MARKETING

21 Ways to Promote Your Content Offers

Published

11 months ago

May 28, 2023

Content offers, like ebooks, can convert your existing traffic and even attract new traffic. However, if your ebook isn’t getting too many downloads or leads, your marketing might be the problem.

In order to be successful, your offer must be compelling enough that it practically begs users to opt-in. Read on to discover the best techniques for marketing your ebook, whitepaper, guide, or other lead-generating resource.

How To Write An Email

Use a professional email address.
Have a compelling subject line.
Start with an appropriate greeting.
Have a strong attention grabber.
Keep your message concise.
Be consistent with your font.
Check the tone of your message.
Write a simple closing.
Use a professional signature.
Practice email etiquette for each work situation.
Use CC and BCC fields wisely.
Schedule your emails.
Do a final spelling and grammar check.
Schedule a follow-up reminder.

1. Consider a co-marketing campaign.

Before you create your helpful content offer, consider if there’s any partnerships that you can leverage. Co-marketing provides an opportunity for cross-collaboration on content so that two parties “own” that content and benefit from it.

Here are some reasons why co-marketing is a good idea:

Sharing resources for the offer’s creation doubles the value of the content and diminishes the cost/effort of its production
Promoting to two networks increases the reach of the campaign exponentially
Both partners have vested interest in the results of the promotion because both reap the benefits (the leads generated from it)

Pro Tip: Look for partners that have similar audiences, values, and goals. If you are not aligned, neither party will receive the expected results of the collaboration.

2. Utilize industry influencers for their thought leadership and reach.

Whether you decide to do co-marketing or not, you can’t deny the power of influencer marketing. Think through your existing partnerships as well as other major players in the industries or social circles you want to reach.

Consider these thought leaders’ goals: finding relevant articles to share with their fan base, increase their reach, and further establish themselves as an authority.

You can appeal to these goals by featuring them in your content offer. For example, ask them for a quote that you can incorporate into your content offer or link to another article they wrote. When you finish the piece, send them a complimentary copy. I’d suggest telling them how much you’ve appreciated their expertise and that you were delighted to include them.

The key to this tactic is to make your personalized outreach unique and worth their while. After all, they likely get bombarded with messages asking them to share content.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to mention that you’ll be promoting the offer to your network. Because they’re featured in the content, this acts as an incentive for them to share your offer to their audience as well.

The key to this tactic is to make your personalized outreach unique and worth their while. After all, they likely get bombarded with messages asking them to share content.

3. Use email marketing to promote the ebook with your existing audience.

Admittedly, outreach is arduous. Don’t forget about the network you already have. Your email subscribers have already expressed interest in similar content offers, and if this new ebook continues to provide value for problems they need help with, this is another opportunity to continue engaging them.

As you continue to provide value, you’re establishing more credibility and authority in their eyes. As you stay top of mind in this way, you’ll be first on their list when they are ready to make a purchasing decision.

To achieve maximum success with this tactic, it helps to have a segmented audience so that you’re always providing relevant, timely, and personalized content.

You don’t want to email a specific ebook to your entire contact database because it probably doesn’t relate to all your contact lists. When you don’t segment emails, your engagement will be lower and your success will be diminished.

Here’s what I mean:

On one of your opt-in forms, you could have visitors identify what they need help with. For an inbound marketing agency, it might say, “What Does Your Business Want to Improve?” with options to select:

Grow our web presence
Rank higher on Google
Generate more leads

That way, if an ebook was created around SEO, it could be sent to all the subscribers who have already shown interest in ranking higher on Google.

Pro Tip: Use HubSpot’s free email marketing tools to create and optimize compelling email campaigns.

4. Create a compelling call-to-action.

Your website visitors will likely find out about your ebook through call-to-actions (CTAs), which is the part of a webpage that encourages users to take action.

In this case, that means clicking on a button, banner, or link that will take them to the landing page where they are able to learn more and download the content.

