Hi Rabbi [LAST_NAME GOES HERE],

More than half of your donors will read your emails on their phone.

(And that’s a conservative guess.)

Which means an email that looks perfectly fine on a computer isn’t a “well done” email unless it ALSO reads well on a phone.

On a phone:

• Your subject line will get cut off sooner (so it needs to be tighter)
• “Short” paragraphs will still take up the full screen, so they need to be even shorter
• The “concise” (for a desktop) message still requires scrolling, scrolling, and more scrolling

The good news is you can fix a lot of this at the writing stage. And because so many people check their inbox from their phones, you should. And here’s how.

When writing emails for phones…

1. Shorten subject lines: You have 30-40 characters before the line cuts off, so don’t bury the lede.

2. Prune paragraphs: A paragraph that looks reasonable on a desktop can become enormous on a phone. Three sentences can fill the entire screen.

Instead of, “Awesome Org works with families across the country who are raising children with special needs and often feel isolated or unsupported.”

Break it up.

Raising a child with special needs can feel isolating.

Awesome Org makes sure families are never alone.

Each line gets its own breath, and the reader stays with you.

3. Optimize opening lines: Mobile readers skim quickly. If the key message is buried three paragraphs in, many readers won’t reach it. Lead with what matters.

Follow this order: Hook → Key message → Short explanation (only if necessary) → CTA

4. Structure your CTA: Links buried inside sentences are easy to miss on mobile. A thumb moves fast, and small tap targets get skipped.

Instead of, “If you’d like to support our work you can donate here.”

Try: Help a child feel included today.

With a big [Donate now] button

A large, easy-to-see button on its own line is hard to miss.

The golden rule of writing for mobile devices?

Write less, say more, and make every tap easy.

Luckily for you, most of these adjustments take minutes. But they change whether your message lands, or gets lost in the scroll.

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