It’s Sunday, the week before Easter and I was curious to see what’s happening in my inbox. Is anybody making their emails relevant? Or contextual? I analyzed the subject lines for every email received yesterday in one of my swipe file inboxes.
I was expecting to see seasonally relevant content, since this is the time when people are planning time off, buying gifts or experiences, thinking about meaning, reflection, rest and/or starting seasonal routines (spring cleaning, fresh starts, etc.).
Now let’s look at what marketers actually sent me yesterday 👇
Here’s what I see:
1. Urgency Overload
⏰ “Last chance”
⏰ “Ends tomorrow”
⏰ “2 days away!”
Everyone’s racing the clock. Scarcity tactics are everywhere, some justified, others… not so much.
Urgency (Cialdini’s scarcity principle) works only when it’s relevant. When you use it constantly, people learn to ignore it. Especially before a holiday, when mental bandwidth is already stretched.
What’s missing:
Contextual empathy. Nobody wants a countdown timer when they’re planning an Easter lunch with family. Instead of fighting for attention, smart marketers would lean into the season and offer relief or relevance.
2. Emotional Manipulation
😬 “Looks like this slipped through…”
😕 “Is this the best or worst…”
This is classic clickbait psychology—tension leads to action (if you’re curious, annoyed, or self-doubting enough). But it often triggers defensive skepticism, especially from educated audiences.
What’s missing:
Trust. Instead of starting with “You missed this” guilt, why not offer permission to catch up or take what they need?
3. Mixed Messaging
In a single scroll, I got hit with Mindfulness. Burnout. Communication. “Decode the matrix.” My inbox has better plot twists than Netflix.
In short, cognitive dissonance.
When messaging is all over the place, the brain struggles to assign meaning or priority. This leads to inbox fatigue, and zero action. Which is exactly what I did.
What’s missing:
Strategic segmentation. This is a season of renewal. The strongest emails could have connected that with their offer: “Spring is for clearing out mental clutter. Here’s one small way to start.”
4. Identity-Based Marketing
Netflix: “We’re ready when you are, Monica.”
LinkedIn: “copywriter” job alerts with my name front and center.
The personalization is there… but often lacks purpose or depth. It’s all “Look at you!” and none of “Here’s why this matters for you.”
What’s missing:
Relevance. Good personalization means aligning your message with my current state. (Pre-Easter? I might care about how do I take a break, when I’m trying to find a new job).
When emails get louder, people don’t listen more.
They shut down.
More noise doesn’t mean more visibility.
It means more overwhelm.
More unsubscribes.
Less connection.
Let’s not ruin email the way we ruined social media, with volume over value.
We can do better.
Please, let’s choose better.
Hey! I’m Monica, marketer, email copywriter, and business coach.
I help course creators and entrepreneurs grow with customer-centric strategies that actually connect.
If you want more insights on email marketing, business growth, and the psychology behind what makes people buy, let’s connect on LinkedIn. Follow me for honest takes, practical tips, and deep dives into what really works.
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