Boost Email Response Rates by Appealing to the Basic Human Motivators
At the root of all needs, humans are motivated to action by
- Greed
- Fear
- Sex (aka "Love" or "Belonging")
- Self Esteem
If your email copy appeals effectively to one of these motivators, the response rate will be good.
If your email copy appeals effectively to two of these motivators, the response rate will be outstanding.
If your email copy appeals effectively to three of these motivators (which is hard to do), the response rate may break records.
For instance, if you're promoting solar-powered barbecuing, don't make the mistake of focusing on the barbecue's sturdy metallic features or your organization's 35 years of dedication to offering environmentally-friendly alternatives. Instead, focus your email copy on one or more of:
- Greed: $550 savings on charcoal and lighter fluid; $380 savings on propane
- Fear: reduced risk of cancer from toxins in charcoal; if you don't smoke, then why the heck would you use a charcoal barbecue?
- Sex (aka Love or Belonging): meet your neighbors by inviting them to a solar cookout; 6 marriages and counting. 6 of our customers met their kindred spirits by hosting a community solar cookout
- Self-Esteem: first on-the-block to own one; leader and role model among environmentally-conscious friends
By focusing on the basic human motivators, you'll avoid wasting words that lose readers before you start getting persuasive. The most common mistake is to write too much about yourself. Keep in mind, your readers don't care about you, except to the extent that you can help fulfill their needs. So, focus on your reader's needs first, followed by just enough about your organization for credibility.
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