Updated: April 25, 2023

2 Comments

6 Psychological Triggers to Turn Email Subscribers Into Customers

Table of Contents

It’s not uncommon to hear business owners say that they need to increase traffic to boost their revenue. And while increasing traffic is, indeed, a way to make more money, it might not be the most efficient way. Instead of focusing so much on web traffic, business owners should also look at their conversion rate.

For instance, if you’re getting 1,000 subscribers per month but only 10 are making a purchase, it could take a while to write and promote more content to bump your subscriber count to 2,000 just to get an extra 10 sales per month.

If you want to choose the best email marketing platforms out there, you should definitely check our comprehensive article out: 20+ Best Email Marketing Services

Instead of writing more content or spending money on ads, consider building a more efficient sales funnel and converting existing subscribers. As you’ve probably heard before, it’s easier to retain customers than to acquire new ones.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at 6 psychological triggers to help you turn email subscribers into customers.

What Are Psychological Triggers?

Psychological triggers are effective tools to build a reciprocating email list and generate leads that will eventually become actual customers. These triggers work on an emotional level, triggering thoughts or ideas from readers without them even realizing it.

Psychological triggers elicit positive feelings from the reader by appealing to their desires. By understanding what’s important to your subscribers, you can make your email more relevant to them and eventually turn email subscribers into customers.

6 Psychological Triggers to Turn Email Subscribers Into Customers

Now that we understand what psychological triggers are, we can go over some ways you can use them in your email marketing strategy.

However, email marketing tools like WordPress email marketing plugins and other SAAS and software can play a role in the success of your campaign as well.

Touch on Their Pain Points

Most people who visit your website and subscribe to your email list do so to find a solution to a problem that’s causing them pain.

For example, someone reading a guide on how to increase website speed is most likely concerned that their slow website is affecting their Google SEO and sales.

To touch on this person’s pain points, you could mention how Google uses page experience signals, such as loading speed and mobile-friendliness, as ranking factors.

You could also include statistics about site speed. For instance, mention how 53% of visitors leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load and how a one-second delay in mobile load times can reduce conversion rates by up to 20%.

After touching on their pain points, you want to present your product or service as a solution to their problem. Let them know that you understand their struggle and can take them where they want to be.

Create Scarcity and Urgency

Imagine if a place like Starbucks announced that they would be closing all of their stores tomorrow. The lines at the stores would get crazy long in a matter of minutes.

Scarcity makes us perceive limited quantities as more precious and valuable, which is why marketers have been using this technique for several years.

Making people feel as if they’re about to miss out on something or lose a great opportunity is a powerful way to increase sales. Not surprisingly, at least 56% of us are experiencing active FOMO (fear of missing out), which is why we are so addicted to things like social media.

How you create scarcity and urgency depends on your product or service.

For example, if you’re a course creator, you could create scarcity by only opening course enrollment twice a year and creating a waitlist for those who are interested. If you’re a fitness coach, you could run a summer weight loss challenge. If you’re selling products, you could introduce a limited-time bonus or discount.

Create Curiosity

Remember the last time someone came to you to tell you something and then went ahead and said, “never mind?” Didn’t that kill you a little on the inside and left you wondering what they were going to say?

Well, whenever someone finds a gap between what they know and what they don’t, they’ll end up with an urge to discover what they’re missing. This is why you want to use this technique when promoting products or services.

A good way to create curiosity is by showing case studies of customers who have achieved their goals with your product. This will leave subscribers wondering what you’re doing to help others and if you’ll be able to do the same for them.

Another great place you could use this psychological trigger is in your email subject line. For example, you could ask something like, “You’ll never believe what happened when I did this… ” or “I was about to make the biggest mistake in my business… until I tried this.”

Coming up with compelling email subject lines and blog post headlines that create curiosity can sometimes be tough. Luckily, some AI copywriting software can help with this by quickly generating several subject lines and headlines based on your specified criteria.

Show Them the Benefits

New business owners tend to overwhelm their subscribers with all of their product features. And while you need to list your product’s features, you don’t want them to be the focus of your marketing.

Instead, focus on the benefits your product provides. Show your subscribers how their lives will improve with your product. Remember, people are looking for a solution to their problems.

For example, let’s say you have a fitness business and sell a program that includes a meal plan and workout routine. Chances are, whoever is looking at your program knows that they need a good meal and workout plan to get fit.

Instead of just telling them that your program includes those things, tell them how it will help them feel more energized, make their skin look healthier, reduce stress levels, and tone their body so they don’t end up with flabby arms.

Show Social Proof

Social proof is the concept that people will follow the action of the masses. The idea that if everyone’s using your product, it must mean that it’s cool.

According to data gathered by Statista, about 70% of online shoppers read between 1-6 customer reviews before making a purchasing decision.

Therefore, don’t shy away from asking your customers for testimonials so you can place them on your website.

If your customers are willing to do a video testimonial, even better. These tend to show more authenticity and trustworthiness by putting a human face behind the review. Plus, they are excellent at conveying emotion and are visually interesting.

A good way to get customers to do a video testimonial is to offer them a bonus or maybe a small gift card in return.

If you’re a new business owner without any customers yet, you could go on Facebook groups, forums, and tell your friends that you’ll give them your product for free (or a free trial) in exchange for a testimonial.

Another technique to show social proof is to display quotes from experts and adding the logos of companies where you've been featured.

Two of the most popular ways to get these are by replying to journalists on platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO) or by writing guest posts for different publications.

However, you do not want to use fake testimonials. Not only can they damage your reputation, but it’s also illegal, and people could report you to the federal trade commission.

Needless to say, reviews and testimonials are a great way to get customers to do your marketing for you.

Build a Connection

Don’t be afraid to share some personal stories and connect with your subscribers. People are tired of bigger companies not listening to their needs and only caring about getting their customers’ money.

When you open up and connect with your audience, they’ll be more likely to purchase from you and show support. Chances are, several companies are selling the same things you are, but your likeability is what can make your products stand out and make people want to buy from you instead.

If your email subscribers feel like they know and trust you, then it’s going to be easier for them to buy from you, which will lead to a boost in ROI. And while building a connection isn’t difficult when we meet someone in person, email can make this more challenging.

That’s why it’s extremely important that you master copywriting or use an AI tool like Jarvis to write human-like and high-converting emails for you.

Social media platforms are also an excellent way to let subscribers have a more personal look at your life and allow them to quickly connect with you.

So make sure that you’re taking advantage of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Run live video streams, share stories in your captions, and reply quickly to comments left by your followers.

Let Psychology Do the Work

One of the most important aspects of successful email marketing is using psychological triggers to convert email subscribers into customers.

A good way to do this is by showing case studies, asking curiosity-inducing questions in your email subject lines or blog post headlines, and building a connection with your audience through personal stories that show them how you can make their lives better.

If all of these sound intimidating for you as an email marketer, don't worry! I promise that applying these techniques is easier than it looks.

Which one of these psychological triggers have you used before? Let us know in the comments below!

PRV POST

NXT POST