8 Psychology Techniques To Improve Email Campaigns

In a world where marketing is becoming increasingly competitive, it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. From branding and eye-catching designs to positioning and content, marketers are always trying to find ways to grab their target audience's attention.

To add to the difficulties, many consumers have inherent biases and assumptions about the information they absorb. To combat these tendencies and rise above the competition, savvy marketers apply psychology-backed tactics in their campaigns.

In this article, we look at 8 psychological techniques you can use to increase the success rate of your email campaigns.

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Personalization

According to eConsultancy, a whopping 74% of marketers agree that their overall customer engagement rate increases when campaigns are personalized. 

Personalizing your email campaigns is a very effective way to keep your customers interested in your product and encourage them to buy from you repeatedly. Further, it is a powerful way to show your customers that you actually care about their individual experiences with your company. 

For example, personalization can be done through the careful selection of the words used in the subject line or by using the recipient's name across the email. People are more inclined to read an email if they feel like the brand is talking to them personally. 

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Curiosity

Curiosity is a psychological technique used in email campaigns to pique interest and increase open rates. This is because when people notice a gap in their information, they are bound to explore the topic further to satisfy their curiosity. A great way to implement this in your email campaign is in the form of copy and imagery. You could open with a subject line that says, “Hey X! We’ve got a surprise for you 🎁” to get your audience to click on your email and explore your offering. 

You can also pique subscribers’ curiosity through the media you use in your campaign. An example of this in the e-commerce industry could be an upcoming product launch where you tease them with distorted images or a jigsaw puzzle of your new collection.

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Urgency

It's important to find a good balance between making people want to buy your product and making them feel uncomfortable. Creating a sense of urgency in your audience through scarcity or limited-time sales is a great way of boosting sales via your email campaign.

Another way in line with urgency to urge your subscribers to buy your product is to induce a feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out). This will compel them to purchase from you without pondering over the decision for long.

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Foot-in-the-door technique

A classic example of influencing buyer decisions is the foot-in-the-door technique. This method of persuasion involves making small requests to your audience and gradually increasing the ask after the previous requests have been accepted. 

You can start by making a small request such as asking for a review, downloading an ebook, or reading your latest blog. Slowly you will start preparing them for the big ask in the form of a pitch. This can be done by sharing previous testimonials, offering solutions to their pain points, and strong CTAs.

Finally, you can reinforce your pitch and offer something to your audience to increase your likelihood of driving a sale home.

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Storytelling

Marketing emails with a good story have proven to be much more successful than those with just straight content. People like stories, and it's hard to resist being drawn to a good one. The story not only makes the email more interesting and easier to read but also opens you up to a more personal and meaningful connection with your audience, which will have them paying attention to what it is you're trying to convey. 

A good story will keep your readers interested and feeling like they're a part of whatever you're selling. Whether it's a product or service, a story will give them a reason to care. There's a range of ways that you can make your story a good one. You can use a story from an everyday person, or a celebrity, or you can even share your brand story. 

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Simple solutions

Even if email campaigns enjoy a great open rate often, marketers can’t see it translate into the company's sales. Wondering why this happens? 

The answer is simple—you’re not simplifying the buying process for consumers.

Your potential customers need a solution to their pain points with the least amount of action possible. The less action they have to take, the more likely they are to choose your service or product. If you're able to accomplish this and reduce the stress of choice and never-ending clicks, you'll be one step closer to becoming the go-to brand in your niche!

You can implement this in your email campaigns by treating it like the FAQs section of your website—address the pain point immediately. While you’re at it, try to make your offering seem like the no-brainer solution.

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Social proof 

It can be tricky to convince people to purchase products or services that are new to the market or to get them to switch to buying from a different company than their existing solution. However, there are various ways to increase the chances of getting people to click on your website. 

People tend to be more likely to click a link in an email if they see that there are endorsements from other users or celebrities. This is an example of social proof. It's also helpful to have testimonials and reviews of the products you're advertising in your copy to increase their credibility and make it seem more trustworthy. For example, when promoting a new pain relief cream, people tend to be more likely to click a link in an email if they see that there are endorsements from other users or celebrities. This is an example of social proof. It's also helpful to have testimonials and reviews of the pain relief cream you're advertising in your copy to increase its credibility and make it seem more trustworthy.

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Color psychology

A crucial element that can ensure repeated successful email campaigns is the use of visuals. Using your brand colors throughout the email improves your brand recall and forges a strong relationship between you and your audience.

When incorporating attention-grabbing images into your email campaigns, try to use subdued background colors. Further, if your email design significantly uses colors that blend seamlessly, try to play with a CTA button that stands out to make it appear lively and encourage viewers to take action. Later, you can consider offering something unique in your emails that includes open edition prints and interesting posters to improve your emails’ visual representation.

While designing individual sections of your email, use analogous or complementary colors to create a pleasant flow. Alternatively, you can even use a conflicting color scheme to grab eyeballs!

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Boost your email campaigns with psychology

To cater to your target audience’s needs, you need to understand their complex behavior and what nudges them to make a purchase. By implementing tactics backed by psychology in your subject lines, copy and visuals, you can forge strong relationships with your subscribers and turn them into life-long customers.

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About the author:

Sanketee Kher (MA, I/O Psychology) is a freelance content writer. 

She specializes in writing for B2B SaaS and eCommerce companies looking to incorporate personality into their brands. She’s also written for leading job boards in India and the U.S.

When she isn’t crafting content for her clients, you can find her indulging in other creative pursuits. You can connect with Sanketee on LinkedIn.

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