Job Aid: Action Center Requests

Timing

Allow 10 business days for an action center request to be completed. We understand that last-minute needs come up and we will do our best to accommodate them, but please understand that we may be accommodating someone else’s last-minute request! Also please note that you can, and most often should, submit both your action request and your CEP email request at the same time. Please note in the Campaign Overview field that you have submitted a CEP email request so we can maximize efficiency of both parallel processes.

Escalation

If you have an urgent request with a tight turn-around time, please follow the protocol and submit your digital request form, indicating the appropriate level of urgency. We recommend that you then add Heather Layman (hlayman@tnc.org) and Legal Corporate Services (legalcs@tnc.org) as participants on the ticket and leave them a note about the urgency and timing.

To add a participant to your request ticket:

1. On the righthand side of the ticket, you will see a heading “Shared with” and below that “+ Share”. Click “+ Share.” 
2. Type in the name or email of the person you want to add. Once you have added Heather and Legal Corporate Services, they will be able to comment on the ticket and view comments left on the ticket. You can tag them in a comment and explain why you need the review to be expedited. 

As needed, Heather will work with the Global Digital team to expedite your request

How to Submit

When you have all the information you need, you can submit your ask through the Marketing Request Portal. Use the category “Content Requests > New action center page.” If you need guidance before submitting, please reach out using the “General question for Global Digital” category for logistical/technical support, or hlayman@tnc.org for content/strategy support

Information to Provide in Your Request (See example images on following pages)

1. Desired completion date. When do you want the form to go live? Please remember that action center pages should be requested 10 days or more in advance. 
2. Overview of Campaign and/or Context for Request. Here is where you can give us a general understanding of the broader campaign or the reasoning and timing behind this request. If this is part of a broader campaign, explain: 
   • what is the name of the campaign or initiative? 
   • what is its goal, and what audiences are being targeted? 
   • What metrics will be used to determine its success? 
   • What dates are associated with the campaign—launch, promotion, and sunset? 
   • What is the promotional plan for this campaign and/or content? 
   • Are there strategy documents associated with the campaign? If so, attach them or link to them. 
   • Who is the point of contact for the campaign? 
   • Are any external vendors involved with developing its strategy or assets? If so, name them. 
   • In this section you can also list if you would like the thermometer set at a value different than the default 10k. You can also indicate any additional fields you would like to have required or optional
3. To whom should the action be sent? Here you can indicate if this is a pledge (NOT sent to any officials) OR a letter to Congress, state legislator, or other officials. If the latter, select all who should receive the letter. Note that the “Other” option can be used to send action emails to state agencies or other government entities beyond your state’s governor or state legislators—as long as you can provide a destination email address here, the action emails can be sent anywhere needed to support your government relations strategy. 
4. Expiration date. Indicate when the action page should expire. Any date can be used as an expiration date, even if it’s far in the future, and it can be changed at any time. All action pages must have an expiration date so that they don’t continue to be live even after the action being promoted is no longer relevant.
5. Photo Caption/Credit. Make sure TNC has the necessary rights to use the image. If you are not sure, you can check with the Digital Asset Manager, Jessica Hoffman (jessica.hoffman@tnc.org). Include the credit and caption that should accompany the photo at the top of the action center page. Remember to upload the hero image photo in the attachments section at the bottom of the form. If TNC members are the primary audience for your action, keep in mind that landscape and wildlife images consistently perform best. 
6. Twitter Social Share Text. Provide text to appear on the twitter post generated when a supporter clicks the twitter share icon on the action center page. 
7. Petition Title. Provide a headline for the top of the page. 
8. Petition Introduction Text. The intro should explain what TNC is doing and why. Note: on mobile devices, the first part of the intro text is what will be displayed unless the user clicks on“read more.”
9. Petition Letter Subject Line. The heading on the right-hand side above the letter or pledge text. For actions that are sent directly to government officials, this is what appears as the subject line in their inbox—be sure it is concise and clearly conveys the policy action we want them to take. For pledges, explain specifically what action the individual is taking. (i.e. Sign the Letter; Sign your name to express your gratitude to the citizens of the Seychelles; Support Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI))
10. Petition Letter Text. Provide the exact text that the petitioner is signing or the text of the letter that will be sent to lawmakers/government officials.
11. Thank-You Page Header and Copy. After a user clicks SEND, a new page is displayed with a thank you message on the top followed by a donation form. Let us know if you want a specific header and message for the thank you section. You can choose to link back to information about the action in the thank you message. If you do not have a specific message you would like to use you can copy and paste the following: “Thank you for taking action for nature. You are helping protect our natural world by standing up and speaking out when nature needs you most. You can do even more to give the lands and waters we all treasure the ongoing support they need today, and every day of the year. Give a one-time or sustaining gift now to support The Nature Conservancy’s hands-on conservation work around the globe.” 
12. Autoresponder Email Copy (optional). You can choose to have an auto-responder email sent after an action is taken. If you want an autoresponder, you will need to provide copy for the email, an image for the header, and who is signing the email. 
13. TIP: Layout(not a request form field). In drafting your copy, consider keeping the introduction text relatively brief. It is best to try and keep the left and right sides of the form looking relatively even. See the image below for context. 
14. Attachments. Attach the primary (hero) image, any supporting campaign documents, and an image for the autoresponder (if including).