A poorly designed or placed CTA could be the thing that’s preventing your ebook from generating leads, so it’s important to invest the time in optimizing them.

To create a strong CTA, you’ll want to utilize the following:

Professional, yet bold design that stands out on the page
Active language
Short, yet specific messaging
A/B testing to determine what copy and design best resonates with your audience

Pro Tip: Use HubSpot’s call-to-action tool to create, test, and optimize engaging CTAs for your website.

5. Craft an engaging landing page.

Well designed landing pages are the key to getting conversions.

When users click on CTAs for your ebook, they will be directed to a landing page that will include additional details about the offer. It will also include a form that requires users to insert their contact information in exchange for the ebook.

Even if users make it to your landing page, it doesn’t guarantee a conversion. Your landing page must be engaging and communicate your offer’s value or else users will bounce. To avoid this, let’s go over some best practices:

Write a headline that focuses on the benefits of your offer
Include images that illustrate what to expect
Write active and compelling copy
Make the lead form visible and above the fold
Only ask for the information you need, like a name and email

Pro Tip: HubSpot’s free landing page builder has everything you need to quickly create and test a landing page for your ebook.

6. Promote your ebook on your highest trafficked (but still relevant) blog posts.

In addition to your other methods of promotion, you want to make sure that you’re converting organic traffic as well. But here’s the problem: A user can’t convert on a landing page they never land on. They can never be interested in a content offer they don’t know about.

Content offers aren’t an “If you build it, they will come” scenario. Instead, see how you can capitalize on the traffic you’re already getting for its promotion.

By putting the CTA (call to action) on new blog posts, all you’re doing is making a gamble. Mainly because you don’t know if that blog post will ever generate traffic. After all, it’s brand new.

However, you can put a CTA on an existing blog post that has proven success, pushing that ebook to a known source of demand.

Promote your offer on relevant blog posts that already get traffic to put your ebook in front of the audience you have.

Pro Tip: Routinely analyze blog post performance and update content to ensure your most visited posts don’t lose out on traffic.

7. Follow SEO best practices.

In order to increase your chances of organic traffic, all of your web content should be optimized for search engines — including ebooks and their landing pages.

Conduct keyword research with tools like Ahrefs to find the best keywords to include in your ebook’s title, meta-title, meta description, URL, and image alt texts.

Make sure you only use keywords that are relevant to the content of your ebook. Targeting irrelevant keywords may result in a penalty from Google. For example, if I was writing an ebook about “beekeeping for beginners”, I wouldn’t optimize for a keyword like “pollinator garden.” Even though users searching for beekeeping content may be interested in gardening, the two search terms have very different user intents.

Pro Tip: Learn more about SEO through HubSpot’s SEO certification course.

8. Create a PPC campaign to advertise your content offer.

If you know your content offer has a clear path to revenue, organic plays alone are not always the best route for promotion, especially if there is clear demand as people search for resources just like yours.

PPC is a quicker tactic than SEO. Plus, it’s a great way to promote not just your company and its services, but also campaigns and offers you create. A successful PPC campaign boosts visibility and downloads to your offer by driving high-intent users to the landing page.

Pro Tip: A/B test your PPC campaigns to increase CTR and conversions. Just a small adjustment to your ad’s title, description, or target keywords can make a huge impact on your results.

9. Announce your content offer on social media.

Email is a great tactic for promoting to an existing audience, and so is social media. An additional benefit is that social media promotion can reach beyond that existing audience much more easily.

Be sure to post on your social channels once your offer is live, conveying the value it contains for the reader and including an image to attract their attention. Mix these posts in with your other content so that your readers aren’t put off by too much promotional content.

Pro Tip: Use HubSpot’s free social media content calendar template to coordinate your promotional campaigns with ease.

10. Consider putting advertising budget behind it.

On some social channels (I’m looking at you, Facebook), organic reach isn’t what it used to be. Boosting posts helps to increase reach to both your followers and beyond. Alternatively, you can also create an ad that promotes your ebook and do paid promotion to a targeted audience.

