Would You Be Excited to Get Your Own Marketing Email?
Would you be excited to receive the marketing emails your company sends?
Not “would you open them because you work there?” Not “would you skim them because you know the offer is important?” Not “would you approve them because technically all the information is correct?”
Would you actually be excited to see one show up in your inbox?
That is a much tougher question.
Most businesses send emails because they have something to announce. A sale. A webinar. A new service. A seasonal promotion. An appointment opening. A limited-time offer. And there is nothing wrong with announcing those things. Your audience does need to know what is available, when it is available, and what to do next.
But there is a big difference between telling someone that something exists and making them want it.
That difference is where a lot of marketing emails fall flat.
I get a lot of marketing emails. You probably do too. Most of them sound something like this:
Save 20% this weekend.
Register for our upcoming webinar.
Check out our newest service.
Schedule your appointment today.
New arrivals are here.
Book your consultation now.
Sale ends Sunday.
Again, there is nothing necessarily wrong with any of those messages. They are clear. They are direct. They tell me what the company wants me to do. In some cases, that may be enough, especially if I already know I want the thing being offered.
But most of the time, those emails do not make me feel anything.
They do not create anticipation. They do not help me imagine a better outcome. They do not make the future feel more desirable. They do not move me from passive awareness into active interest.
They simply announce that something is for sale.
And if your email only announces that something is for sale, then the reader is left to do all the desire-building work on their own.
That is a problem because people are busy. Their inbox is crowded. They are distracted, skeptical, and moving quickly. If the desire is not already there, a straightforward announcement may not be enough to create it.
This is where email has a huge advantage over many other forms of advertising.
With a billboard, you have a few seconds. With a social media ad, you may have even less than that. With a search ad, you are often limited to a small amount of copy and a very direct intent. But email gives you room. You have the ability to tell a story. You can build anticipation. You can create a scene. You can help someone imagine what happens after they say yes.
And yet, a lot of businesses use email like an electronic flyer.
Feature. Price. Button. Buy now.
Then they wonder why people are not excited.
The missing piece is desire.
Think about planning a vacation.
Someone could send you an email that says:
Seven nights. Oceanfront room. Breakfast included. $2,499.
Those are useful details. If I am already comparing vacation packages, I may care about the price, the location, the room type, and whether breakfast is included. Those details matter.
But compare that to an email that gets me imagining the experience.
It is Saturday morning. I wake up without an alarm. I open the balcony door and hear the ocean before I even step outside. The air is warm. I realize there is nowhere I need to be. No meetings. No errands. No rushing around. I can go downstairs for breakfast, or I can walk straight onto the beach. I can spend the whole day doing absolutely nothing and feel great about it.
Now something different is happening.
I am not just evaluating a hotel room anymore.
I am mentally taking the vacation.
Once I start wanting that feeling, the oceanfront room becomes the way I get it. The breakfast becomes part of the ease. The seven nights become time to fully disconnect. The price becomes attached to an outcome I can picture and desire.
That is the difference between information and motivation.
A lot of marketing emails provide information. Fewer create motivation.
When you build desire, you are helping someone see why the offer matters in their life. You are moving beyond the mechanics of the transaction and into the result, the feeling, the relief, the pride, the convenience, the transformation, or the experience the customer actually wants.
That does not mean you should avoid details. Details matter. Offers matter. Calls to action matter. But the details become more powerful when they are connected to something the reader already wants.
If you lead only with features, people compare features.
If you lead only with price, people compare prices.
If you lead with a specific outcome they want, the conversation changes.
Let’s say you are selling a kitchen remodel.
A very standard promotional email might say:
Custom cabinets. Quartz countertops. Free consultation. Schedule today.
That is not terrible. It is clear. It tells me what is available. But if I receive that email, I am probably going to compare you with three other contractors who also offer custom cabinets, quartz countertops, and free consultations.
Now you are in a feature comparison.
Who has better cabinets? Who has better countertops? Who can start sooner? Who has better reviews? Who is cheaper?
