You’re about to get the ninja-est strategy for email marketing that will absolutely rock your world.
But first…
Sit up straight, roll your shoulders back, take a deep breath, and maybe take a quick drink of water.
You ready…?
… Actually, a little bit of context first.
This strategy was brought to the forefront of my conscious mind by the man, the legend email copywriter, Andre Chaperon, who has become a virtual friend of mine.
Ok, now I think you’re ready.
The Ninja Strategy?
… Open Loops. Also known as the Zeigarnik Effect.
In psychology, the Zeigarnik Effect states that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks.
“We remember better that which is unfinished or incomplete.”
Our cognitive minds crave the satisfaction of closure.
How do we know?
Well, think about this:
You sit down to watch the latest episode of your favorite TV show: Lost, Game of Thrones, The Kardashians (don’t lie, you’ve caught yourself drawn in once or twice, even if it was just in awe of their lavish lifestyle ;)).
You get comfy on the couch with your favorite blanket and a hot cup of tea. You’re pulled into the episode and before you know it, you’re right at the juicy part and… the episode ends. You think, “Ok, maybe just ONE more episode… I need to know what happens!!”
Before you know it, 3 hours have passed and your knee deep in your blanket and two cups of tea down into a full on binge.
What makes you crave the next episode? Or binge watch an entire season?
And, more importantly, how can you apply it to writing email copy that literally gets people hooked the second they read it?
Hollywood understands this well.
They are fully aware that people are pressed for time now more than ever, with endless to do lists. Yet they continue to get people to sit down for an hour… or several hours… to watch a TV show.
Hollywood knows that if they don’t capture someone’s attention within the first couple of seconds of a show, they’ve lost them.
And if you don’t grab people’s attention with your copy within the first few seconds, you’ve lost them, too. Worse yet, you’ve lost a sale and a potential lifelong customer.
So, what is the technique that Hollywood uses—that you can use—to keep people around and coming back for more?
Open Loops AKA The Zeigarnik Effect.
Open Loops in TV shows are the equivalent of that cliffhanger that keeps you up at night, consuming your mind with thoughts about what’s going to happen in the next episode, or that story line that was never quite explained. Those aren’t flaws in a script. They are put there so that it’s harder for people to get up off the couch than it is to stay and watch “just one more episode.”
Our brains try to add in puzzle pieces where loops are missing. We want… scratch that… need to know the answer.
The loop needs to be closed.
Did you notice how this article started?
“You’re about to get the ninja-est strategy for email marketing that will absolutely rock your world.
But first…
Sit up straight, roll your shoulders back, take a deep breath, and maybe take a quick drink of water.
You ready…?
… Actually, a little bit of context first.”
AKA: Open Loop.
I like to practice these strategies in the rest of my life… purely for entertainment.
In the dating scene it works like magic too!
This is the secret to writing addictive copy.
Can you see how effective this can be for your email marketing?
I’ve got a lot more of these ninja strategies up my sleeve.
You can learn them yourself. Or, you can have me coach you through it or do them for you.
If you aren’t really sure where to begin when it comes to your online marketing strategy and copywriting… or you frankly don’t have the time to put it all together, my copywriting agency, Conscious Copy & Co., can help.
If you wanna go deeper, faster… click the link below to find out more on how we can work together.
Here’s the kicker though.
You have to apply to be accepted.
We work with our clients hand-in-hand, so it’s important for us to make sure that it’s a “Hell Yes!” on both ends.
Remember, Hollywood and the top email marketers use techniques like open loops to tap into consumers’ psyches.
But this isn’t just for the pros.
By discovering and using the same techniques, you too can create juicy content that pulls in your ideal clients, captivates their attention, and keeps them coming back week after week.
Have a question on how you can make your emails as juicy and cliff-hanger-y as your favorite TV show? Post it in the comments below!
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