Just keep in mind that people don’t browse social media with buying intent, so you’ll have to ensure that the offers you promote and the way you promote them piques interest and conveys value. Otherwise, they’ll just see it as an ad and scroll on past.

Pro Tip: You can manage all your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google ad campaigns in one place by using HubSpot’s ads software.

11. Promote your ebook before launching.

Pre-launch marketing campaigns can help build excitement for your ebook while it is in the final stages of production. Plus, they can give you an idea of how interested your existing audience is in the content.

Here are some ways you can promote your ebook before it launches:

Reveal the cover and title of the ebook
Publish a short snippet to get readers hooked
Write a quick summary of the ebook and what users will gain from it

With each pre-launch campaign, you’ll want to include a link to a landing page that communicates all the details of your ebook and allows users to pre-order it.

Pro Tip: Include a special offer, like a discount code or exclusive content, to users who sign up for your ebook in advance.

12. Repurpose your content into different formats.

The first time they see your post, they may not click and convert right away. Like with anything, it can take multiple “impressions” to attract attention and pique interest. At the same time, if you continue posting the same thing over and over, your content gets stale.

Enter repurposing.

Your ebook can easily be turned into a slideshare, infographic, quiz, or other format. By having multiple “versions” of your content for promotion, your ebook can go farther while getting more eyeballs on it.

Pro Tip: HubSpot Academy repurposing content course is a great resource on how recycling content can benefit your ebook marketing strategy.

13. Create related video content.

In addition to repurposing your ebook into written content, consider creating companion videos as well. Not only do most people prefer watching videos over reading, you may reach new audiences on video apps like TikTok and YouTube that you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to on other channels.

Although video marketing may seem intimidating or time consuming, it’s worth the investment. In fact, 92% of video marketers in 2023 said that video gives them a positive ROI. As video becomes more widespread, it will be essential to include it in your marketing strategy.

Think carefully about how your ebook will translate into video format. Write an outline of the key points from each chapter you want to discuss, then develop your script. Because of the visual component of the video, your script doesn’t need to be too in-depth. Instead, opt for writing a script that is clear, concise, and conversational.

Pro Tip: Short form videos (under three minutes) have higher ROI, lead generation, and engagement compared to long form videos, videographics, webinars, and livestreams. Consider making a multi-part video series, rather than cramming your entire ebook into a single video.

14. Connect with niche readers on social media.

Look on Twitter and LinkedIn for users that have been sharing similar content to what you have created. Just by searching on Twitter for #inboundmarketing, I can see who is sharing inbound marketing blogs, guides, and resources. Plus, I can see who is getting the biggest reach in terms of likes and retweets.

Reach out to these individuals with a simple message that encapsulates “Hey! I saw you shared [this article] and I thought you might like [this related content offer]”. This way you know that the individual is probably interested in what you’re writing because they’ve been interested in similar content before.

This tactic might not work as well as the influencer tactic in tip #3 since you’re not providing mutual value, but many of these individuals spend a lot of time curating content for their audience, and you might just be helping them out.

Pro Tip: When connecting with niche readers, personalize each message so you don’t come across as spammy.

15. Submit to a content community or online group.

Chances are, search engines and their social feeds are not the only places your audience hangs out. If your ebook contains specialized or niche information, you might be able to target these niches through content communities and online groups. For example:

Niche Facebook groups
Niche LinkedIn groups
Reddit
Quora
Slack groups
NextDoor neighborhoods
Industry forums

For example, if you’re a roofer in St. Louis, join your community group on NextDoor.com and offer your content there. When your neighborhood gets hit by a hailstorm, your infographic on “Assessing Storm Damage as a Homeowner” can come in handy to the community’s residents.

Pro Tip: Content communities are also a great resource for getting feedback, starting discussion, and sharing your passion for your services with others.