Those are all valid considerations, but you have placed yourself into a very crowded comparison set.
Now let’s approach the same offer differently.
Imagine Thanksgiving at your house this year.
Your family is coming over. People are gathered around the island instead of crowding into a cramped corner. There is finally enough room for everyone to set down a drink, grab an appetizer, and actually enjoy being in the kitchen together. You are not apologizing for the old cabinets. You are not trying to hide the worn countertops. Your wife is showing everybody the new space, and you can tell she is proud of it.
You have wanted this for eight years.
And now you can see it.
That is different.
At that point, the person is not just shopping for cabinets.
They are shopping for that Thanksgiving.
They are shopping for the feeling of finally having the home match the way they want to live. They are shopping for pride. They are shopping for relief. They are shopping for the moment when people walk in and say, “Wow, this looks incredible.”
That is a much harder thing for a competitor to price match.
Now, this does not mean competition magically disappears. Of course people still compare prices. They still read reviews. They still evaluate alternatives. They still need to trust you. You still have to deliver what you promise.
But when you help someone develop a specific desire for an outcome, you are no longer just one more option on a spreadsheet.
You have given them a picture of the future.
And people buy futures.
They buy what they believe life will look like after the purchase.
This is why “sell the life after the product” is such an important idea. The product is not usually the final desire. The product is the bridge.
The vacation package is the bridge to rest, freedom, connection, and escape.
The kitchen remodel is the bridge to pride, comfort, hospitality, and finally enjoying your own home.
The software is the bridge to an easier Monday morning.
The seminar is the bridge to knowing what to do next.
The patio furniture is the bridge to summer evenings outside with people you love.
The gym membership is the bridge to feeling better in your body.
The accounting service is the bridge to sleeping better because your books are handled.
The dental treatment is the bridge to smiling without thinking about it.
The offer matters because of what it makes possible.
Email is a fantastic place to communicate that.
Do not just tell me the seminar is Thursday. Tell me what I might be able to do Friday because I attended it.
Maybe Friday morning I finally know which steps to take. Maybe I stop guessing. Maybe I have a simple framework I can use with my team. Maybe the problem that felt overwhelming on Wednesday now feels manageable.
That is more compelling than “Register for our webinar.”
Do not just tell me your software saves time. Show me what Monday morning looks like when the work is already done.
Maybe I come in, open my dashboard, and instead of spending two hours chasing reports, everything is already organized. The numbers are there. The tasks are prioritized. The repetitive work that used to drain my morning is handled. I can start the week focused instead of behind.
That is more compelling than “Our platform increases efficiency.”
Do not just tell me there is a sale on patio furniture. Make me imagine the first summer evening I am sitting outside enjoying it.
Maybe the sun is going down. Dinner is finished. The kids are still running around the yard. I am sitting back with a drink, not on a folding chair or something uncomfortable I dragged out of storage, but in a space that finally feels like an extension of my home. The patio is not just concrete anymore. It is where summer happens.
That is more compelling than “20% off outdoor seating.”
The offer can come after that.
In fact, the offer may work better after that because now it has context.
A common mistake in promotional email is jumping straight to the ask before building any reason to care.
“Buy this.”
“Register now.”
“Book today.”
“Claim your discount.”
But why?
Why should I care right now?
What changes for me if I do this?
What am I missing if I do not?
What does this make possible?
Where do I feel the benefit?
How does my day, my week, my business, my family, my home, my health, or my sense of confidence change after I say yes?
If your email does not answer some version of that, it may be clear, but it may not be compelling.
That is an important distinction.
Clear means I understand what you are offering.
Compelling means I want it.
A lot of businesses stop at clear.
They assume that because the offer is understandable, it is persuasive. But clarity and persuasion are not the same thing. Clarity removes confusion. Desire creates movement.
You need both.
If an email is persuasive but unclear, people may feel interested but not know what to do. That is a problem.
If an email is clear but not persuasive, people may know what to do but not care enough to do it. That is also a problem.
The best promotional emails connect the two. They help the reader want something, then make the next step obvious.
