Key points.

Send small emails that people can add their own content to.

Have a database. Postal mail, direct mail has bigger de-duping mail issues. e-mails work better.

For email, you need a good tool to send out bulk emails. Outlook just doesn't do it.

Constant contact was mentioned as a good tool.

Make sure your emails will look good to people that are just scanning them. Get people to click.

Make sure your emails are actionable. Please forward this email. Please visit our site. Please contact your legislators.

Also, send 'Relationship building' emails.

Don't make your emails always, "We need you to..." They will tune out. Don't send too many emails, they will just tune out.

Using emails that talk about something in their backyard. It communicates that you know about them and care about them. (Using geolocation to target people)

Be sure to followup afterwards.

Focusing on getting good technology, included a pointer to CivicSpace.

Internet activists are different from traditional activists. They might not become donors or volunteers immediately, however, you can slowly, virally, bring people in. Write things that will appeal to people who are only marginally interested, and slowly bring them in.

This also means that you need to start early and build up.

Make sure you have good proof reading.

A brief demo at Mass Equality

There is probably no 100% solution. Mass Equality has a custom built solution. It is a nice looking system that pulls out data about Representatives for targetted emails.

There was a brief discussion about Geocoding. I would like to point out GeoCoder.US as a free geocoding system

Email to fax gateways that people use, MaxEmail, innoport.com and j2.com.

Getting emails out, targetted by district is very important and successful. It establishes connections between legislators and constituents, which can be mutually beneficial.

It is important to pace things out, and keep things coming at a regular schedule, as opposed to all at once (with the caveat of when their is a crisis).

The importance of 'Fail Forward'. Even if you don't win a particular vote, you get bigger and stronger for the next battle. How do you use the battles of today to build for the next battle?

Think about the unfolding story from one email to the next?

You aren't going to get more people by bossing them around. You are going to get more people by helping them find their voice. Some lobbiests worry about getting out organizied.

In terms of your data, be sure to keep track of the source of the data. e.g. A person who signed a post card are different from what you get for people signing up online.

For more information, contact Robert DeBenedictis robert -at- LobbyDay -dot- com and Jeremy Pittman JeremyPittman -at- MassEquality -dot- org