Surprise and delight.

As a marketer, salesperson, creator or anyone really looking to drive engagement will have heard those three words.

We know, we know…they’re kinda “cringey” (straight out of a 2002 marketing playbook), but they still hold merit because readers like to be, well, surprised and delighted.

The best ways to surprise and delight in email? Do the unexpected things that entertain, engage and excite your audience.

And one of those is Easter eggs (unfortunately, not the edible kind).

Remember: Your audience is more than just a body in your passenger seat, so let’s run through a few quick ways we do this and a few tips you can work on in your emails.

The best way to describe these? Think of it as a little wink to your reader. A fun or useful surprise tucked inside your email.

There are heaps of ways to do this, but think things like a hidden GIF that only shows up if you scroll far enough, a sneaky link buried in a clever turn of phrase, or even a quirky sentence or song lyric that breaks the fourth wall.

The magic lies in making your reader feel like they’ve discovered something just for them.

The goal? Reward the curious. Build a moment of unexpected connection. Get people taking action (because why the heck else do you send emails if not for action).

They humanise your brand

When you hide something playful or thoughtful in your emails, you're no longer a faceless sender. There are so many (boring) emails out there, so what makes you stand out?

Humour. Creativity. Personality. These build trust. And trust builds loyalty.

They reward attention

Let’s face the fact that we’re all scanning inboxes and skimming emails. Easter eggs reward the few who slow down, pay attention, or click around.

It’s like saying, “Hey, you noticed! Thanks for being here, and for being awesome.”

They create storytelling moments that people remember

Surprises are sticky. People remember the brand that hid a disco-dancing cat behind an ellipsis link. Or the one that let you click on a typo “by accident” and landed you on a joke page.

You want moments that encourage someone to feel something. Even if it’s a glimpse of joy, the job is done. When people feel, they remember.

There are a multitude of ways to do this. It heavily depends on your email content, subscriber context, and so many more variables, but it’s both cheap and effective, so why not give these a try?

Before we reveal one or two of ours (because we know you’ll now be hunting for these), here are one or two ideas you can try in your emails:

We’ve even seen Easter eggs in email code! Here are some great examples by our friend from Email Love, Andy King, a few years ago.

There would be no fun if we gave away all of our Easter eggs, but if you’re willing to give this game a try (and if you’re on the ball for a Thursday), head on over here and take a look at our last few Volumes.

Here’s what you’ll be looking for:

There are one or two more, depending on the Volume (and our sense of humour at the time), but we’re working on a few more Easter eggs to surprise and delight the legends (you included) in our community.

Let us know here if you’ve found them all, or have a few ideas you’d like to share on these.

Give Easter eggs a try in your emails, but don’t forget: With great power comes great responsibility. Use these wisely and sparingly to keep them effective.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!