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If you work in sales or marketing, chances are you’ve heard of Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion.
But in case you haven’t, Dr. Robert Cialdini is the author of the book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.
It’s an old book (he wrote it over 40 years ago) that has since become a bible among salespeople, copywriters, and marketers.
What makes it so damn popular?
Well, in the book, Cialdini identified six principles of persuasion:
- Reciprocity
- Scarcity
- Authority
- Consistency
- Liking
- Social proof
If your job is to persuade people to buy your product or service, you can’t afford not to know these.
Let’s take a closer look at what these are, and how you can use them in your email marketing strategy.
Reciprocity
Have you ever received a birthday invitation from an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while?
How did it make you feel?
I bet you felt surprised…
Maybe even a bit guilty.
But more importantly, it made you want to invite them to your own party as well.
That’s what reciprocity is.
People often feel obligated to reciprocate with acts of kindness, gifts, or other gestures in response to what they initially receive.
Almost every article I read on this subject argued that reciprocity in email marketing means that if you offer a discount (or free info) on your website, the reader will feel obligated to opt-in to your list.
That’s just lazy (and kinda dumb).
Consumers nowadays expect discounts, gimmicks, or free information. And when you give something expected, it’ll be easily forgotten.
When I think of reciprocity in email marketing, I think of surprising customers with something cool and totally unexpected.
Like what tea brand Plum Deluxe did…
They sent a handwritten card to every person on their email list that had their birthday coming up.
In the card, they thanked them for being a part of their community and offered an exclusive discount.
Pretty cool, right?
It’s something that makes the customer say “Wow.”
While it’s not technically email marketing, it’s something that should absolutely be a part of your retention strategy.
Scarcity
When something is in short supply, you’re more likely to want it.
I’m not gonna lie, scarcity is disgustingly overused in marketing these days.
If you’re like me, and you hear someone say “Hurry, we only have a few of these left,” it’s like something triggers inside of my brain that makes me want to run.
“I ain’t falling for your BS.”
Well, I think there’s a way around fake scarcity.
It all starts with being specific.
Claude Hopkins said it perfectly in his book Scientific Advertising:
“The more specific you are in your copy, the more believable it is.”
Graza nails this in their back-in-stock email campaign:
If you say “stock is running out,” people will feel like you’re trying to trick them into buying.
But if you give an exact number like 43 umbrellas in stock, or 14 tickets left, it makes it much more believable.
Authority
This one is plain and simple:
People trust authority figures – those with credentials and expertise.
That’s why you’re far more likely to buy toothpaste recommended by your local dentist than by your neighbor downstairs.
The best way to apply authority in email marketing is to collaborate with an industry expert.
It could even be someone who works at your organization — it doesn’t matter — as long as it’s someone your audience knows and trusts.
Health brand Athletic Greens is famous for using authority figures in their marketing strategy.
For example, to promote their greens product, they partnered with neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.
When Andrew says Athletic Greens is packed with vital nutrients and key to long-term health, people believe it without hesitation.
But it doesn’t have to be a famous influencer.
Below is an example FAQ email campaign from Athletic Greens where they collaborate with a professional in-house nutritionist:
Since the person (Luciana) answering the questions is a registered dietician, readers are much more likely to trust the information.
Now, you might be wondering…
“I don’t sell anything science-based. Can I still do this?”
Of course!
One of the best ways to create better email content is to collaborate with someone your audience already knows and trusts.
It’s great for two reasons:
- It’s something different (not many brands do this)
- You’re creating valuable content
Think of it this way:
If you’re selling watches, you could collaborate with a fashion influencer.
If you’re selling sleep mattresses, you could team up with a sleep expert.
If you’re selling beef jerky, you could hit up a food blogger.
There are really no limits to this.
Consistency
Cialdini’s fourth principle argues that people want to be seen as consistent.
“Once we’ve committed to something, we are more likely to deliver on that promise.”
When you share your goals publicly with others, you’re more likely to achieve them, or as they say…
Anyway, I used the consistency principle to conduct an A/B test on a pop-up form for one of my clients.
In variation A, we offered exclusive access to product launches and asked for an email address in return.
In variation B, we had the same offer, but re-framed it as a question:
“Would you like exclusive access to product launches?”
Here’s what the form looked like:
Only after the user had pressed “Yes” did we ask for an email address.
Guess what happened?
After one month, variation B delivered 56.25% more sign-ups.
I think a big reason why variation B performed better is because people who had said “Yes,” felt an inner pressure to follow through.
It reminds me of what Dale Carnegie said:
“Getting someone to say “yes” immediately makes them more likely to agree to what you want them to do.”
If you’re looking to optimize your sign-up form, this could be one of the ways.
Liking
One of the things I learned from working at a recruitment agency is that people tend to hire people like themselves.
I never quite understood why… until I read Cialdini’s book.
He explains that we naturally gravitate towards people who remind us of ourselves — whether it’s through shared values, common goals, genuine compliments, or even physical appearance.
It explains why so many qualified candidates don’t get hired because they don’t share the same background as the hiring manager.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s often just the (dis)liking bias working against them.
Now, there are many different ways you can use liking in email marketing.
Let’s look at how beverage brand BRĒZ uses it in their Father’s Day campaign:
I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that most of BRĒZ’s customers are parents (because let’s be honest, who else drinks CBD-infused tonics?!).
Anyway, the email is a genuine, heartfelt message from the brand’s co-founder, Nick.
In the email, he talks about the ups and downs of being a dad. He even admits there are times he wants to “tune out” but still be present.
All of this makes him relatable, human, and likable.
Anyone reading his message is more likely to buy his recommended products.
Social proof
The last persuasion principle might be the most powerful one: social proof.
When people are uncertain, they often look to the behaviors of others to determine their own.
I don’t know about you, but if I order something from Amazon (or anywhere on the internet), the first thing I check is the reviews…
It’s the ultimate shortcut to thinking.
I could go from being completely unaware of a brand to sold in a matter of minutes.
All thanks to social proof.
Testimonials also activate another marketing principle:
“Show, don’t tell.”
The truth is, you could spend all day talking about how your products are the best…
But that’s kinda cheap (and expected).
What’s more persuasive is having a stack of reviews and testimonials that PROVE your products are what you say they are.
You don’t need to do any talking because your customers are already doing it for you.
Below is an example of how Unbloat made social proof the main theme of their email campaign:
What happens next
Now you know how to use Cialdini’s principles to drive email revenue.
If you haven’t read his book yet, I recommend you pick it up.
Or check out my 22 other marketing book recommendations.
