated with more than 200 million emails and letters each year, making it challenging for legislators and their staff to read and respond to every letter. If you are looking to contact a Member of Congress, you need to make sure your email is personalized. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => emailing-capitol-hill [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-06-01 18:35:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-06-01 18:35:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://marketing-staging.quorum.us/resources/emailing-capitol-hill/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => resources [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [queried_object_id] => 1690 [request] => SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_name = 'emailing-capitol-hill' AND wp_posts.post_type = 'resources' ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC [posts] => Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1690 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2017-10-08 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-08 00:00:00 [post_content] => Hill offices are inundated with more than 200 million emails and letters each year, making it challenging for legislators and their staff to read and respond to every letter. If you are looking to contact a Member of Congress, you need to make sure your email is personalized and relevant to their office. Here are some tried and tested tips to keep in mind the next time you email a Member or staffer on the Hill.

Use BCC Sparingly

Using BCC to send mass emails has limitations—add more than 25 recipients in the BCC field and your message could be flagged as spam by House and Senate mail servers. In addition, legislative staff is far less likely to prioritize emails that are sent to “undisclosed recipients.”

Try Mail Merge

Having to send multiple emails and copying and pasting the body for each message is a hassle. Instead, use a mail merge to ensure your message is delivered to the correct recipient without wasting time and by avoiding the risk of spam filters. Both Gmail and Outlook have mail-merge functions, or you can use a mail merge platform like MailChimp or Quorum.

Make It Personal

Your message is one of the hundreds of emails Members and staffers receive each day. With a limited number of staffers to handle the correspondence, it’s imperative that you cut through the noise by personalizing your messages. It goes without saying that if you have a personal relationship with staff members or legislators you should be emailing them personally and not through a mail merge. For others, you should personalize your mail merges with their names and titles, and use a conversational tone so it does not read like a cold, impersonal email blast.

Keep It Short

Too many advocates fall into the trap of sending lengthy emails that staff don’t have the time or desire to read. Keep your email short and conversational. Instead of including endless paragraphs of information, summarize your key points in a sentence or two and include a link to a detailed document explaining your position or issue.

Track Your Opens

Using a service like bit.ly to generate short links helps track how many times your link is being clicked. If you have some time and are short on cash, create individual bit.ly links for each contact you plan on emailing and add them to a spreadsheet to track individual open rates. Platforms like Mailchimp and Quorum automatically track clicks and provide detailed open reports, saving you time and frustration.

Be Helpful

The majority of emails Hill offices receive are asking for an action, whether it be to support a bill, to speak at an engagement, or to schedule a meeting. When a message comes through that doesn’t include an ask, but rather offers a piece of information that helps them do their job, it will stand out. Better yet, sharing useful content, such as policy updates, keeps your name fresh in their inbox, establishes you as an industry or policy expert, and helps build relationships. It’s okay to ask for things sparingly, but you will find more value in positioning yourself as a trusted resource, and Hill offices will as well.

Send in Moderation

With so many messages flooding congressional inboxes, make sure that your correspondence is not overwhelming legislators. Consistent communication is important, but only when it is specifically tied to your organization’s work or issues.

Invest in a Platform

If you’ve developed personal relationships across the Hill and need to effectively and efficiently communicate with your contacts and track their interactions, or are short on time and patience for mail merges, it’s time to invest in a platform. You should look for a comprehensive solution that provides a contact management database, easily customizable templates, robust reporting, and most importantly, is user friendly. [post_title] => Eight Tips for Emailing Capitol Hill [post_excerpt] => Hill offices are inundated with more than 200 million emails and letters each year, making it challenging for legislators and their staff to read and respond to every letter. If you are looking to contact a Member of Congress, you need to make sure your email is personalized. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => emailing-capitol-hill [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-06-01 18:35:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-06-01 18:35:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://marketing-staging.quorum.us/resources/emailing-capitol-hill/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => resources [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 1 [current_post] => -1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1690 [post_author] => 1 [post_date] => 2017-10-08 00:00:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2017-10-08 00:00:00 [post_content] => Hill offices are inundated with more than 200 million emails and letters each year, making it challenging for legislators and their staff to read and respond to every letter. If you are looking to contact a Member of Congress, you need to make sure your email is personalized and relevant to their office. Here are some tried and tested tips to keep in mind the next time you email a Member or staffer on the Hill.

Use BCC Sparingly

Using BCC to send mass emails has limitations—add more than 25 recipients in the BCC field and your message could be flagged as spam by House and Senate mail servers. In addition, legislative staff is far less likely to prioritize emails that are sent to “undisclosed recipients.”

Try Mail Merge

Having to send multiple emails and copying and pasting the body for each message is a hassle. Instead, use a mail merge to ensure your message is delivered to the correct recipient without wasting time and by avoiding the risk of spam filters. Both Gmail and Outlook have mail-merge functions, or you can use a mail merge platform like MailChimp or Quorum.

Make It Personal

Your message is one of the hundreds of emails Members and staffers receive each day. With a limited number of staffers to handle the correspondence, it’s imperative that you cut through the noise by personalizing your messages. It goes without saying that if you have a personal relationship with staff members or legislators you should be emailing them personally and not through a mail merge. For others, you should personalize your mail merges with their names and titles, and use a conversational tone so it does not read like a cold, impersonal email blast.

Keep It Short

Too many advocates fall into the trap of sending lengthy emails that staff don’t have the time or desire to read. Keep your email short and conversational. Instead of including endless paragraphs of information, summarize your key points in a sentence or two and include a link to a detailed document explaining your position or issue.

Track Your Opens

Using a service like bit.ly to generate short links helps track how many times your link is being clicked. If you have some time and are short on cash, create individual bit.ly links for each contact you plan on emailing and add them to a spreadsheet to track individual open rates. Platforms like Mailchimp and Quorum automatically track clicks and provide detailed open reports, saving you time and frustration.

Be Helpful

The majority of emails Hill offices receive are asking for an action, whether it be to support a bill, to speak at an engagement, or to schedule a meeting. When a message comes through that doesn’t include an ask, but rather offers a piece of information that helps them do their job, it will stand out. Better yet, sharing useful content, such as policy updates, keeps your name fresh in their inbox, establishes you as an industry or policy expert, and helps build relationships. It’s okay to ask for things sparingly, but you will find more value in positioning yourself as a trusted resource, and Hill offices will as well.

Send in Moderation

With so many messages flooding congressional inboxes, make sure that your correspondence is not overwhelming legislators. Consistent communication is important, but only when it is specifically tied to your organization’s work or issues.

Invest in a Platform

If you’ve developed personal relationships across the Hill and need to effectively and efficiently communicate with your contacts and track their interactions, or are short on time and patience for mail merges, it’s time to invest in a platform. You should look for a comprehensive solution that provides a contact management database, easily customizable templates, robust reporting, and most importantly, is user friendly. [post_title] => Eight Tips for Emailing Capitol Hill [post_excerpt] => Hill offices are inundated with more than 200 million emails and letters each year, making it challenging for legislators and their staff to read and respond to every letter. If you are looking to contact a Member of Congress, you need to make sure your email is personalized. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => emailing-capitol-hill [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2020-06-01 18:35:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2020-06-01 18:35:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://marketing-staging.quorum.us/resources/emailing-capitol-hill/ [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => resources [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 1 [max_num_pages] => 0 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => 1 [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => 1 [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 0936ca86fc390823134fb8614da0870a [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) )

!!! 1690