In email marketing, the hooks we use to hang our campaigns on have shifted. What once turned heads might now barely get a glance. If we want clicks, conversions, and loyal subscribers, we need to make sure we’re highlighting the right features – the ones that matter most right now.
The success of any email campaign hinges on this: picking the benefit that aligns with your audience’s current needs. Get it right, and you’ll spark engagement. Get it wrong, and your openers might stop reading after the first line – if they even open it at all.
We’ve seen this lesson play out in the real world. Consider how electric vehicles were marketed in their early days. Most ads leaned hard into futurism – flashy dashboards, glowing interiors, space-age designs. The message was: look how different this is. And for early adopters, that worked. The novelty was the point.
But now? Electric cars are marketed for being just like regular cars, only cheaper to run and better for the planet. It’s not about dramatic innovation anymore, it’s about practicality. The audience has changed, and the message has changed with it.
It’s the same with your email marketing.
If you’re still using hooks that performed well a year ago, there’s a good chance they’re missing the mark today. Economic shifts, changing priorities, and new subscriber expectations all play a role. Your data might be outdated – and your message might be, too.
Let’s say you’re promoting a four-night getaway in a four-star Venice hotel. In the past, your top-performing hook might have focused on indulgence: luxury spa add-ons, a gourmet dining experience, or a champagne welcome. Today? Your subscribers may care more about what they won’t have to pay for. Think: “Nothing Extra to Pay” or the always-reliable “All-Inclusive”.
What’s changed? Not the product. Just the people you’re speaking to.
The only way to know what works now is to test your hooks regularly. Don’t assume yesterday’s angle still resonates. Highlight what makes your offer most appealing today, in the context your subscribers are living in.
Adapt, test, repeat.
Because when times change, email marketers must change with them.