One of the reasons businesses default to electronic flyers is that they are easy to create.
You have a promotion. You list the details. You add a button. Done.
Desire-building takes more thought.
You have to understand your customer. You have to know what they actually care about. You have to think beyond the technical features of your offer. You have to ask what problem is really being solved and what positive outcome is really being pursued.
That can feel softer than writing a list of features, but it is not less strategic. It is often more strategic.
Because customers usually do not experience your business as a list of features.
They experience it in moments.
They experience the moment they stop feeling overwhelmed.
They experience the moment they walk into a finished room.
They experience the moment they get time back.
They experience the moment their spouse notices the change.
They experience the moment they avoid a problem they were worried about.
They experience the moment they feel prepared, confident, proud, relieved, comfortable, or excited.
Your emails should help them preview those moments.
That preview is powerful.
It is the difference between “Here is what we sell” and “Here is what you are going to love about having this.”
This applies to almost every industry.
If you are a financial advisor, you could email people about portfolio management, retirement planning, risk tolerance, and investment strategies. Those things matter. But what does the client want? They may want to know they are going to be okay. They may want to retire without constantly worrying. They may want to help their kids, travel, stop working at some point, or simply feel like someone is paying attention.
An email that only says “Schedule your retirement planning consultation” is functional.
An email that helps me imagine opening my account statement without dread, having a clear plan for the next 10 years, and knowing what decisions I need to make this year is much more powerful.
If you are a dentist, you could email about cleanings, whitening, implants, Invisalign, or same-day crowns. Again, those services matter. But what does the patient want? They may want to smile in photos. They may want to stop avoiding certain foods. They may want to fix something that has bothered them for years. They may want to feel less embarrassed.
“Book your appointment” is clear.
“Imagine not thinking twice before smiling in the next family photo” creates desire.
If you are a business consultant, you could email about strategy sessions, operational audits, leadership training, or growth frameworks. But what does the business owner want? They may want to stop feeling like everything depends on them. They may want a team that can execute without constant supervision. They may want to finally get out of reaction mode.
“Schedule a consultation” is clear.
“Picture ending the week knowing your team has direction, your priorities are set, and you are not carrying every decision alone” creates desire.
If you are a home service company, you could email about maintenance plans, inspections, installations, and discounts. But what does the homeowner want? They may want peace of mind. They may want to avoid an expensive emergency. They may want their house to feel comfortable when family arrives.
“Call today for HVAC service” is clear.
“Make sure your home is comfortable before the first guests walk through the door” creates desire.
The principle is the same: connect the offer to the life after the offer.
That does not mean every email needs to be long or dramatic. Desire does not always require a huge story. Sometimes a few sentences can do it.
For example:
Before:
“Register for our upcoming productivity webinar this Thursday at 10 a.m.”
After:
“By Friday morning, you could have a simple system for deciding what actually deserves your time, what can wait, and what should not be on your plate at all. Join us Thursday for a practical productivity webinar.”
That is not long. But it creates a before and after.
Before:
“Save 20% on patio furniture this weekend.”
After:
“The first warm evening of the season is coming. If your patio still feels like a place you pass through instead of a place you enjoy, this weekend is a good time to change that. Save 20% on patio furniture through Sunday.”
Again, not long. But now I can picture the use.
Before:
“Schedule your free consultation for a kitchen remodel.”
After:
“If this is the year you finally stop apologizing for the kitchen, let’s talk. A free consultation can help you see what is possible before the next holiday season is here.”
That creates a reason beyond the service.
Sometimes one specific image is enough.
A good email does not have to explain everything. In fact, if you try to explain everything, you may weaken the effect. Curiosity matters too.
The goal is not to dump every feature, benefit, testimonial, deadline, and FAQ into one message. The goal is to move the reader one step closer to wanting the outcome and taking action.
That may mean clicking. Booking. Replying. Registering. Visiting a page. Calling. Saving the email for later.
But whatever the action is, the desire should come first.
Another mistake businesses make is assuming urgency can replace desire.
