We read emails to gain something. Whether it's to find products, deals, entertainment, or education. And in turn, emails are always trying to push something. Whether immediately or long-term, there’s always a goal in sight. We know it and so does the audience. Emails have to stay interesting and avoid repetition to keep hold of people’s attention, otherwise, they’ll gradually lose interest and simply stop reading them. 

To help with this, brands would benefit from humanising their relationship with their audience - by giving them something as well as advertising their wares. In short, they need to get creative with ways to engage people’s attention by offering additional value. 

With accessibility and reading ease in mind, wordier emails should be avoided. So we need to find more creative ways of engaging people for the long term. Anecdotally, the average human attention span is a measly 8.25 seconds (down from 12 seconds in previous years). By contrast, the average cat’s is 15 minutes. 

In terms of emails, this means people are likely to get bored easier - and if this is the case we have to interest people within the first 8 seconds or they’re going to move on. 

Product and sale-based emails can become repetitive and boring fast… Especially if people receive an email from a brand that is always product or sale-based - simply because they’ll know what to expect. The last thing you want is for someone to know what your email is gonna say before they open it - because if they’re not in the mood they simply won’t. 

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So, what else should you provide them?

With human relationships, those that are exclusively transactional don’t function as well as ones that are rewarding. Therefore it’s important to build brand identity and have something to offer alongside your product to provide this additional reward - that way people will be already genuinely interested before they open your email. 

Most people aren’t going to buy something new each week, never mind 3 times a week. This will make people more likely to ignore emails from brands they know are just going to be pushing products each time. 

On the other hand, if you knew an email was going to bring something else to the table, you’d be more inclined to take a look. Which is why offering value-led extras is essential. 

Consumers show similar emotions in relationships in brands as they do with other humans. Seeing a brand share its views and interests will undoubtedly improve people’s perception and perceived familiarity, as it does in social situations. 

The brand and customer relationship functions well when echoing these human-like interactions, distancing the relationship from its transactional nature and offering a more complex connection. Nutrition Geeks nail it, providing extra info on self-care that doesn’t directly link to their brand but suggests they’ve got your best interests at heart.

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Is there any proof? 

Can I back up my baseless accusations? I hear you ask. Why yes, I can. A study in 2021 showed that 84% of consumers were more loyal to brands that aligns with their values, suggesting that as with human relationships, we’re drawn to those that we have stuff in common with. As Julie Thompson succinctly puts it, “if you want to maintain consumer brand loyalty, you must provide value to your customers”. 

But remember, less is more… Don’t overload a customer’s inbox with content relating to their interests. It’ll become quite clear your intentions are exclusively transactional. Imagine someone you’d just met was bombarding you with recommendations, it could feel a bit much.

Julie goes on to discuss how brand loyalty requires more listing and less haste; instead of making quick decisions based on daily reports, use the data to anticipate your customer’s needs and wants. Additionally, optimise customer service… Replicating human interaction requires exactly that, interaction. Having reliable communication when needed will greatly improve any relationship, digital or otherwise. 

Lastly, Julie suggests offering incentives to help build trust exponentially. Successful human interaction involves being helpful to each other, whether it’s simply having a chat or doing a favour. Though not exactly the same, things like free shipping can have a similar impact in replicating this.

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And in practice?

People will want to read emails more if they know something of interest is in there, as well as products. Even if it just gets people thinking and talking about the brand more. After all, if a brand can connect with one individual, then if this individual likes the brand enough they are more likely to tell a friend (someone we can assume would also share similar views and interests). 

No one's gonna tell their friend they got another generic email about jackets for example, whereas they’d be much more likely to mention something cool they saw or something interesting they learned. In this way, brands can market via word of mouth by piquing customer interest through added value. Not only would this encourage email signup, it would also get people talking. 

Lazy Oaf’s ‘Digital Distractions’ has no link to their clothing outside of the obvious pop culture references, but it taps into the interests of their demographic - internet obscurity. These emails do exactly what they say on the tin, but they also sneak in some promo too without it being blatantly forced and tiresome. 

Brands can also share valuable insights that are intrinsic to their products. Insights from within the specific domain they exist within can be of equal value, if done right. Outdoor brand Klattermüsen for example shares insights into expedition experiences. Thus positioning themselves as being in the loop within their field, as well as making it clear that they are as passionate as their customers.

This not only makes them seem like a reliable source of knowledge but also positions their product ahead of others in the field by suggesting they care more about whatever it is they are doing than others who don’t discuss similar things.

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To wrap up

Put simply, email retention will stagnate if you become predictable and people will simply lose interest. Providing extra value is crucial for building long-term human-like relationships with customers by emphasising their mutual interest and connection, echoing the way we perceive our own relationships with other people. Compared to other brands in the same spaces that don’t do this, do they do better? In the short term, not necessarily. 

But it undoubtedly encourages email signups, helps retain customers and maintains a deeper interest in the brand. Cultivating this deeper connection is crucial for a brand’s longevity and distinguishes between having mere customers, or dedicated fans. Ultimately, this would help a brand grow over time and develop a strong following of genuinely interested and involved people who share - or at least think they share - a strong connection with your brand.

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