One of the oldest ways of marketing that’s still successful is via email. Businesses have been using email marketing to send out information about their latest products and services, upcoming events, and offers to create awareness and interest among targeted prospects.
Email marketing is cost-effective, even in 2021, and is reported to still be the most effective way of reaching customers. People spend a lot of time checking emails, whether personal or business-related, so there's always a chance that they will open your emails.
There are also statistics that argue email marketing is three times more effective compared to Facebook in terms of ROI (return on investment).
Today, many businesses across the globe are into email copywriting to increase awareness and build relationships with customers with steaming copies. They hire some kickass email copywriters who can create some appealing email copies for them.
But e-mail copywriting is not easy if you’re just starting out. It can be a rather overwhelming task to craft an engaging and effective email copy.
That's why we have put together this guide.
It has some email copywriting tips for beginners, which will help you get started with your first few drip campaigns.
What Is Email Copywriting?
It’s a form of writing direct marketing copy for email subscribers who have previously opted-in for email updates from a company. Unlike social media marketing copy, email marketing copy focuses on crafting short yet effective words and phrases that will get the reader excited about your business.
What Makes A Good Email Copy?
There are a lot of factors to consider when creating an effective email marketing copy. It has to be interesting, concise, and straightforward. What you say must be relevant to what your business is offering.
Use words that will get the audience's attention, highlight the benefits of your product or services so that they will feel compelled enough to take action.
Here’s an example of a great email copy.
The intent of sending this email: If you have created a pdf guide regarding email marketing or something like why emails are not getting clicks, and you want to promote your guide. Try this technique.
Subject line: How to make sure your emails get into the inbox.
Hey (customer name),
Start with a story and connect your idea with it.
Something like this,
My friend (your friend's name or the name of the writer who has written the guide) recently revealed something shocking about email marketing.
According to statistics, 78% of emails never get opened and/or never make it to the inbox.
That means a whopping 55 TRILLION emails each year never see the light of day.
Lost in the ether, like luggage.
In fact, even emails with world-class subject lines written by the greatest copywriters aren’t getting delivered and/or opened.
No matter how great your emails are and how much time you invest to create messages that resonate with your audience, most of your emails will never see the light of day!
Why?
Here's a simple answer...
Most of the emails shuttle to the Promotions folder or the Spam folder.
Why?
Because the AI is protecting their users from email senders they identify as “low worth” senders or spammers.
So what you can do about it?
Check out (your latest report on this topic) right away.
Add some key points here:
- Point one
- Point two
- Point three
Close your email by giving a complimentary gift to your subscribers, such as a free download of the guide you created.
Regards,
(Your Name)
P.S. This report is NOT a sales letter “disguised” as a report.
Follow this link now to get INSTANT ACCESS.
Pro Tip: Millions of emails are sent daily, so you must add a creative spin to your email copy to stand out!
The Anatomy Of An Effective Email Copy
- Understanding your audience
- A headline that quickly grabs the attention
- Induce a pain point or excitement
- Have a CTA (Call to Action)
If you understand the basic guidelines in writing effective emails, then you can easily create an impressive copy.
Types Of Email Content
The best email copywriters put a lot of effort into creating an engaging and appealing copy. Experienced email copywriters understand that humans have a short attention span, and they need to sell a product or service within the first two sentences.
1. Promotional email copy
Promotional email copy is used to clear existing stock or when launching a new product or service that you have not offered before. It contains an overview of what your business does, its USP, and why you think that this product is one-of-a-kind from others in the market. These kinds of emails also introduce the audience to limited or time-bound offers for the product or service.
2. Discount and rewards
Discount and reward emails are standalone email which is meant to motivate your customers into trying or buying something new. This type of email includes special offers on products, etc., while reward emails focus on giving customers an incentive for their loyalty, which might be in the form of points they can redeem later.
Discount and promotional emails are not the same – even though they sound like. Discount emails are those that you receive from a company that offers you a discount on their product. Promotional emails are those that you receive from a company that is trying to get your attention and entice you to purchase their items.
Both emails are written differently and should be written with different goals in mind. Discount emails are usually written to drive immediate sales and to convince customers that they need the product. They have a strong call-to-action and do not include much of the company's information or marketing copy.
3. Review request
A review request email is used to request customers to give their honest feedback about the product or service that they purchased from you. The sole motive of the review request email is to find out whether or not the customers liked your product if there are any improvements that can be made in the future, and how you can improve your customer's experience.
4. Nurturing emails
Nurturing emails aim to build and maintain relationships with your audience through relevant content such as tips, information, etc., which they might find useful in their day-to-day lives. These emails can be sent either on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on what would be more effective for your business. Businesses send these types of emails when there's a need for them to reach out and provide additional information on topics that might interest their audience.
