Become a Better Email Copywriter By Eliciting an Emotional Response

New data suggests which emotions are most important while branding

How exactly are you targeting audience members with email newsletters and promotional email campaigns?

While life on the Internet constantly changes, the manner in which you communicate does not have to, especially if you are using the type of language that gets people to click and take action.

Back to the original question: how are you targeting audience members through email? What is the motivation behind your words?

Some marketers will tell you that offering discounts through email helps get opens. In a recent study from Chadwick Martin Bailey, 58% of respondents said they subscribe to email updates from businesses so they can receive discounts and special offers.

The Internet is filled with deals today, and that includes email inboxes. Although there is effectiveness with discounts and special offers, what happens when those methods aren’t working with your audience?

Some new data might provide the best answers.

[text_ad]

Branding through email campaigns

A new report from Creston Unlimited takes a look at the emotions involved with making purchases. During this research, eight dimensions were found to drive 83% of responses. These dimensions all have an emotional connection to audience members, so let’s take a look at the responses.

The most popular response, cited by nearly a quarter of the respondents, was “pleasure”. People want to be happy; they want to feel good about themselves, and for some people, products do aid in that process. Consider your own audiences, and your own life – do you see instances where the desire to be happy trumps the associated cost? Even in tough economic times, the need to be happy is present.

Here’s an excerpt from the report about pleasure: “In many cases it’s a relatively narrow brand promise – pleasures tend to be simple – but it’s a dimension with huge power to create affinity; an effect that’s redoubled at a time of doom, gloom and recession.”

The second dimension cited was “confidence”. The report defines this dimension as, “offering a choice that I can trust and feel safe with – functionally, socially and emotionally.”

The online community has the chance to make or break your reputation. Establishing confidence with your audience keeps your reputation in check, and creates the chance to gain more notoriety through word of mouth promotion.

Status is the next emotional connection. The report shows that there is a mix when it comes to status: for some, it’s about the external position they show to the world. People possessing luxury items get the chance to show others how well they are driving financially. In other cases, high-status products may be of superb quality, and the possessor gets the praise this internally.

Tied with status was responsibility, which focuses on the altruistic approach of doing good for others. In turn, the consumer feels good about doing the right thing.

What’s interesting about this study is that the concept of saving money is further down the list; only 7% of respondents cited it as a dimension.

Email marketers should try writing email subject lines and email body copy that caters to the emotions listed above.