Behavioral design isn’t just about making emails visually appealing. <\/p>\n\n
It goes much further. <\/p>\n\n
It seeks to understand and use patterns of human behavior<\/strong> to influence recipients’ decisions and actions. <\/p>\n\n By applying these principles to email marketing<\/a>, we can design campaigns that don’t just inform, but also motivate and encourage meaningful interaction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Behavioral design is a discipline that sits at the intersection of psychology and design. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n It focuses on how design elements can influence people’s decisions and behaviors. <\/p>\n\n In the context of email marketing, behavioral design uses insights into human behavior to create emails<\/strong> that not only grab attention, but also motivate recipients to take specific actions.<\/p>\n\n This approach is based on the understanding that our decisions are influenced<\/strong> by a range of cognitive and emotional factors. <\/p>\n\n Many of which occur unconsciously. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n By applying behavioral psychology principles, such as: <\/p>\n\n It’s possible to design emails that have a deeper impact on audiences.<\/p>\n\n Next, we’ll see how to apply these concepts practically.<\/p>\n\n Applying behavioral design to the email subject line is crucial<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n It helps you stand out among the many emails in a user’s inbox and increase your open rate. <\/p>\n\n Some key aspects you should consider include:<\/p>\n\n Using emojis<\/a> in email subject lines can have a significant impact. <\/p>\n\n From a behavioral design perspective:<\/p>\n\n Combining a short subject line with an eye-catching emoji in email marketing can influence human psychology<\/strong> in several interesting ways. <\/p>\n\n This approach draws on the principles of behavioral design and cognitive psychology to capture attention and encourage people to open the email. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n Why? <\/p>\n\n A short subject line is mentally easy to process. <\/p>\n\n This makes it appealing in an environment where users’ attention is limited. <\/p>\n\n Brevity respects the recipient’s time and can increase the likelihood of the email being noticed and opened.<\/p>\n\n Emojis draw visual attention in a predominantly text-based inbox. <\/p>\n\n The human brain processes images faster<\/strong> than text, so an emoji can act as a visual ‘hook’ that makes the email more visible.<\/p>\n\n Emojis can instantly convey an emotion or idea (such as happiness, urgency or surprise)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n This kind of instant, emotional communication<\/strong> can be absorbed more directly by the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for emotions. <\/p>\n\n A brief subject line and an emoji can spark curiosity. <\/p>\n\n Recipients might feel intrigued about what the email contains, which can lead to a higher open rate.<\/p>\n\n That said, as <\/strong>with everything, it’s important to note that overuse can make these techniques lose their effectiveness.<\/p>\n\n The key lies in variety.<\/p>\n\n If there’s one surprising thing about email marketing, it’s that even though it’s mainly text-based content<\/strong>, we don’t usually put as much effort into the text as we should.<\/p>\n\n And ultimately, it’s this text that has to get the recipient to take the action you want.<\/p>\n\n Doing things any old way just won’t cut it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n What do I recommend you keep in mind?<\/p>\n\n The benefits of not having overly long paragraphs are numerous.<\/p>\n\n Short paragraphs reduce cognitive load. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n Our brains prefer processing small amounts of information at a time, making brief paragraphs easier to digest and understand.<\/p>\n\n Using bold text, despite being a classic tool, is highly effective.<\/p>\n\n It’s a simple way to highlight the most important parts of a text.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n This allows us to:<\/p>\n\n Bold text acts as visual cues that guide readers through the content.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n It’s rare for an email to be divided into multiple sections separated by headings.<\/p>\n\n Even so, there are elements that can help us define a structure, such as the use of bold text, as we mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n\n But so can lists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Generally speaking, we want to achieve a lightweight structure with well-organized information.<\/p>\n\n White space (or negative space)<\/strong> around the text and between paragraphs helps reduce the visual density of the content, which makes it easier to read.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Furthermore, white space can be used to direct the reader’s attention toward the most important elements of the email, like CTAs or special offers.<\/p>\n\n White space around the text prevents visual overload.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Elements like images, charts, or even GIFs can make the content more engaging and increase user interaction with the email.<\/p>\n\n Applying behavioral design to the calls to action (CTAs) in your emails means understanding and using the principles of human psychology<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n With the goal of influencing recipient behavior. <\/p>\n\n Let’s see how these principles can be applied to different aspects of calls to action:<\/p>\n\n Offer something of value at the beginning of the email, like a useful tip or an interesting perspective, before presenting the CTA. <\/p>\n\n Design the CTA as a natural opportunity for the recipient to “return the favor”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n For example<\/strong>, “As a thank-you for reading our newsletter, here’s 20% off\u2026”<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n Create a series of emails that start with small commitments and gradually build up<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n For example, the first email might ask the reader to learn more about a topic, and the following ones might move toward a purchase.<\/p>\n\n Use phrases that remind users of their past choices or actions<\/strong>, such as “Since you enjoyed our last article on X, you won’t want to miss this opportunity\u2026”<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n Visually<\/strong>, present the CTA in a context that highlights its value. <\/p>\n\n For example<\/strong>, show the regular price next to a discounted price.<\/p>\n\n Use striking colors and visual cues to highlight limited offers or products with low availability.