16. Find other linking opportunities.

Using tools like Ahrefs, you can see other websites who have linked to content like yours. Reach out to them with your content offer link and see if they want to include a link to your resource. I find that this is most helpful when you can find a broken link that your new link can replace. Webmasters generally appreciate when someone lets them know of a problem with their website links, and if you can provide a link to replace the broken one, it might get placed.

Alternatively, use a tool like BuzzSumo or Mention.net to find mentions of your company online. You’ll be able to see who has mentioned you or your content offer and determine whether they have linked back to you or not. If they haven’t included your link, reach out to that website and explain it might provide their readers a better experience if they could find the article that is being mentioned.

Pro Tip: If you’re looking for more backlink opportunities, I highly recommend Backlinko’s resource on backlinks to find other places you could get a link from!

17. Guest blog on popular websites with your ebook as CTA.

You may also have an opportunity to capitalize on a third party website’s organic traffic and promotions through guest blogging. If your buyer persona goes to a popular website that provides solutions to the problems they’re experiencing, your content offer should be there too (as long as it’s similarly relevant and helpful, of course).

Once you nail down which websites your buyer persona is reading to get information, see if these websites offer the opportunity for industry leaders to guest blog. Some websites will require an application or an article proposal, but once you get accepted blogging for one website, it becomes much easier to get accepted on other websites.

At the conclusion of the article, use your ebook as a next step CTA so if a reader finishes the article and wants more information, your content offer is there.

Pro Tip: When you write your articles, keep them educational and don’t self-promote. Remember, you’re trying to help the reader solve a problem with your expertise and industry knowledge.

18. Set up podcast interviews.

Getting interviewed on a popular podcast can be a great way to gain exposure for your ebook. Try reaching out to podcasts with large audiences, and offer to be a guest on their show and talk about your expertise.

Like guest posting, you’ll want to narrow your focus on contacting podcasts that are both relevant to your ebook’s subject matter and buyer persona. For example, a financial advisor who wrote an ebook on how to save for a down payment on a house would want to reach out to a podcast that focuses on financial advice.

When preparing for your interview, take inspiration from the information listed on your landing page to create talking points and focus on the things your buyer persona will benefit from by reading your ebook.

Pro Tip: Make sure you provide the podcast producer with a link to your landing page to put in the show’s description so listeners are able to easily access your ebook.

19. Speak at industry conferences.

Do you attend any annual conferences that are unique to your industry? Consider applying to be a speaker at it.

Think about your knowledge and unique perspectives in your subject area and how sharing your expertise would be valuable to your buyer persona. Then, use those big picture ideas to create a speech to present at the conference.

While your presentation shouldn’t be focused on advertising your ebook, you’ll likely be able to plug it at the end.

Pro Tip: Speakers are usually able to attend the rest of the conference for free. Use that access to your advantage and network with others in your industry.

20. Publish a printed version.

Believe it or not, there are still people out there who prefer print media over digital media. So, why not meet them where they are and publish a printed version of your ebook?

A small batch of physical copies is probably all you need, since most people will opt to download the ebook instead. Still, the printed versions are great to have for when you go to networking events and want to build better relationships with other professionals.

Pro Tip: If you extra printed copies of your book, consider doing a giveaway on your social media accounts.

21. Give your ebook away for free.

As we’ve already discussed, ebooks are a fantastic way to generate leads — especially if you offer them for free.

People will need to submit their contact information in order to receive their copy of the ebook, whether or not they have to pay for it. When collecting their information, you can also include a field that allows them to subscribe to your email list.

Then, once you have their details on file, your sales reps can nurture and convert them into paying customers down the road.

Pro Tip: Preview your ebook’s first couple chapters on your landing page in order to entice them to download the whole thing.

Content that just sits on your website can’t properly do its job and bring in leads. But worry not, by using these promotion tips you’ll see a little bit of extra effort can really take a content offer from zero to hero.

