Lamps
Plus sends me an email every day - sometimes two. It doesn't really work for me.
I
understand why they do it, research shows that sending more emails increases
impressions even if open rates drop. (Taurins,
2016)
On the
other hand 26% of respondents in a different survey said the reason they
unsubscribe is - you guessed it - too many emails. (Nelsen, 2017)
Putting
that aside for a moment, since they run such frequent emails, Lamp Plus is
using a variety of persuasive techniques in their subject lines. Here are some of the ones they have sent me
in the past couple of weeks...
1.
Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon
2.
Relax in Style! Outdoor Furniture Event Begins
3. New
Markdown Added Today
4.
Don't miss out on the best deals of the week
5.
There's more to love! Personalized picks for you.
6. 48
Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns.
7. New
and On Sale! Fall Sneak Peeks!
Which
Cialdini techniques are they using for each of these lines? When they have used a technique more than
once, which headline do you find more effective and why? Do any of them make you
want to buy something? What do you think
of daily promotional emails? Would you
prefer more or less frequency? What else
would make you more likely to respond?
Taurins,
K. (2016, July 27) How frequently should
you send out your email campaigns? mailigen.com. Retrieved September 4, 2018, from https://www.mailigen.com/blog/frequently-send-email-campaigns/
7 comments:
1. Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon: Scarcity
2. Relax in Style! Outdoor Furniture Event Begins: Liking
3. New Markdown Added Today: Reciprocity
4. Don't miss out on the best deals of the week: Scarcity
5. There's more to love! Personalized picks for you: Commitment and Consistency
6. 48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns: Scarcity
7. New and On Sale! Fall Sneak Peeks!: Commitment and Consistency
The one technique that stood out was scarcity and the headline that called my attention is “48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns.” This headline caught my attention because it gives you an exact deadline and is basically telling you if you don’t buy during this time frame you won’t be able to receive these deals. I always get these emails from Best Buy that have a similar headline and every single time I feel encouraged to see what they are offering. Amazon also has a similar technique. Amazon has a tab on the app which says, “Deals of the Day” In this tab they display multiple items and under each item it shows you how much of their stock has been claimed and a timer to display how much time you have left to purchase before the sale price goes away. I honestly dislike promotional emails. They tend to clutter your inbox and just makes the whole thing look messy and not to mention how much of a nuisance it can be to delete multiple of them. I would prefer promotional emails less frequency. Something that would make me for likely to respond is if they include the percentage off in the headline cause if they had said “48 Hours Only! 40% Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns” I probably would’ve been in the store already because at that point you begin to think “wow I’m about to get this item almost half off.” It’s very persuasive.
One of the headlines that speaks to me is "there's more to love! Personalized picks for you" This may sound lame, and I know it's simply just an algorithm but this sort of makes me feel like I have a relationship with the company. Also, it normally picks things that I do actually like, so this saves me time in having to scroll through pages and pages mindlessly. Its all right there in one place, and I feel like I am being understood. I still get emails from Pinterest, and quite often I get emails that read "new picks just for you!" Those emails normally catch my attention because its things I actually like!
I find the headline, “Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon more effective.” Here Lamps Plus has effectively used the technique of scarcity. Scarcity is used to persuade people that something is in shortage and as a result, people would like to buy more when the perceived availability of the product is limited. This email would definitely make me buy the Lighting fixtures. I would make the assumption that if the product is no longer on sale, I would no longer be able to access it so it would be better if I bought it immediately. I have noted the principle has been used several times in the headings. Personally, I would not like to receive daily promotional emails, I find it annoying. I have unsubscribed from several companies who keep sending the emails. I would prefer to receive them monthly, at that time I would be eager to learn if there are any discounts offered, the principle of reciprocity is applicable here or the new products that the company has rolled out.
Yue Feng.
1. Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon - Scarcity. Urging the customer to hurry up before sale ends.
2. Relax in Style! Outdoor Furniture Event Begins - Liking. Behave like a friend and not as much as a brand by inviting to event.
3. New Markdown Added Today - Commitment and consistency. Rewarding the customer with more marked down items.
4. Don't miss out on the best deals of the week -Liking. A sense of urgency and an inside tip not to miss out on great deals.