<\/p>\n\n Include phrases like “Offer valid while supplies last”<\/em> or “Only a few hours left”<\/em> to create a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n\n Incorporate testimonials or popularity indicators near the CTA. <\/p>\n\n For example, use star icons for ratings or mention how many people have already purchased the product.<\/p>\n\n Use quotes or references from satisfied customers to reinforce the offer’s credibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Use intriguing designs or images that arouse curiosity to complement the CTA.<\/p>\n\n Phrase the CTA in a way that promises to reveal additional information or benefits, encouraging the reader to discover more.<\/p>\n\n Make the CTA stand out with a simple, clear design<\/strong>, using easily identifiable buttons or links.<\/p>\n\n Use straightforward and simple language, avoiding ambiguity about what is being offered or what the recipient is expected to do.<\/p>\n\n This is another aspect we can improve regarding our email marketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n Forms are essential for capturing new contacts.<\/p>\n\n What should we keep in mind when working on our forms?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Identify and reduce friction points in the subscription process. <\/p>\n\n This could include simplifying the form<\/strong>, reducing the number of required fields or making the instructions clearer.<\/p>\n\n Explore how different colors can affect user emotions and decisions. <\/p>\n\n For example, using warm colors<\/strong> can encourage action, while cool colors can create a sense of trust and professionalism.<\/p>\n\n This psychological effect suggests that people remember unfinished tasks better<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n You can apply this by starting the subscription process on one page and completing it on another, encouraging users to finish the process.<\/p>\n\n Compare it first with a high-value offer (like an expensive course) before offering a free subscription to your newsletter. <\/p>\n\n This establishes an anchor that makes the free option seem even more valuable.<\/p>\n\n Surprise users after they subscribe with an unexpected benefit, such as an extra discount or an exclusive resource<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n This creates a memorable experience and can foster loyalty.<\/p>\n\n Segmentation involves dividing the audience into smaller groups based on common characteristics, such as behavior, interests, demographics, purchase history, among others.<\/p>\n\n It allows for a more personalized and targeted approach, improving the relevance and effectiveness of marketing communications.<\/p>\n\n You need to consider that all the tips and strategies we’ve seen don’t work the same way with all social groups.<\/p>\n\n That’s why splitting your contact list into segments<\/strong> can help you use the most effective strategies with each segment.<\/p>\n\n Behavioral design in digital marketing is a powerful tool focused on applying behavioral psychology principles to influence users’ decisions and actions.<\/p>\n\n These behavioral design principles are closely related to neuromarketing<\/a>, and also to Robert Cialdini’s 7 principles of persuasion<\/a>, which share much of the same psychological foundation.<\/p>\n\n Jose Argudo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CMO at Mailrelay. Writes about email marketing, copywriting, and conversion for small businesses and entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More articles by Jose<\/a> \u00b7 LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Understanding how to capture and maintain users’ attention is more crucial than ever. Behavioral design combines elements of psychology, neuromarketing and user experience to create more effective and engaging emails. Behavioral design isn’t just about making emails visually appealing. It goes much further. It seeks to understand and use patterns of human behavior to influence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":77229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[761,562,851],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-copywriting-2","category-email-marketing-2","category-newsletter-templates-and-design"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is behavioral design?<\/h2>\n\n
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![\"Email](\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/copywriting.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nEmail subject lines and behavioral design<\/h2>\n\n
\n
\u2705 Using emojis in subject lines<\/h3>\n\n
\n
\ud83d\udca1 Benefits of using short subject lines that include an emoji<\/h3>\n\n
1) Attention economy: <\/h4>\n\n
2) Directing attention: <\/h4>\n\n
3) Fast information transmission: <\/h4>\n\n
4) Increased curiosity and open rates: <\/h4>\n\n
![\"Behavioral](\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/conversion.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nBehavioral design and your email copy<\/h2>\n\n
\u27a4 Short paragraphs:<\/h3>\n\n
\n
\u27a4 Using bold text:<\/h3>\n\n
\n
\u27a4 Visual hierarchy and design:<\/h3>\n\n
\u27a4 White space:<\/h3>\n\n
\u27a4 Including interactive or visual elements:<\/h3>\n\n
![\"Psychological](\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sales-grow.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nPsychological aspects of effective calls to action<\/h2>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e Principle of reciprocity:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e Commitment and consistency effect:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e Contrast theory:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e Urgency and scarcity:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e Social proof effect:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e The power of curiosity:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udd0e Simplicity and clarity:<\/h3>\n\n
![\"Deep](\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/email-contact-list.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nBehavioral design for subscription forms<\/h2>\n\n
\ud83d\udccc Analyzing friction points:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udccc Color psychology and visual design:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udccc The Zeigarnik effect in forms:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udccc Using anchoring in offers:<\/h3>\n\n
\ud83d\udccc Playing with expectations and surprise:<\/h3>\n\n
![\"Segmentation](\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/analytics.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\nSegmentation in behavioral design<\/h2>\n\n
To sum up<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Jose](\"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jose-argudo-cmo-mailrelay.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n