If you’re interested in creating attractive ebooks that capture attention and bring more leads to your business, check out the FREE resource below (see what we did there?).

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Related Topics:Content Offers promote seo Ways

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Streamlining Processes for Increased Efficiency and Results

Published

5 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Streamlining Processes for Increased Efficiency and Results

How can businesses succeed nowadays when technology rules? With competition getting tougher and customers changing their preferences often, it’s a challenge. But using marketing automation can help make things easier and get better results. And in the future, it’s going to be even more important for all kinds of businesses.

So, let’s discuss how businesses can leverage marketing automation to stay ahead and thrive.

Benefits of automation marketing automation to boost your efforts

First, let’s explore the benefits of marketing automation to supercharge your efforts:

Marketing automation simplifies repetitive tasks, saving time and effort.

With automated workflows, processes become more efficient, leading to better productivity. For instance, automation not only streamlines tasks like email campaigns but also optimizes website speed, ensuring a seamless user experience. A faster website not only enhances customer satisfaction but also positively impacts search engine rankings, driving more organic traffic and ultimately boosting conversions.

Automation allows for precise targeting, reaching the right audience with personalized messages.

With automated workflows, processes become more efficient, leading to better productivity. A great example of automated workflow is Pipedrive & WhatsApp Integration in which an automated welcome message pops up on their WhatsApp

within seconds once a potential customer expresses interest in your business.

Increases ROI

By optimizing campaigns and reducing manual labor, automation can significantly improve return on investment.

Leveraging automation enables businesses to scale their marketing efforts effectively, driving growth and success. Additionally, incorporating lead scoring into automated marketing processes can streamline the identification of high-potential prospects, further optimizing resource allocation and maximizing conversion rates.

Harnessing the power of marketing automation can revolutionize your marketing strategy, leading to increased efficiency, higher returns, and sustainable growth in today’s competitive market. So, why wait? Start automating your marketing efforts today and propel your business to new heights, moreover if you have just learned ways on how to create an online business

How marketing automation can simplify operations and increase efficiency

Understanding the Change

Marketing automation has evolved significantly over time, from basic email marketing campaigns to sophisticated platforms that can manage entire marketing strategies. This progress has been fueled by advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, making automation smarter and more adaptable.

One of the main reasons for this shift is the vast amount of data available to marketers today. From understanding customer demographics to analyzing behavior, the sheer volume of data is staggering. Marketing automation platforms use this data to create highly personalized and targeted campaigns, allowing businesses to connect with their audience on a deeper level.

The Emergence of AI-Powered Automation

In the future, AI-powered automation will play an even bigger role in marketing strategies. AI algorithms can analyze huge amounts of data in real-time, helping marketers identify trends, predict consumer behavior, and optimize campaigns as they go. This agility and responsiveness are crucial in today’s fast-moving digital world, where opportunities come and go in the blink of an eye. For example, we’re witnessing the rise of AI-based tools from AI website builders, to AI logo generators and even more, showing that we’re competing with time and efficiency.

Combining AI-powered automation with WordPress management services streamlines marketing efforts, enabling quick adaptation to changing trends and efficient management of online presence.

Moreover, AI can take care of routine tasks like content creation, scheduling, and testing, giving marketers more time to focus on strategic activities. By automating these repetitive tasks, businesses can work more efficiently, leading to better outcomes. AI can create social media ads tailored to specific demographics and preferences, ensuring that the content resonates with the target audience. With the help of an AI ad maker tool, businesses can efficiently produce high-quality advertisements that drive engagement and conversions across various social media platforms.

Personalization on a Large Scale

Personalization has always been important in marketing, and automation is making it possible on a larger scale. By using AI and machine learning, marketers can create tailored experiences for each customer based on their preferences, behaviors, and past interactions with the brand.

