E-mails, which have taken the millennial landscape by storm, have become an essential means of communicating in our personal and professional lives. Emails, if used in the right way, can be a persuading tool that allows you to shape opinions, drive action, and cultivate relationships. In this article, I share 5 persuasive methods you can use to learn how to write persuasive emails.
1. Establish Credibility and Trust:
Credibility and trust should be built before you can convince your recipient.
Reputation: Before composing an email, it is extremely important to have a good reputation and credibility with the receiver. You can do that by posting valuable and useful content, keeping your word and demonstrating knowledge in your domain. By doing so, recipients are more likely to trust and appreciate your advice and suggestions.
Email customization: Customization is a way of establishing credibility with the recipient. Calling them by name, paying attention to their interests and re-writing to their needs can help you create a rapport and get them open to what you have to say.
Give social proof: Social proof is a great way to build credibility and trust. You can add testimonials, case studies or statistics from credible websites to support what you’re saying and boost the sender’s belief in your message.
Transparency and openness: Transparency and openness is key to establishing trust. Don’t make big promises or use manipulative behavior because it will not only undermine your credibility but it will also damage your relationship with the recipient.
2. Build a Clear and Convincing Value Proposition:
A value proposition is a point that describes how something is different and why someone should purchase it. That’s why a customer should purchase your product rather than your competitor. To make your emails stand out, you must establish a clear and compelling value proposition. These are a few ways to do this:
Value on the value: Your value proposition should revolve around the value the recipient will receive through your product or service. Don’t simply tell them it will solve their issue or solve their need.
Be specific: You need to be clear on what you have to offer. Numbers, stats, or testimonials can make your argument more compelling.
Use emotional language: When consumers feel an emotional connection to a product or service, they are more likely to respond. Use emotive language to convey to the recipient how your product will affect them.
Relevance: Your value proposition should speak directly to the receiver’s requirements and interests. Focus your content on what they’re struggling with and how you can assist them.
3. Leverage Psychological Triggers:
Create a sense of urgency: An emotional feeling of urgency can motivate the receiver to act. You can do this by putting out dates, running limited-time offers, or alerting them on what could happen if they make a decision later.
Appeal to emotions: Emotional appeals are very persuasive. By asking the receiver for their fears, wants, or values, you are in a better position to connect with them and inspire them to act.
Require reciprocity: The concept of reciprocity states that humans are more likely to comply with a request if they believe they’ve been reciprocated. Free resources, discounts, or favors can make the recipient more likely to open your email.
Maintain consistency: Consistency is the concept that humans are more likely to do something if it’s done in public or in writing. When you compel the recipient to commit to an item, such as agreeing to meet or sharing feedback, they are more likely to act on a bigger request.
4. Utilize Persuasive Writing Techniques:
Use persuasive writing for creating a compelling email. These techniques include:
Active voice rather than passive: Inactive voice delivers sharper, more concise sentences that draw the reader in and make your point.
Writing headlines: With an appealing subject line and title, you can get the reader to open the entire email.
Storytelling: Share stories, examples, or case studies to explain how your solution worked. Through narrative, you can appeal to the emotions of the reader, which leaves your message fresh and powerful.
5. Make a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA):
A CTA (call to action) is an important component of every email marketing campaign. It is the link or button that invites the reader to click through to a certain activity, such as purchasing a product, joining a newsletter, or downloading a document. You need to create an effective CTA to make your emails more persuasive. Here are some steps you can take to do this:
1. Use Action-Oriented Language
Your CTA words are simply a guide to what you want your audience to hear. Strong, active words beg for speed and energy. Hence, you should also use words that require immediate action: “Buy Now”, “Subscribe Today,” or “Download Your Free Guide.” This kind of language not only tells what the recipient is to do but also calls for swift action.
2. Make It Stand Out
Killer CTAs are well thought out in the first place. Don’t forget to make your CTA really stand out from the rest of your email. You can achieve this by using eye-catching colors, larger fonts or creating design elements such as buttons or icons. This should catch the recipient’s attention and tell them what to click next.
3. Keep It Simple
You may feel tempted to provide them with more data or several choices, but in the case of CTAs, you really are best served by simplicity. Keep your message succinct and focused on one simple action. Never make heavy use of words that would pummel the sender. The more direct and the more concise the CTA, the more comprehensible and followable your audience will be.
4. Place It Strategically
Your CTA placement matters as much as what it entails. Place it above the fold in a prominent location — that is, where the recipient does not need to scroll down to view it. This way the email opening will immediately attract a reader’s attention. Plus, make sure to put it multiple times – twice over the fold and twice at the bottom – to get the message home.
Conclusion:
Persuading emails are the perfect means to persuade, convert and establish relationships. If you build credibility and trust, make a strong value proposition, leverage psychological cues, use persuasive language, and include a call-to-action, your emails can become very persuasive. With these tactics, you’ll be able to convert your emails from mere newsletters into weapons of influence.
