In 2020, I became a freelance copywriter.
Within a few short months, I chose a niche…
Email copywriting.
I was HOOKED!
In my unhumble opinion, writing promotional emails for brands is the BEST kind of copywriting to specialize in.
5 BIG reasons:
- Emails are a blast to write
- They pay a LOT of mula
- It’s one of the easiest services to get retainer deals (monthly contracts)
- Email copywriting is always in icy-hot demand
- It takes under 10 minutes to write emails that sell (once you get good)
If I had a crystal ball and could choose ANY career to start in 2024, it’d be email copywriting (still writing emails 4 years later).
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn everything you need to become a successful email copywriter in 2024.
What is Email Copywriting?
Open your email inbox.
See all those emails from companies?
The text within those emails is email copywriting and they are written by email copywriters.
Email copywriting is the process of writing engaging and persuasive content for email marketing campaigns.
The #1 goal of writing emails for companies is to sell their products and services.
There’s a lot of objectives companies may have…
Like….
Improve open rates, get more webinar sign-ups, click-through rates… yada, yada, yada… but the underlying goal is to make more sales from the emails they send out.
Sales reign supreme.
The key to writing good email copy is to study the basics of direct response copywriting (sales copy).
Then, apply everything you learn to writing emails.
I’ll show you exactly which books to read and how to build your copywriting skills later, but make sure you check out this FREE email crash course I created to quickly get you up to speed and write killer emails ASAP.
What Does an Email Copywriter Do?
An email copywriter is someone who writes promotional emails for companies and brands.
You’ll spend the majority of your shiny day researching, writing emails and collaborating with marketing and design teams.
Your primary goal is to craft emails that not only snatch attention but also persuade your readers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or subscribing to a newsletter.
Here are the key responsibilities and tasks of an email copywriter:
1. Research
The first (and most important) part of writing copy is research.
Top copywriters spend 80% of their time on research, and only a small chunk on writing.
Why?
Because good email copy is not written, it’s assembled.
Everything you need to write emails that sell like lava cakes already exists.
Your job is to find it, then assemble it in the most persuasive way.
For every email campaign you write, you’ll spend hours researching your client’s target audience, product/service, competition, brand voice and much more.
But you will focus most of your time researching their target audience (your readers).
By knowing your audience inside/out, you’ll be able to grab their attention, pique their interest and motivate them to buy from you.
2. Create Compelling Subject Lines
The subject line is the first thing readers see, and it significantly influences whether they open your email or not.
Email copywriters craft attention-grabbing subject lines that are curiosity-peaking, benefit driven and specifically made for THEM.
You’ll want to spend a lot of time writing subject lines. It’s one of the most important aspects of email copywriting. If your subject line doesn’t grab your reader’s attention, they will not open or read your copy, no matter how good it is.
3. Craft Persuasive Body Copy
The main “body” of the email contains your core message and call-to-action (CTA).
The goal of ALL the text in your email is to push readers to your call to action.
There are many copywriting tools to help you achieve this, like:
- Telling stories
- Highlighting benefits
- Using analogies
- Asking questions
However, the more tailored your body copy is to your target audience and their interests, the more likely they’ll read your entire email.
4. Develop Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
CTAs are the buttons & links you see at the end of emails.
Your CTA guides your readers on what action to take next.
Whether it's making a purchase, clicking a link, or filling out a form, your CTA is VERY IMPORTANT.
Give your readers super clear and direct instructions on what to do next.
To motivate them to respond, add in urgency and scarcity.
You can achieve this by...
- Adding a discount
- Mentioning there’s only a limited number of products available
- Emphasizing why they should buy now (problems they can relieve, desires they can achieve).
5. Optimize for Mobile
Nowadays, EVERYONE reads emails on their phone.
So…
You’ll have to help companies optimize their content for mobile devices.
This involves optimizing the layout, design, and overall readability for users accessing emails on smartphones and tablets.
6. Test and Iterate
Testing is EVERYTHING in copywriting.
Copywriting is results-driven.
Email copywriters often engage in A/B testing, experimenting with different elements such as subject lines, CTAs, and offers to determine what resonates best with their audience.
7. Collaborate with Designers and Marketers
There’s more that goes into email campaigns than just text.
Email copywriters often collaborate with graphic designers, coders and marketers to create effective email marketing strategies and campaigns.
This may involve coordinating visuals, branding, and messaging across various channels.
8. Stay Informed About Industry Trends
Keeping up with industry trends and best practices is crucial for your success.
Email copywriters stay informed about changes in email marketing, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies to continually improve their approach.
9. Monitor and Analyze Performance
After a campaign is launched, email copywriters monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.