“Sale ends tonight” may get action from someone who already wants the thing. But if I do not want it, the deadline does not matter.
A deadline can intensify existing desire. It usually does not create desire from nothing.
If I want the vacation, knowing the price expires tomorrow may push me to book.
If I do not want the vacation, the deadline is just noise.
If I want the kitchen, knowing your schedule fills up before the holidays may motivate me to call.
If I do not care about the kitchen, your limited availability is irrelevant.
If I want the software outcome, a bonus or discount may help me decide.
If I do not see why I need it, the special offer does not move me.
This is why “limited time” and “act now” are not enough by themselves. They can be useful, but they should be attached to something the reader actually wants.
The same is true for discounts.
A discount can reduce friction. It can make a decision easier. It can reward fast action. But if you rely on discounts as the main reason to buy, you train people to evaluate you primarily on price.
That may be necessary in some markets, but it is risky if you want to build value.
Desire gives price context.
A $2,499 vacation package sounds like a number until I can feel the vacation.
A kitchen remodel sounds expensive until I imagine the next decade of holidays, family dinners, and daily life in a space I love.
A professional service sounds like an expense until I understand the time, stress, mistakes, or missed opportunities it helps me avoid.
Again, this does not mean price stops mattering. It always matters. But perceived value changes when the desired outcome becomes vivid.
Another way to think about this is that your email should not just answer, “What is this?”
It should answer, “Why should this matter to me now?”
That is where so many promotional emails are weak.
They are built from the company’s point of view.
“We have a sale.”
“We have a webinar.”
“We launched a new service.”
“We have openings.”
“We want more bookings.”
But the reader is not sitting around waiting for your announcement. They are living their own life. They have their own pressures, goals, annoyances, hopes, and priorities.
So the email has to cross the bridge from what you want to promote to what they already care about.
That bridge is desire.
Let’s say you want to promote a new service.
The company-centered version says:
“We are excited to announce our new premium support package.”
The customer-centered version asks:
“What problem does this support package solve in the customer’s life?”
Maybe it means they do not have to wait three days for answers. Maybe it means they get priority help before a small problem becomes a big one. Maybe it means they can move faster because they are not stuck troubleshooting alone.
Now the email becomes:
“When something breaks, you should not have to lose half a week waiting for help. Our new premium support package gives you faster access when you need answers, so small problems do not turn into stalled projects.”
That is much stronger because it makes the value real.
Or maybe you are promoting appointment availability.
Company-centered:
“We have appointments available this week.”
Customer-centered:
“What does getting an appointment this week allow the customer to do?”
Maybe it allows them to stop putting off a problem. Maybe it helps them get ready before travel. Maybe it gives them peace of mind before a busy season.
Now the email can say:
“If you have been meaning to take care of this before the month gets away from you, we have a few appointments available this week.”
That speaks to the reader’s life, not just your schedule.
This is not about being manipulative. It is about being relevant.
Good marketing helps people recognize what they want and understand how to move toward it.
Bad marketing often just shouts offers into the inbox and hopes timing does the rest.
Timing does matter. If someone needs what you sell right now, a simple email may work. But most of your audience is probably not in perfect buying mode at the exact moment you send a promotion.
Desire-building helps create movement before the moment is obvious.
It helps someone who has been thinking about the kitchen for years finally picture doing it.
It helps someone who knows they need better systems imagine the relief of having them.
It helps someone who has been postponing a consultation feel like now is the time.
That is one of the most valuable things email can do. It lets you nurture desire over time.
Not every email needs to close the sale immediately. Some emails plant the image. Some build trust. Some answer objections. Some show possibilities. Some create urgency. Some invite action.
But if your emails are always just announcements, you are missing the chance to shape what your audience wants.
So before sending your next promotional email, ask one question:
What does this email make the reader want?
Not what does it tell them.
Not what does it explain.
Not what are you asking them to buy.
What does it make them want?
If the only answer is “hopefully our product,” I would keep working.
That answer is too vague.
Your product is not the desire. Your product is the path.