5. Informational emails
An informative email is one that's sent to keep your customers informed about an activity made from their account. These include notifications about recent orders; order shipped emails, password resets, and other account-related activities.
Email Copywriting Best Practices
Sending the right email at the right time is crucial when it comes to increasing open rates, click-through rates, and customer engagement. The ultimate goal of creating compelling content for your emails is to attract visitors who might need your product or service and encourage them to make a purchase.
Here are some of the email copywriting best practices that you should follow if you want to improve your email marketing strategy.
1. Win the subject line
The main purpose of the subject line is to make your email stand out from hundreds of other emails that your audience receives on a daily basis. Remember, you only have a few seconds to capture their attention and encourage them to open your email, so be really careful about the words you put in the subject line.
To come up with an effective email subject line, ask yourself:
What value will this offer bring to my audience? What benefit would they get if they buy from me? How can I encourage them to open my email?
Here are some examples of catchy email subject lines.
- 6 ways to keep your focus (your writing will thank you!)
- Confession: The real reason I'm teaching writers to send emails
- Truth Time: How Much is 'Not Having Time' Really Stopping You?
- Big Announcement and $1,500 Gift
- OMG, This Bamboo Dress! - Save $25 off today!
- What It's Like to Travel Internationally, Cheap Places to Travel in the USA, Why You Should Visit San Diego, and More!
- Lucky You! Don't miss out! Buy one, get one 50% off.
- Want to get paid for your writing? Start Here.
- New Chanel Bags Just Hit Stores!
- Tell Us How We're Doing
- The ONE mistake you’re probably making with Amazon Ads
2. Keep it short and sweet
Keeping your email copy short and sweet is important if you want to increase the chances of people opening your emails. Customers don't like reading long-winded sales pitches that are full of promotional content, which doesn't provide value to them as individuals. For this reason, most experienced email marketers recommend keeping each email under 100 words.
If you can hook your readers within the first two sentences, then half of your work is done for you.
3. Use a conversational tone
Writing an email in a conversational tone can help you connect better with your customers. Using the word ‘You’ is one of the most effective ways to improve conversion rates because of its familiarity and intimacy. Also, avoid using words that might confuse your readers or make them feel uncomfortable.
4. Create a sense of urgency
Creating a sense of urgency helps increase sales by letting people know about an upcoming sale event, limited time offer, clearance on products, etc., which will encourage them to take action now rather than later. Doing this will increase the chances for people to purchase what they need without spending too much time thinking about it.
5. Give a warm farewell
Ending an email can be tricky, but a nice 'thank you can be highly effective and encourage further communication between you and your customers. A warm farewell email is one of the most underrated but effective email marketing tricks which can increase your conversion by 15%. A simple 'we wish you all the best' at the end of an email can go a long way in strengthening your relationship with new and existing customers.
6. Add a signature to your email
Adding signatures at the end of the email is quite common and useful for individuals working in a corporate setting. However, it might be less familiar to marketers who are just starting out with their email marketing strategy but adding signatures can increase your click-through rates by up to 20%.
You should include your designation in the email you are sending, social links, or contact details. Also, make sure you have your brand logo in the email if possible, so people know where to get more information about your business.
7. Include a simple call to action
A simple call to action tells your readers exactly what you want them to do and encourages them to take the next step. Most emails don't include clear instruction, which results in low conversion rates. You need to make sure that you tell customers exactly what they should expect when they click on the link in your email.
For example, if you are promoting an offer on the latest collection of shoes, your call-to-action could be ‘Buy now’. On the other hand, if you are offering clearance sales, then it might be more beneficial to use something like 'Browse our selections' instead because it's not as pushy or direct as telling people to buy right away.
8. Master the email preview text
Most email clients will show the first couple of sentences in the preview text that appears before an email is opened. This is your chance to convince the reader to open your email, so you need to make it count. The preview text is often called a preheader which might be different on different email platforms but all in all its means the same thing.
Sending out an email doesn't mean it's over for good; always check back with people who opened your email to see how they felt about receiving it. If they think it's irrelevant to their needs, then try adapting it so that you send them something that keeps them interested when they receive future emails from you. Also, keep track of the people who don't open your emails by using web analytics.
Personalizing your message with the right tone and context will help create a personalized look that will make your readers remember more about what you have just sent them.
Things To Avoid In Email Copywriting
Email marketing is one of the best ways to reach out to potential and existing customers, but all the success can be ruined if you aren't careful with what you send and how you write it. The following mistakes are easy to avoid by simply keeping them in mind from start to finish.
