The power of 1
Written by Katie test davis
It’s overwhelming out there, these days, eh? A flood of news. Constant notifications. According to recent health data from OnePoll, we’re all feeling overworked and exhausted.
So as changemakers, how do we break through the tired and overwhelmed in order to move our work forward?
The answer is simple:
One.
Make One Ask
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve given clients feedback that their social media post or email has “too many calls to action”. When an email newsletter, donor letter or social media post has too many topics or too many options, it can lead our readers to freeze and take NO actions.
To move your audiences to action, simplify. Pick one single ask and repeat it throughout your communication.
For example, if you’re sending out a newsletter to update your donors on your progress, don’t include multiple ways to donate in one email (ie: Be a legacy donor! Be a monthly donor! Donate $5 now!). Instead select just one (Become a monthly donor!) and stick with that. Repeat that one single call to action in your outreach.
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Feature One Person
When crafting your story, choose one person to focus on and dive into what drives them emotionally. Our brains relate best to characters versus other elements of the story, so bring them to life and focus on what makes them tick.
Resist the urge to discuss the scope of the problem you’re tackling at the expense of your main character. Research shows people feel the strongest, most compassionate feelings towards a single person. In this study, participants gave less money and reported less compassion or sympathy when told about a larger group of people — and even when told about just two people — than when hearing a story about only one.
Propose One Solution
Naming a specific solution to a policy challenge — one that is actionable and imaginable — allows your supporters to feel a sense of action and hope.
Eliminating school shootings? Start with identifying a single specific action that you want to see policymakers take, such as supporting extreme risk laws, also known as red flag laws. Then, as Everytown does, name why: “Extreme Risk laws can de-escalate emergency situations.”
Will red flag laws alone prevent every school shooting? No, of course not. But does it give legislators an action item? Absolutely. Does it give supporters something to latch on to? Yup. Does it make the problem seem smaller, and like there’s a pathway to change our reality? Sure does.
In times of overwhelm: simplify.
Pare back, boil down.
We’re rooting for you, friend. I know this is a hard time to be doing the work we do, and your contributions are critical.
PS - Pair the simplicity of one with the power of repetition. Our audiences need to hear something seven times before they remember it.