Get more specific.
Does the email make the reader want a calmer Monday morning?
Does it make them want a home they are proud to invite people into?
Does it make them want a summer evening outside?
Does it make them want confidence before a big decision?
Does it make them want to stop feeling behind?
Does it make them want to finally fix something they have tolerated for too long?
Does it make them want to feel prepared, comfortable, admired, relaxed, capable, safe, organized, or free?
The more specific the desire, the stronger the email can be.
If you are not sure what your email makes the reader want, read it from their point of view.
Imagine it landing in their inbox on a busy Tuesday.
They do not know what you know. They do not care as much about your promotion as you do. They are scanning subject lines between meetings, errands, family obligations, and other messages from dozens of companies.
What stops them?
What makes them think, “That sounds like something I want”?
What makes them picture themselves after saying yes?
What makes the offer feel connected to their life?
If the email does not do that, it may need more than a better subject line. It may need a stronger reason to exist.
Subject lines matter, of course. Design matters. Segmentation matters. Timing matters. Calls to action matter. But none of those can fully compensate for an email that has no emotional or practical pull.
You can have a clever subject line that leads to a flat announcement.
You can have a beautiful template that does not make anyone want anything.
You can have a perfect send time for an offer nobody feels motivated to act on.
Desire is not the only ingredient in email marketing, but it is one of the most important.
And it is often one of the most neglected.
There is also a useful discipline in asking “what does this make the reader want?” because it forces you to remove unnecessary clutter.
If the point of the email is to make someone want the relaxing vacation, do you need five paragraphs of resort specifications before they can feel it?
If the point is to make them want a less stressful Monday morning, do you need to lead with every software integration?
If the point is to make them want their home ready for Thanksgiving, do you need to open with cabinet construction details?
Maybe those details belong later. Maybe they belong on the landing page. Maybe they belong in a follow-up email. Maybe some readers will want them before buying.
But desire often starts with the outcome, not the specification.
Once I want the beach vacation, I will care more about the room.
Once I want Thanksgiving in the finished kitchen, I will care more about the cabinets.
Once I want my Monday morning back, I will care more about the software.
Once I want the patio experience, I will care more about the furniture.
Lead me into the future first. Then show me how to get there.
That is not just better writing. It is better selling.
Because when someone wants the future badly enough, you may spend a lot less time trying to convince them why they should choose you instead of somebody else.
You are no longer only competing on the surface-level offer. You are competing on the clarity of the outcome, the relevance of the desire, and the trust that you can help deliver it.
That is where strong email marketing becomes more than a promotional tool. It becomes a relationship-building tool.
If every email you send is just “buy now,” people learn to ignore you unless they are ready to buy right now.
But if your emails regularly help them imagine useful, desirable, relevant outcomes, they may keep reading even when they are not ready yet. They may start to associate your business with the future they want. They may begin to trust that you understand the problem behind the purchase.
That matters.
People do not always buy the first time they hear from you. They may wait weeks, months, or years. But during that time, your emails can either train them to tune you out or train them to pay attention.
If your emails are only electronic flyers, you become one more promotion in a crowded inbox.
If your emails build desire, you become a voice that helps them see what is possible.
So the next time you sit down to write a promotional email, do not start with the discount. Do not start with the feature list. Do not start with the fact that you need to fill the calendar, sell the seats, move the inventory, or announce the new service.
Start with the reader.
What do they want?
What do they wish were easier?
What are they tired of dealing with?
What have they been postponing?
What moment would make them feel like the purchase was worth it?
What would they be excited to experience after saying yes?
Then write toward that.
You can still include the details. You should still make the offer clear. You should still have a direct call to action. But now those pieces are serving a bigger purpose.
They are not just announcing something for sale.
They are helping the reader move toward something they want.
That is the standard I would use:
What does this email make the reader want?
If you can answer that clearly and specifically, your email is probably heading in the right direction.
If you cannot, keep working.
Because great email marketing does not just announce an opportunity. It builds anticipation for what happens after someone takes it.