5. There's more to love! Personalized picks for you. - Reciprocity. Personalizing the offer.
6. 48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns. - Scarcity. Creating a sense of urgency for the customer.
7. New and On Sale! Fall Sneak Peeks! - Liking and reciprocity, by offering a sneak peak you make the customer feel special and could help create a better relationship with them.
One more technique that they seem to rely on heavily is consistency, by sending emails every day you’re definitely on your customers mind at least once a day. While I find this sort if technique annoying it could work for others. What would make me more likely to respond to advertising is less consistency and more personalized emails. A better call to action always encourages me to respond to an email like this. For example, a special coupon just for me, a reminder to shop a product I’ve been looking at. The headline I find most effective is “There's more to love! Personalized picks for you.” I believe everyone loves personalized offers and products, and it definitely urges me to check out the offer and the picks “just for me”. The headline that most makes me want to buy something is “48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns.” Knowing that I can get something at a discount for only 48 hours makes me more likely to check out a companies products and buy something.
1. Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon: Scarcity
2. Relax in Style! Outdoor Furniture Event Begins: Liking
3. New Markdown Added Today: Reciprocity
4. Don't miss out on the best deals of the week: Scarcity
5. There's more to love! Personalized picks for you: consensus
6. 48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns: Scarcity
7. New and On Sale! Fall Sneak Peeks!: consistency
Personally, I think “48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns” really got my attention after viewing all the ads. Since it makes me feel scarcity and I really want to know what the product is and want to purchase it. When a thing is rare, it becomes precious. I really want to buy things when it makes me feel scarcity. Same as daily promotional emails. I would likely focus more on the email that makes me feel scarcity. I like less frequency. I rarely respond to ad emails.
1. Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon- Scarcity
2. Relax in Style! Outdoor Furniture Event Begins Liking
3. New Markdown Added Today-consistency
4. Don't miss out on the best deals of the week -
5. There's more to love! Personalized picks for you.-Reciprocity & Liking
6. 48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns.Scarcity
7. New and On Sale! Fall Sneak Peeks!
Which Cialdini techniques are they using for each of these lines? When they have used a technique more than once, which headline do you find more effective and why? Do any of them make you want to buy something? What do you think of daily promotional emails? Would you prefer more or less frequency? What else would make you more likely to respond?
I find the scarcity technique the most effective because, it drives a sense of urgency and times the consumer to act quickly. It also makes people feel like they are missing out or losing something if they do not attend to this sale now. I feel like this is the most effective because, people hate to lose. Even if something they are losing is not something they already have. Scarcity techniques and reciprocity definitely have me convinced. Since scarcity sometimes indirectly may make you feel attacked and another way to hook you is through a more personalized and unexpected approach. Daily promotional emails sometimes make me feel harassed so wording for me is essential. The way you address a product and it also depends on how much I like the product.
Hello Professor,
As requested, this is a re-posting of my original comment:
The techniques for each headline were as follows:
1. Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon-Scarcity
2. Relax in Style! Outdoor Furniture Event Begins-Liking
3. New Markdown Added Today-Commitment and Consistency
4. Don't Miss Out On The Best Deals Of The Week-Liking
5. There's more to love! Personalized Picks For You-Commitment and Consistency
6. 48 Hours Only! Labor Day Sale on Like-New Returns-Scarcity
7. New and On Sale! Fall Sneak Peeks-Liking
The headline that stood out the most and was the most effective to me was "Last Call! Lighting Fixture Sale Ends Soon!" By using scarcity, Lamps Plus is convincing its audience that there is limited availability on the product and/or limited time left on the better pricing. If the individual doesn't act now they will miss out, in other words, lose. I may not purchase their product, but I would begin to contemplate the all-of-a-sudden need for it. I may create a need that was non-existant prior to the email and definitely open the email at least. Daily promotional emails are too aggressive and at times I do get annoyed so much that I do not shop at the store on-line, especially if the company does not allow an unsubscription from specific emails or the ability to adjust frequency. I would like one consice email every two to four weeks and I would likely go through with a purchase if they email-promote waiving shipping costs. Shipping costs have been a big deal breaker for me in the past.
- Andrea Alva-Araya
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