This level of personalization not only boosts customer satisfaction but also increases engagement and loyalty. When consumers feel understood and valued, they are more likely to become loyal customers and brand advocates. As automation technology continues to evolve, we can expect personalization to become even more advanced, enabling businesses to forge deeper connections with their audience. As your company has tiny homes for sale California, personalized experiences will ensure each customer finds their perfect fit, fostering lasting connections.

Integration Across Channels

Another trend shaping the future of marketing automation is the integration of multiple channels into a cohesive strategy. Today’s consumers interact with brands across various touchpoints, from social media and email to websites and mobile apps. Marketing automation platforms that can seamlessly integrate these channels and deliver consistent messaging will have a competitive edge. When creating a comparison website it’s important to ensure that the platform effectively aggregates data from diverse sources and presents it in a user-friendly manner, empowering consumers to make informed decisions.

Omni-channel integration not only betters the customer experience but also provides marketers with a comprehensive view of the customer journey. By tracking interactions across channels, businesses can gain valuable insights into how consumers engage with their brand, allowing them to refine their marketing strategies for maximum impact. Lastly, integrating SEO services into omni-channel strategies boosts visibility and helps businesses better understand and engage with their customers across different platforms.

The Human Element

While automation offers many benefits, it’s crucial not to overlook the human aspect of marketing. Despite advances in AI and machine learning, there are still elements of marketing that require human creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking.

Successful marketing automation strikes a balance between technology and human expertise. By using automation to handle routine tasks and data analysis, marketers can focus on what they do best – storytelling, building relationships, and driving innovation.

Conclusion

The future of marketing automation looks promising, offering improved efficiency and results for businesses of all sizes.

As AI continues to advance and consumer expectations change, automation will play an increasingly vital role in keeping businesses competitive.

By embracing automation technologies, marketers can simplify processes, deliver more personalized experiences, and ultimately, achieve their business goals more effectively than ever before.

MARKETING

Will Google Buy HubSpot? | Content Marketing Institute

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

Why Marketers Should Care About Google’s Potential HubSpot Acquisition

Google + HubSpot. Is it a thing?

This week, a flurry of news came down about Google’s consideration of purchasing HubSpot.

The prospect dismayed some. It delighted others.

But is it likely? Is it even possible? What would it mean for marketers? What does the consideration even mean for marketers?

Well, we asked CMI’s chief strategy advisor, Robert Rose, for his take. Watch this video or read on:

Why Alphabet may want HubSpot

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, apparently is contemplating the acquisition of inbound marketing giant HubSpot.

The potential price could be in the range of $30 billion to $40 billion. That would make Alphabet’s largest acquisition by far. The current deal holding that title happened in 2011 when it acquired Motorola Mobility for more than $12 billion. It later sold it to Lenovo for less than $3 billion.

If the HubSpot deal happens, it would not be in character with what the classic evil villain has been doing for the past 20 years.

At first glance, you might think the deal would make no sense. Why would Google want to spend three times as much as it’s ever spent to get into the inbound marketing — the CRM and marketing automation business?

At a second glance, it makes a ton of sense.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I and others at CMI spend a lot of time discussing privacy, owned media, and the deprecation of the third-party cookie. I just talked about it two weeks ago. It’s really happening.

All that oxygen being sucked out of the ad tech space presents a compelling case that Alphabet should diversify from third-party data and classic surveillance-based marketing.

Yes, this potential acquisition is about data. HubSpot would give Alphabet the keys to the kingdom of 205,000 business customers — and their customers’ data that almost certainly numbers in the tens of millions. Alphabet would also gain access to the content, marketing, and sales information those customers consumed.

Conversely, the deal would provide an immediate tip of the spear for HubSpot clients to create more targeted programs in the Alphabet ecosystem and upload their data to drive even more personalized experiences on their own properties and connect them to the Google Workspace infrastructure.

When you add in the idea of Gemini, you can start to see how Google might monetize its generative AI tool beyond figuring out how to use it on ads on search results pages.

