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Text-based messaging, for all its brevity and convenience, can be a cold and impersonal method of communication. How do you strike a balance between clarity and warmth, between precision and engagement? Keep in mind that real people with real emotions receive your correspondence; reminding them of your humanity encourages them to engage in a more meaningful way. With our newsletter editor, your office can easily add engaging features like images, videos and emojis to ensure your correspondence makes a lasting impact on your constituents.

Emojis

Though they emerged as a trend for texting teenagers, emojis have great potential to instill emotion into more serious forms of communication. By adding emojis into shorter forms of text, you can cut length without sacrificing personal connection. An emoji can insert feelings into an email that could seem stiff.

But don’t overdo it. Too many or obscure emojis could undermine your credibility as a serious communicator and cause confusion about your intended tone. Emojis are most effective when used sparingly and deliberately, so it’s best to limit yourself to one or two of the universally-recognized ones.

Images

A strategically placed image catches the eye and draws your audience into a story. Images are easier for the brain to process, so people are often drawn to them first over plain text. They have great potential to grab attention and provoke emotion. Images or informational graphics in your newsletters can engage your constituents around important issues, so we prioritized images in our message editor tool. Adding and editing them is simple and can be done right in the editor.

To learn more about the image editor, take a look at this post.

Videos

Videos, like images, can increase engagement, especially with younger audiences. If you search for a how-to topic, would you choose the lengthy article or the brief explanatory video? Often, constituents prefer video because it delivers information in a shorter and more digestible manner. The brain absorbs visual content 60,000 times faster than written content, so videos save the viewer time and mental strain.

However, video doesn’t only benefit those on the receiving end. The brain processes videos similarly to face-to-face interaction, personalizing the viewer’s connection to the content. A deeper emotional connection to your message has the potential to spark meaningful engagement with your office’s constituents.

Want a comprehensive overview of Fireside’s message builder features? Take a look at our product update to learn more about creating effective messages to connect with your constituents.