It’s obvious you’ve been using email effectively for quite some time. But let's face it, with everyone getting bombarded by emails left and right every day, you've got to find a way to make your messages pop.

This is where persuasive email copywriting comes into play.

At its heart, persuasive email copywriting is all about crafting messages that grab your subscribers by the collar, pull them in, and not-so-gently move them towards acting.

So, it's not just about rattling off facts or dishing out deals; the real deal happens when you connect with what your audience is feeling and wanting.

Everyone tells you that knowing your audience inside and out, along with the challenges they face daily, makes all the difference between success and failure.

What are their needs and aspirations? What problems can your product or service solve for them?

By predicting (some may say “controlling”) their feelings, and then weaving these questions into your email messages, you're more likely to hit a chord with your audience and see those conversions start rolling in.

The key to persuasive email copywriting is to highlight the benefits of your offer and not the features.

But benefits for the sake of benefits still fall flat.

The benefits you need to highlight are the ones that specifically satisfy the emotional needs your readers are feeling.

Getting a good grip on what makes people tick can really crank up the power of your email marketing efforts.

Diving into the mind's hidden gears, you've got a real shot at nudging folks in the direction you want. By playing it smart with psychological tricks, suddenly, decisions seem to lean your way without them even realizing why. It's all about making an invisible nudge here and there.

Diving into these psychological tricks, you can whip up email content that really clicks with people, making them feel something special.

And when they do?

They're much more likely to jump in and do what you want them to do.

First things first. Know this: I would never, ever, ever, spend $200 on a popcorn popper.

And yet that’s exactly what I did!

It all started a few weeks ago when a good friend was telling me about a company he had recently taken on as a new client. Their product was a stainless-steel stovetop popcorn popper. It’s the type that has a hand crank on the lid that you turn to keep the kernels from burning.

Now, I do like popcorn. A lot!

The smell of fresh-popping popcorn is one of two smells that always get my attention. (The other is bacon. But that’s another story.)

So, while I don’t have an emotional affinity for the product, I do have a strong one for what the product produces. Are you with me?

My friend starts giving me the whole story. It's a stainless-steel pot and they also sell these packets of pre-measured popcorn. It's healthy. They're not using vegetable oil, they're using healthy coconut oil.

He said that it’s about as close to real movie theater popcorn as you’re going to get without using the same popper they use in the theaters. (Of course, movie theater popcorn is the Holy Grail of all popcorn.)

Once he says, “tastes like movie theater popcorn,” he’s got my attention.

So, I go to their website just to see if it’s a legit product and how much it is.

Holy smokes! $200?! No way am I spending $200 for a popcorn popper!

I wouldn't spend more than 50 bucks, and even then, that's stretching it. I have a stove just as happy with my Joe Nameth popcorn popper that I got from Walmart. That I've been using for decades.

Later that evening I'm just surfing my Facebook feed like I usually do when I just want to waste time.

And wouldn't you know it?

My Facebook feed is now blowing up with this company's ads. It's like almost every fifth ad in my Facebook feed is from that company that's selling this popcorn popper. And it just keeps coming and it just keeps coming! The ads keep showing up again and again.

A week goes by, and I think to myself that they’re probably offering some deep discounts by now. Nobody spends $200 on a popcorn popper. So, I went back to their web site. I see that they’re running a special by knocking $30 off. But still, $170 is a lot to pay for a stove top popcorn popper.

Another week goes by, and my Facebook feed is still blowing up with their ads. I’m wondering if they’ve dropped their prices further. Surely, they’ve got boxes and boxes of popcorn poppers in their warehouse that they can’t sell.

So, I click on their ad in my Facebook feed, and I’m shocked by what I see. “SOLD OUT”.

Are you kidding me??

Now, the Fear of Missing Out gets a hold of me and won’t let go. I started obsessing about it. “What does everyone else know that I don’t? I missed out!”

At this point, I’m not even thinking about the price. I’ve got this hollow feeling in my stomach.

The logic of NOT paying $200 for a popcorn popper is long gone. The only thing that’s got me now is the emotional fear that I’ve missed out. Other people have seen something that I didn’t.

Another week goes by. Still my Facebook feed is blowing up with their ads. And now, my intellect has shifted.

I’m totally controlled by my emotions, so my intellect is now coming up with “logical” reasons why I SHOULD buy this popcorn popper. Stainless-steel is good for me. It’s healthier than the aluminum popcorn popper that I have. And it’s way healthier than microwave popcorn. Plus, it makes movie theater-style popcorn! I discussed it with my wife. She’s not as crazy about popcorn as I am. She’s more into healthy eating (not to say that popcorn is all that healthy). She at least agrees that stainless-steel is better than aluminum.

So, one day, just out of curiosity I click on their Facebook ad just to see if they’re still sold out.

The “SOLD OUT” isn’t on their web site any more.

Suddenly, I’m experiencing what is as close to an out-of-body experience as I’ve ever felt.

It's as if I'm seeing myself outside my body, and I’m watching myself pull my credit card out of my wallet and buy the popcorn popper. (Calm down. I'm just exaggerating for emphasis. 😊)

People are motivated by their emotions either towards something or away from something.

And the repulsion AWAY from something is by far the stronger of the two.

Most people aren’t motivated TOWARDS pleasure. They’re motivated AWAY from the pain.

And when people are motivated towards pleasure, usually it’s to escape pain.

That’s why most people would rather go to the doctor or take a pill than do what’s right to keep themselves in good health in the first place. I’m not judging. That’s just the way we are.

Ask yourself, what is the deeper emotion that could possibly motivate my Ideal Customer Profile?

What can I get them focused on so deeply that they aren’t even thinking about my product?

How might my product be the gateway through which the emotionally motivating force flows through to move my ICP either towards pleasure or away from pain.

Don’t just think of using a single email to get a sale. Use a series of emails. Test different emotions that move your readers either towards pleasure or away from pain.

The Fear of Missing Out is your knock-out punch. That’s the email where you put all your marbles.

The emails earlier in your sequence are all there just to build the emotional connection with the deeper benefits that your product is the gateway to. Send as many emails as it takes to keep building that connection.

Then, the end of the sequence is where you put your FOMO emails. You’ll have sales trickling in all through your sequence. And if you’ve successfully built the emotional connections, your biggest sales will come from your FOMO emails.

Start paying attention to your own emotions as you go through the buying process. I guarantee you that no matter how “logical” you might believe your decision is, there is a core emotion lying beneath the surface that’s driving everyone.