What acquisition could mean for HubSpot customers

I may be stretching here but imagine this world. As a Hubspoogle customer, you can access an interface that prioritizes your owned media data (e.g., your website, your e-commerce catalog, blog) when Google’s Gemini answers a question).

Recent reports also say Google may put up a paywall around the new premium features of its artificial intelligence-powered Search Generative Experience. Imagine this as the new gating for marketing. In other words, users can subscribe to Google’s AI for free, but Hubspoogle customers can access that data and use it to create targeted offers.

The acquisition of HubSpot would immediately make Google Workspace a more robust competitor to Microsoft 365 Office for small- and medium-sized businesses as they would receive the ADDED capability of inbound marketing.

But in the world of rented land where Google is the landlord, the government will take notice of the acquisition. But — and it’s a big but, I cannot lie (yes, I just did that). The big but is whether this acquisition dance can happen without going afoul of regulatory issues.

Some analysts say it should be no problem. Others say, “Yeah, it wouldn’t go.” Either way, would anybody touch it in an election year? That’s a whole other story.

What marketers should realize

So, what’s my takeaway?

It’s a remote chance that Google will jump on this hard, but stranger things have happened. It would be an exciting disruption in the market.

The sure bet is this. The acquisition conversation — as if you needed more data points — says getting good at owned media to attract and build audiences and using that first-party data to provide better communication and collaboration with your customers are a must.

It’s just a matter of time until Google makes a move. They might just be testing the waters now, but they will move here. But no matter what they do, if you have your customer data house in order, you’ll be primed for success.

Want more content marketing tips, insights, and examples? Subscribe to workday or weekly emails from CMI.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

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5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails

Welcome to Creator Columns, where we bring expert HubSpot Creator voices to the Blogs that inspire and help you grow better.

I’ve tested 100s of psychological tactics on my email subscribers. In this blog, I reveal the five tactics that actually work.

You’ll learn about the email tactic that got one marketer a job at the White House.

You’ll learn how I doubled my 5 star reviews with one email, and why one strange email from Barack Obama broke all records for donations.

5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails

Imagine writing an email that’s so effective it lands you a job at the White House.

Well, that’s what happened to Maya Shankar, a PhD cognitive neuroscientist. In 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs asked her to help increase signups in their veteran benefit scheme.

Maya had a plan. She was well aware of a cognitive bias that affects us all—the endowment effect. This bias suggests that people value items higher if they own them. So, she changed the subject line in the Veterans’ enrollment email.

Previously it read:

Veterans, you’re eligible for the benefit program. Sign up today.

She tweaked one word, changing it to:

Veterans, you’ve earned the benefits program. Sign up today.

This tiny tweak had a big impact. The amount of veterans enrolling in the program went up by 9%. And Maya landed a job working at the White House

Boost participation email graphic

Inspired by these psychological tweaks to emails, I started to run my own tests.

Alongside my podcast Nudge, I’ve run 100s of email tests on my 1,000s of newsletter subscribers.

Here are the five best tactics I’ve uncovered.

1. Show readers what they’re missing.

Nobel prize winning behavioral scientists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky uncovered a principle called loss aversion.

Loss aversion means that losses feel more painful than equivalent gains. In real-world terms, losing $10 feels worse than how gaining $10 feels good. And I wondered if this simple nudge could help increase the number of my podcast listeners.

For my test, I tweaked the subject line of the email announcing an episode. The control read:

“Listen to this one”

In the loss aversion variant it read:

“Don’t miss this one”

It is very subtle loss aversion. Rather than asking someone to listen, I’m saying they shouldn’t miss out. And it worked. It increased the open rate by 13.3% and the click rate by 12.5%. Plus, it was a small change that cost me nothing at all.

Growth mindset email analytics

2. People follow the crowd.

In general, humans like to follow the masses. When picking a dish, we’ll often opt for the most popular. When choosing a movie to watch, we tend to pick the box office hit. It’s a well-known psychological bias called social proof.

