What does Yam have to do with Email Copywriting? Three Steps to Infuse Empathy in Your Email Campaigns
I was at the market to buy yams recently.
For context, here in Nigeria, it’s way past yam season which means they are more expensive now.
I was craving so I didn’t mind the price. Before I got out of the house, I made up my mind to buy 5 tubers.
To help with my budget, I also decided to compare the prices of different sellers.
Well, comparing prices isn’t so straightforward.
And it’s awkward pricing yams stall after stall.
But I did it anyway and settled on a particular seller.
I didn’t buy her produce because it was the best price.
I bought them because she empathized with me. When I complained that her price didn’t fit into my budget, she offered me a discount.
She tried to understand where I was coming from and that changed everything….
And this is the role empathy plays in email copywriting.
When an email is empathetic, it meets the contact halfway depending on what level of their buyer’s journey they are on.
Empathy-driven emails focus on the buyer while marketing your product, services, or organization.
I know this is easier said than done, so I put together three ways you can infuse empathy into your email campaign.
1. Research
I’m sure you’re rolling your eyes now. I mean, it’s cliche, right? When are copywriters not telling people to research?!
Funny but true, a copy is as good as how much its writer knows. And the only way the writer can know is to research.
One plus one equals two. It’s that simple.
To meet your contacts halfway on their buyer’s journeys you have to know what level they are at.
Research here includes interviews, focus groups, knowing how the customer sees you, what makes them tick, and so on.
2. Feature their stories
You’ve heard of the wonders of User Generated Content but how are you using it in your emails?
People believe people. People believe in people. They don’t trust brands.
At first, our relationship with a brand is sketchy.
So, to show your contacts that your product has solved a problem they have, you share a success story.
An example is an email campaign for a delivery company. One email send could tell the story of how Customer A saved the day with a birthday cake delivered on time.
Of course, to get stories like this you have to speak with your customers which circles back to RESEARCH!!.
3. Remember you’re in for the long haul
There are wild success stories about email marketing.
There is one captured in the pictures below —
But these successes come at some cost, part of which is time.
It’s a marathon and only patience will get you the results you’re reading in those case studies.
Strategic patience, of course.
Some contacts might be sold on the first email they receive and others not until their 40th.
Either way, the contacts are all important.
Keeping in mind that you’re doing this for the long haul will make it easier for you to maintain momentum.
Empathy is such a buzzword.
But knowing how to use it in your email marketing campaign is crucial to success.
It makes it easier for your contacts to trust you. And it differentiates email campaigns that the people love or hate.
