What’s the feeling like when a friend gives you a gift so
specific it practically feels stolen from your brain? Vs. when you get a
generic gift card to a chain restaurant.
But it’s not just a thoughtless gift that puts you off.
Receiving a gift that’s as useless as a deluxe cheese basket to a
lactose–intolerant person is equally, if not more, of a bummer. And let’s not
even start on those narcissistic gifts. The ones that scream more about the
giver's interests than yours.
The personalized gifts, on the other hand, show the giver's
attentiveness and care. It’s also a sign of willingness to create a meaningful
experience that leaves the recipient feeling valued and appreciated. And seen,
too.
That’s how your audience feels when your emails are thoughtfully
personalized.
Anyways, with 376.4 billion emails sent every day, how far do
you think your email marketing campaigns will go with indifferent, generic
copy? Or, worse, with half-baked personalization? Not much, right?
And here’s why that feeling is spot-on: McKinsey found that 71%
of consumers expect personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when they
don’t get them. Sure, these stats speak broadly to marketing communications—but
let’s not shrug them off too soon. Email is still one of the most intimate,
direct channels to get closer to customers.
By which we mean, good email personalization is non-negotiable.
It is effective in prompting customers’ consideration of your brand, driving
repeated engagement, and loyalty over time.
Now, while personalized email formats are all-rounder and come
handy in all different ways, today we're diving into clever ways to design
personalized email layouts using the potent psychological triggers of scarcity
and urgency. Let's go all in.
What
Are Personalized Email Templates? Why They Aren’t Optional Anymore?
Before we get into personalized email templates, let’s get this tattooed on our marketing hands:
Dropping a {{First Name}} into your subject line was
personalization 15 years ago.
Today, first-name mail merges are expected from brands. But
unless you couple them with a deeper-level personalization, they don’t mean
anything, says Chad White.
Real personalized email templates grow their roots deeper.
So… what exactly is a
personalized email template?
A personalized email template is a pre-designed email layout
created to make each email unique to the recipient. It reads as intimately
familiar to the person receiving it with the help of subscriber data, like
name, geolocation, shopping history, or preferences.
Does that mean you create 1,000 different emails for 1,000
people? (Unless you have chronic
somniphobia). While the efforts are heartfelt, that isn’t the most scalable
approach to email personalization.
The beauty of personalized email formats is that they feel tailor-made, without you doing
custom work for every recipient. Dynamic email content does the trick here. It
changes as per the subscriber’s individual data.
The results are tangible:
● 64% of companies already use dynamic content in email.
● Personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates.
● 96% of marketers say personalization increases sales.
Why is email personalization suddenly at the top of every
marketer’s to-do list?
● There is a rising tide of AI-generated, regurgitated content.
The copies are full of “unlock,” “meticulous,” and “seamless,” words that make
readers sick. With these cookie-cutter copies flattening out every brand’s
voice, subscribers are craving more human
experiences.
● Email filters are becoming smarter and less compromising. Gmail
and Yahoo’s new sender requirements mean that unless your emails are relevant
and engaging, they ain't getting delivered.
● Google’s Tracking Protection and the phasing out of third-party
cookies mandate marketers to look for first-party and zero-party data. For
building their own data sources, marketers have to double down on emails.
That implies some pretty solid work for collecting and managing
your subscriber data. Which is known to be a notoriously tricky yet oddly
exciting part of every email marketer’s job. But that can of worms? We’ll crack
open another time.
For now, the silver lining is that with accurate and up-to-date
data, you can unlock the full potential of email personalization. These
personalized email templates stir up a sense of urgency and scarcity in
customers. And urge subscribers to open emails and make a quick decision.
Let’s see how.
How Personalized Email Templates
Elicit Scarcity and Urgency
1)
Countdown
Timers
A countdown makes your heart race. But most timers start when
the email is sent, not when it’s opened. That means the offer might
already have expired when someone checks their inbox.
Here’s the fix: use personalization and automation to start the
timer when the subscriber opens the email. Whether they open it at 8 AM or 8
PM, they still get the full offer window—say, 20 minutes or 2 hours to shop.
This makes your emails feel more individualized, relevant, and
fair. Plus, add a perk, like extra savings or early access. This will make the
deal worth acting on fast.
2)
Use
Specific Numbers in Subject Lines and CTAs
“This item is popular” is fine.
“143 people added this to
their cart today.”? But this makes you pause
and maybe click Buy Now before it’s
gone.
That’s because numbers do two psychological tricks:
● Make your message easier to process.
● Attach authenticity.
In your personalized email layout, you can use data like stock
levels, waitlist counts, or total units made. That creates a combination of
urgency and scarcity that triggers action. For example:
● Show percentage left in
stock (“Only 12% remaining”)
● Highlight total quantity
(“We only made 200”)
● Add urgency in the CTA (“Almost sold out—grab yours now”)
But remember that the email should hint at products customers
have already shown interest in. Then, it’s not just scarcity—it’s scarcity +
relevance.
3)
Offer
Time-Sensitive Free Shipping, But Make It Personal
Scarcity should not be limited to stock levels or ticking clocks
on discounts. Free shipping is an equally powerful nudge. But position it as a
limited-time perk.
To personalize this in your email template:
● Mention the customer’s usual shipping zone to make it feel targeted.
● Suggest products based on past browsing or purchases to help
them act fast without thinking too hard.
● Use dynamic content to display a different message based on the
time zone or open time.
Don’t Let Personalization Cross
the Line
We
make decisions emotionally, and urgency and scarcity tap into that. But
personalized email layouts, when done wrong, can feel less relevant and more
creepy.
Before
you personalize, ask: Does this add value, context, or clarity?
If
not, don’t include it just because you can. No one wants an email that makes
them wonder, “How do you even know that about me?”
Stick
to the data people have given you directly. Segment by behaviors, needs, or
location, not by pulling in weird, hyper-specific facts that have nothing to do
with your brand relationship.
Good
personalization says, “I see you.”
Bad
personalization screams, “I’ve been watching you.”
Big
difference.
If you have any doubt related this post, let me know