Overfamiliarity Named Major Email Campaign Deal Breaker

LONDON, July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Research conducted by email marketing experts Pure360 has found that an email with an over-familiar tone of voice would cause 37% of respondents to reconsider doing business with the sender.

The study of 1000 UK online consumers tested reactions to popular email campaigns, and reveals when consumers are likely to click on an email and why.

Heavy-handed, overly-familiar emails can cause significant brand damage if readers feel they are insincere. Instead, the research suggests that brands should focus on tempting their mailing lists: 38% said that the most popular email subject lines in the sample made them feel "tempted". "Intrigued" (34%) and "amused" (28%) were the next most popular responses.

The research proves once again the significant importance of the subject line in the success of an email marketing campaign. The research found the emails with tempting offers in the subject line were more engaging than those that featured questions, or attempted to be emotive or controversial. Specifically:

• 65% of people opened emails containing the words "special offer" in the subject line
• 37% opened emails containing topics of interest in the subject line
• Only 8% opened emails containing controversial statements or questions
• 6% opened emails containing an emotive statement in the subject line

Pure360 explains: "The challenge for marketers is how to grab attention and produce messages that recipients look forward to receiving without straying into 'false friendship' territory. This means enticing customers with highly relevant information and offers they can't resist."

The study cautions that a personable tone of voice can still work. However, this approach must be treated with care, and the information provided should be straightforward. Furthermore, businesses should monitor how consumers respond to campaigns, adjusting email content and its distribution frequency accordingly.