I’ve always wondered if it works for emails. So, I set up an A/B experiment with two subject lines. Both promoted my show, but one contained social proof.

The control read: New Nudge: Why Brands Should Flaunt Their Flaws

The social proof variant read: New Nudge: Why Brands Should Flaunt Their Flaws (100,000 Downloads)

I hoped that by highlighting the episode’s high number of downloads, I’d encourage more people to listen. Fortunately, it worked.

The open rate went from 22% to 28% for the social proof version, and the click rate, (the number of people actually listening to the episode), doubled.

3. Praise loyal subscribers.

The consistency principle suggests that people are likely to stick to behaviours they’ve previously taken. A retired taxi driver won’t swap his car for a bike. A hairdresser won’t change to a cheap shampoo. We like to stay consistent with our past behaviors.

I decided to test this in an email.

For my test, I attempted to encourage my subscribers to leave a review for my podcast. I sent emails to 400 subscribers who had been following the show for a year.

The control read: “Could you leave a review for Nudge?”

The consistency variant read: “You’ve been following Nudge for 12 months, could you leave a review?”

My hypothesis was simple. If I remind people that they’ve consistently supported the show they’ll be more likely to leave a review.

It worked.

The open rate on the consistency version of the email was 7% higher.

But more importantly, the click rate, (the number of people who actually left a review), was almost 2x higher for the consistency version. Merely telling people they’d been a fan for a while doubled my reviews.

4. Showcase scarcity.

We prefer scarce resources. Taylor Swift gigs sell out in seconds not just because she’s popular, but because her tickets are hard to come by.

Swifties aren’t the first to experience this. Back in 1975, three researchers proved how powerful scarcity is. For the study, the researchers occupied a cafe. On alternating weeks they’d make one small change in the cafe.

On some weeks they’d ensure the cookie jar was full.

On other weeks they’d ensure the cookie jar only contained two cookies (never more or less).

In other words, sometimes the cookies looked abundantly available. Sometimes they looked like they were almost out.

This changed behaviour. Customers who saw the two cookie jar bought 43% more cookies than those who saw the full jar.

It sounds too good to be true, so I tested it for myself.

I sent an email to 260 subscribers offering free access to my Science of Marketing course for one day only.

In the control, the subject line read: “Free access to the Science of Marketing course”

For the scarcity variant it read: “Only Today: Get free access to the Science of Marketing Course | Only one enrol per person.”

130 people received the first email, 130 received the second. And the result was almost as good as the cookie finding. The scarcity version had a 15.1% higher open rate.

Email A/B test results

5. Spark curiosity.

All of the email tips I’ve shared have only been tested on my relatively small audience. So, I thought I’d end with a tip that was tested on the masses.

Back in 2012, Barack Obama and his campaign team sent hundreds of emails to raise funds for his campaign.

Of the $690 million he raised, most came from direct email appeals. But there was one email, according to ABC news, that was far more effective than the rest. And it was an odd one.

The email that drew in the most cash, had a strange subject line. It simply said “Hey.”

The actual email asked the reader to donate, sharing all the expected reasons, but the subject line was different.

It sparked curiosity, it got people wondering, is Obama saying Hey just to me?

Readers were curious and couldn’t help but open the email. According to ABC it was “the most effective pitch of all.”

Because more people opened, it raised more money than any other email. The bias Obama used here is the curiosity gap. We’re more likely to act on something when our curiosity is piqued.

Email example

Loss aversion, social proof, consistency, scarcity and curiosity—all these nudges have helped me improve my emails. And I reckon they’ll work for you.

It’s not guaranteed of course. Many might fail. But running some simple a/b tests for your emails is cost free, so why not try it out?

This blog is part of Phill Agnew’s Marketing Cheat Sheet series where he reveals the scientifically proven tips to help you improve your marketing. To learn more, listen to his podcast Nudge, a proud member of the Hubspot Podcast Network.