The "one nudge further" strategy for emails

--> how to apply it to get better results

I’ve been thinking recently about the types of email which seem to get the best results - certainly in terms of engagement and interaction.

In particular, the type of tips and ideas you share in those emails.

The reality is that an email isn’t the right medium for sharing groundbreaking new ideas that are a major challenge to your readers’ thinking.

That works much better face-to-face, or on video, or at the very least in a much longer article.

Similarly, sharing ideas that your readers are already familiar with isn’t the best either.

It works OK if you can illustrate them in a different and interesting way. You get nods of agreement. But it doesn’t really push your relationship forward.

In my experience, what works best is if you nudge at the boundaries of what people already know.

My last email on “lemon cake calls to action” is a decent example.

Most everyone reading it will have been completely aware of the power of an upsell. But the example took it a step further by showing how an ultra-specific call to action works better than a more general one.

If you’re reading this you’re no doubt completely aware of the power of sharing valuable tips and strategies in your emails. But hopefully the idea that the best things to share nudge your readers’ thinking that one step further is itself one step further for you.

(If that wasn’t too meta).

In some ways it mirrors some of the ideas Derek Thompson proposed in his book The Hit Makers where he showed that the most popular music, films, TV and books always tend to be 90% familiar and 10% new.

Not exactly the same as what you’re used to - that would be boring. But not so new that it’s unsettling.

It’s a good rule of thumb to use when writing your emails and sharing ideas. Ask yourself “for most of my readers, does this nudge them one step further?”.

No steps is boring. 10 steps is too far.

1 or 2 steps is just right.

- Ian