1. Don't include attachments
No one likes opening a mail and finding an attachment they don't want, so make sure that none of your emails have attachments unless it's absolutely necessary. The alternate idea is to include a download link for the file rather than including it directly within the email.
2. Long email
Avoid writing a lengthy sales pitch in your email marketing copy. Customers don't want to waste time reading long emails when they might have hundreds of others in their inbox demanding attention. Keep your message simple and direct so that you can get customers to take action quickly without having them lose interest along the way. It is best to keep your marketing emails under 100 words if you want to create an email copy that sells. Anything over 100 words might take away the attention.
3. Don't use jargon
Using jargon is a big mistake that marketers make when writing an email. Using industry terms within copy won't help you connect with customers because these words might not be familiar to them, therefore, alienating readers who are new to your list. Use plain and simple language that is easy to understand instead of using words that might be difficult to read and comprehend.
4. Don't use too many images
Using an image in your email copy can get more people to take action, but if you use too many all at once, then the risk is that they will make your message long and tedious. Keep it simple; one or two relevant images should be enough for making a point without being distracted.
5. Avoid a formal tone or writing style
Using formal language, or long sales pitches has never worked in email marketing because everyone's different, and we don't all prefer reading emails in the same way. Personalizing messages coupled with an informal tone will allow readers to relate more with what they're reading, which helps them connect with the information you provide, making it more likely for them to take action when they see an email from you.
Remember, be informal and conversational in your email, as it will help you connect with the readers on a different level.
6. Never send marketing emails on the weekend
Sending out marketing emails on Sunday or Saturday means that your customers might miss them because they are busy doing other things, therefore, making it much less likely for them to take action when they see your message because by then, it's too late.
Timing is everything, so always send your messages during weekdays when your readers are hooked to their screens.
6. Dodge excessive and overly sales pitches
Overusing sales pitchy words will put off your readers and make them feel like you are trying too hard to sell your product or service. Always keep it simple and genuine so that you can build a rapport with customers over time rather than appear as just another salesperson out there looking for clients.
Using formal language, jargon, or long sales pitches has never worked in email marketing because everyone's different, and we don't all prefer reading emails in the same way.
Personalizing messages will allow readers to relate more with what they're reading, which helps them connect with the information you provide, making it more likely for them to take action when they see an email from you.
How much to charge for email copywriting?
An experienced email copywriter charges between $50-$100 per hour. But if you want to get some long-term clients you should work at reasonable rates - something between $35 to $50 for a short email copy. If you need to write a mini blog post for an email, then you should charge between $250 and $500 for a 300-400 words email copy.
Email copywriting templates when pitching for freelance copywriting jobs
Template 1
Hello [insert company/contact person name],
My name is [your name], and I’m a Copywriter based in Atlanta, Ga. I saw your listing and thought I’d be a good fit for the role. I have worked with different clients in the past and written some sizzling email copies that actually drove conversions for them.
Below you’ll find links to my portfolio site and resume, and a form of contact.
Portfolio: yourdomain.com
Resume: yourdomain.com/resume
A preferred form of contact
I look forward to scheduling a time to talk this week about the project!
Cheers,
[your name]
Template 2
Hi [client's name]
I hate to email out of the blue, but I noticed you/your brand on [site]. I am a copywriter, and I’d love to write for you if you have any needs! I specialize in writing direct marketing copy], email copies, [this thing], [that thing], etc.
Here’s a link to my portfolio, if interested:
I would love to run a few ideas by you. When would be the best date and time to talk?
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Template 3
Hi there,
I'm a writer from (sum up your location and experience in one line). Mention some of your recent copywriting projects or if you don't have any, say what you specialize in.
As I've recently written about X I would be able to use this expertise to create a great blog/landing page/web content/spam emailing campaign** (delete as appropriate) for you.
Here's the link to my portfolio :
My rates are (mention your rates). However, we can negotiate on rates that's the second thing obviously.
If you'd like to discuss further, we can schedule a call or a meeting at your convenience.
Have a great day!
Regards,
[Your Name]
Conclusion
If you want to make sure that your email marketing campaigns work, it's always best to hire professionals who will deliver effective and catchy email copywriting services. The days of sending plain text emails are long gone—it is now more important than ever before to provide value through entertainment in addition to service specifications via words that pique interest and create excitement about your products or services and get people clicking on links within the body or calling your business.
Writing email copy is one of the most challenging tasks out there when it comes to marketing because we need to grab attention while not overselling our products or services.
If you are struggling with that, feel free to contact us.
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