7 Steps to More Persuasive Email Campaigns

My dad is very fond of the old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” The older and wiser I get, the more I realize he’s right. When I come across an outlandish claim, my first impulse is to say, “Oh yeah? Prove it!” I’m not just going to take some marketer’s word for it. Keep this in mind whenever you launch an email campaign, and make sure you offer the proof that will convince a potential customer to take the plunge.

Today’s consumers are bombarded with more advertising now than at any other time in history. Advertising through traditional media channels (TV, radio, and print ads) has expanded to pay-per-click ads and email marketing, both of which are quickly becoming the new norm for marketers. But consumers are savvier than ever and have grown increasingly wary of advertising–if it looks, sounds, or smells like an ad, they tune it out. So what’s an email marketer to do? How do you break through that wall of skepticism and reach potential customers?

Email campaigns are only as effective as their tone and content. Sales-y sounding emails get ignored; informational, conversational messages get results. The winning formula? Change your tone accordingly and offer them the proof they’re looking for. Here are seven ways you can make your email campaigns more persuasive:

1. Avoid meaningless superlatives. Insisting that your product or service is the best, greatest, or most effective may in fact be true, but to potential customers, this language sounds empty and meaningless. Instead of throwing in standard-issue descriptors, try to demonstrate why your product is so great with concrete examples or hard data (more about this later). If you do a good job, then you won’t need to say best, greatest, or most effective — it will already be patently obvious.
2. Eschew platitudes. Don’t just tell me that your product will solve all my problems or multiply my ROI. Consumers have become so skeptical that they simply don’t believe such claims at face value. Show me how it solves my problems (and you’d better know what those problems are, or run the risk of getting tuned out–more about this in a moment). Give me data that proves it will increase my ROI. If you can’t back up your claims with evidence, they become platitudes.
3. Know your audience. You should really know your audience, from their needs and wants to the kind of language they use. What are their problems? How can you offer solutions? Blanket emails targeted at generic problems are a turn-off because they suggest that you haven’t taken the time to really get to know your customers and their needs. Every customer wants to feel as if you understand them and their problems and have their best interests at heart. The bottom line is, you need to be able to convincingly express the value of your product in terms that apply specifically to that individual and his or her problems and needs.
4. Build a relationship. People tune out marketers, but they listen to friends and advisors. Don’t sound like you’re selling a product; offer helpful information that is convincing enough to make a sale on its own. Think about that guy Tom Shane (owner of The Shane Company) who comes on the radio talking about diamond engagement rings. His folksy, down-to-earth tone makes him sound like an old family friend, and as you listen to him talk about his passion for diamonds, you find yourself fully believing his reassuring tagline: “Now you have a friend in the diamond business.” You don’t feel like the guy’s trying to sell you diamonds; you’re convinced that he happens to be a trustworthy diamond expert that would be pleased to do business with you. Building rapport in this way is crucial to having successful contact with prospects. Once you’ve built a good relationship with a prospect, they will trust you to give them good advice, and conversion will be easier.
5. K.I.S.S. OK…”Keep it simple, stupid” sounds a bit harsh. Let’s revise this memorable acronym’s meaning to say, “Keep it simple and straightforward.” Prospects don’t want long-winded messages that seem to harbor an ulterior motive. They want a simple, straightforward message without a lot of marketing mumbo-jumbo. They don’t open your email thinking, “Wow, I wonder what the special offer could be?!” What they’re actually thinking is, “OK, what’s the catch?” It’s important to get right to the point and say what you mean. However…
6. Don’t insult their intelligence. Keep it simple and straightforward (see K.I.S.S., above), but always with the understanding that you and your prospect are on the same level intellectually. Don’t patronize or dumb down your message, and definitely don’t make blatantly exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims. Use the same conversational tone you would use with a respected friend or colleague, making sure to balance formality with familiarity.
7. Cut the hype. Your product or service should speak for itself. You shouldn’t have to hype it to potential buyers. Plus, consumers can see right through the hype, and more often than not, they interpret hypey advertising as a smokescreen for an insubstantial product. Think of those TV infomercials with the outrageous claims and over-the-top testimonials. The featured items come off more like bogus potions peddled by a snake oil salesman than quality products sold by a credible company. Is that the sort of impression you want prospects to get?

The cardinal rule of persuasive writing is being able to back up your argument with evidence. It follows that a successful marketer should be able to provide examples or data to support the claims they make. Ultimately, you want your emails to be persuasive enough to get a conversion, and the best way to persuade is to give ‘em the proof they’re looking for.