They analyze the data to assess the success of the campaign and gather insights for future improvements.
How Much Does an Email Copywriter Make? (2024 Email Copywriter Salary)
In-house email copywriters (working at a company) make around $40,000 to $65,000 per year as a junior copywriter (entry-level)… and… around $100,000+ as a senior email copywriter.
However…
If you work for yourself (freelance email copywriter), you can earn 6 figures… or more!
As a freelance copywriter, the only limit to your earning potential is YOU.
It all comes down to how you run your freelance business – your lead generation systems, your prices, how fast you can write, who you’re writing for, etc. (if you’d like to learn how to grow your freelance copywriting business in 2023, see these 2 posts – How to Become a Successful Freelance Copywriter in 2023 (Ultimate Guide for Beginners) ... 3 Fastest Ways to Grow Your Freelance Copywriting Business in 2023 (Make 6-figures This Year))
How to Become an Email Copywriter in Just a Few Short Months (4 Steps to Follow)
In 2020, I broke into copywriting EXTREMELY fast.
- 50 clients in 3 months
- 2 in-house positions
- Hundreds of freelance clients
All within my first year.
This ultimate guide reveals exactly what I did to get into copywriting extremely fast and earn close to 6-figures within 365 days.
The same principles, strategies and mindset apply to becoming a successful email copywriter.
However, these are the 5 main steps you’ll want to take:
1) Learn the basics
The first step to take is to build your copywriting skills.
Before you’re ready to make money, you MUST be able to provide value to your clients.
I spent 3 months learning copywriting.
I read the top books & practiced writing copy every day.
Here’s the best way to learn copywriting fast:
Learn from the best copywriters…
Practice what you learn by completing copywriting exercises…
And write emails…
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
There are no shortcuts for a beginner.
Put in the work.
In no time, you’ll feel confident in your writing skills.
Believe it or not, I only pay attention to 2 email copywriters…
Ben Settle & Matt Furey.
(Both of their email copywriting courses are worth the hefty price tag.)
However, before I splurged into email copywriting, I learned direct response copywriting first.
You should learn both.
Why?
To sell through emails (or any media) you need a solid grasp of the fundamentals of selling, marketing, human psychology, and so on.
When you can apply the fundamentals of direct response copywriting to your emails, you will explode sales.
Haven’t learned the direct response copywriting fundamentals yet?
Start off by reading these 10 direct response copywriting books:
- The Boron Letters by Gary Halbert
- The Adweek Copywriting Handbook by Joseph Sugarman
- How to Write a Good Advertisement by Victor O. Schwab
- Scientific Advertising By Claude Hopkins
- The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy
- Ogilvy on Advertising By David Ogilvy
- Tested Advertising Methods By John Caples
- Cashvertising By Drew Eric Whitman
- The Copywriter’s Handbook By Bob Bly
- Kick-Ass Copywriting Secrets of a Marketing Rebel By John Carlton
2) Get Email Copywriting Clients
After you’ve learned the basics and feel confident in your direct response copywriting skills, it’s time to get PAID.
It’s very easy to feel lost when searching for email copywriting clients online.
So…
Let’s make it easy for you…
I’ve created an ultimate guide for beginner copywriters who want to land their first bunch of freelance clients: "How to Get Copywriting Clients in 2023 With No Experience (Get New Clients TODAY),"
In this post, I reveal my ten favorite ways for getting freelance copywriting clients.
3) Build an Impressive Portfolio
Before you can attract high-paying clients, you’ll need an impressive portfolio filled with email copywriting testimonials & samples.
Create a portfolio, within 10 minutes, by following this detailed blog post: How to Create a Copywriting Portfolio with NO Experience (In 10 minutes or Less)
4) Grow Your Email Copywriting Business to Mars (And Beyond!)
This blog post reveals the top 3 ways to grow your freelance copywriting business so you can break “6-figures” as quickly as possible: 3 Fastest Ways to Grow Your Freelance Copywriting Business in 2023 (Make 6-figures This Year)
Read it once you’re ready to scale.
Also…
You can niche down further than “email copywriting.”
For example:
Become an email copywriter for ecommerce brands.
The more you niche down, the more money you can earn.
It’s much easier to attract clients and charge higher rates when you’re perceived as the go-to specialist for a specific group of people.
Want to discover the 10 most profitable and in-demand niches in 2024? Read this ultimate guide.
Conclusion
You now have everything you need to start your journey as an email copywriter.
Follow the steps outlined in this post and read the accompanying blog posts mentioned throughout.
If you put in the effort, you can realistically earn 6 figures within a year from now writing emails for brands you love.
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