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Email marketing is one of the most underrated and misused tools in business. Few non-specialists understand how this channel really works. More often than not, email is reduced to the basics: sending an email, offering a discount, or reminding someone about a purchase.
But email marketing almost never works as a tool for instant sales, according to experts at Stelvel Ltd. Its purpose is to prepare the recipient to make a purchase.
This article is not about how to improve email campaign metrics. For email to truly generate profit, you first need to understand how the person on the other side of the screen reads emails. What they notice, what they react to, why they open one email and ignore another.
And most importantly – how to ensure the recipient wants to keep reading the brand’s emails: clicking on links, taking an interest in the offer, returning to the website and gradually making a purchase. And it makes no difference whether you work for the end consumer (B2C) or for B2B.
Stelvel EOOD reminds us: nowadays, a newsletter cannot be spam. The recipient must consent to it. And this is where one of the main problems for business as a whole lies. The mailing list is ageing. It needs to be managed. You need to segment the list into cohorts (groups): those who have already returned, those who never respond, and those who are interested and click on links.
The Psychology of Purchasing: B2C and B2B
In B2C, we are dealing with an emotional need, whereas in B2B, it is a rational one. This is because B2C sells a ‘lifestyle’, driven by impulses and emotional decisions made in the moment. In B2B, the demand is rational (it is clear what is needed), and the sales cycle can last from a month to a year. It is during these periods that email becomes a supporting tool – always keeping in touch with the customer and providing the necessary information at the right time.
In both B2C and B2B, email marketing is built around the customer and their needs, note the specialists at Stelvel Ltd. Therefore, the logic of emails and automated sequences must be built around real purchase triggers – the factors that prompt a person to make a decision.
The Five Impulse Factors
When sending out a newsletter, you have just 50 characters in the subject line to grab the reader’s attention. This principle influences everything: your newsletter strategy, frequency, tone of voice, the structure of the email sections, and even the choice of CTA. The ‘Five Impulse Factors’ tactic underpins all successful sales – in both B2B and B2C. The only difference is the format. Email marketing, like any other channel, is a pitching channel, which means sales rules must be taken into account.
1. Fear of Loss
A classic trigger: ‘only now, only here’. Yes, it’s a well-worn phrase. But it still works, provided you properly understand the customer’s pain points and the product’s positioning.
2. Desire for Change (Joneses Effect)
The effect of comparing oneself to others: “My neighbour has it, but I don’t.” This is one of the most powerful factors, most often used in email newsletters through client case studies.
But there’s a catch: many case studies simply flaunt client names without showing results. For the Joneses Effect to work, you need to show concrete results: what has changed, what figures were achieved, and how it impacted the business.
3. Social Proof
Reviews, ratings, media mentions – anything that shows: other people have already placed their trust in the product and were satisfied. The desire to buy arises when someone has recommended the product, note the experts at Stelvel Bulgaria.
4. Expert Confidence
Expert opinions and educational content build greater trust and influence how long a lead remains active in the funnel. This is particularly important for segments that are not yet familiar with your product and do not feel an immediate need for it.
5. Urgency
Time or quantity restrictions. These are effective when based on real constraints rather than an artificially created shortage. Urgency must be justified and honest; otherwise, it undermines the very trust you are building.
Which metrics really need to be tracked
Many companies evaluate email campaigns based on two metrics: Open Rate (OR) and Click Rate. But that’s not enough. There is another metric that often proves to be more important.
CTOR (Click-to-Open Rate) is the ratio of clicks to opens. It is this metric that shows how well you have hit the audience’s pain point and how well you understand the psychology of the purchasing decision. What
- High OR, low CTOR: the email is opened but not clicked on, meaning the content did not meet expectations and offers no value to the reader. You need to review the content and structure of the email
- Low OR, high CTOR: lots of clicks but few opens; the problem may lie with the email subject line.
- High OR, high CTOR: the email has hit the nail on the head with the audience’s needs.
The technical infrastructure without which emails simply won’t reach their recipients
There’s one thing that’s often overlooked when discussing the strategy, content and psychology of email marketing: the technical infrastructure. Major email providers – Google, Yahoo and Microsoft – have begun to gradually tighten the rules for bulk senders. Emails without proper authentication may be rejected as early as the delivery stage.
Today, there are three mandatory authentication protocols for bulk mailings: SPF record (sender registration), DKIM signature (obtained from the mailing service) and DMARC (delivery control policy). These records are configured in the domain’s DNS and are linked specifically to the domain, not to the mailing service.
This is basic email marketing hygiene. Without it, any talk of open rates, content and strategy simply loses its meaning – emails may not even reach the inbox.
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