Learning From the Pros: Email Copywriting
Photo by J. Kelly Brito: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-writing-on-notebook-4067126/
Do you struggle with copywriting impostor syndrome?
I know I do. Despite my early successes in the copywriting world, I still only have about a year of copy-specific experience under my belt. As a freelancer, I spend a fair amount of time trying to build up my business, and one of the strategies that other copywriters often suggest is writing a blog focused on copy (and content) writing.
I’ve put that task off for a while now because I felt I didn’t “know enough” about copywriting or didn’t have something useful to contribute.
To fight off that impostor syndrome and encourage a community of writers who want to learn their craft, I’ve decided to start a new series called “Learning From the Pros.” I’ll tackle copywriting and content writing topics and provide some helpful advice for you all, but from the perspective of a student. There are so many professionals out there who want to help others develop their skills and business, so I will learn from them and share with you what I learn!
First topic of the series is email copywriting. I’ve had some experience writing email copy through my first gig as a freelancer, and I actually found it pretty fun. It’s a great way to work your creative brain on short assignments.
So with no further ado, here is what I learned from from the pros about email copywriting!
The Benefits of Emails as Part of Marketing Strategy
My primary source for this post was Sarah Turner, and she makes some great points about why emails are important for any marketing strategy. According to Turner, email is one of the most effective strategies for driving conversion and building customer relationships, and I can understand why.
In the tech age, emails are one of our best sources for direct engagement with customers. On top of that, Turner points out the following benefits:
Potential ROI (Return on Investment) of 4200%
Allows for stronger audience targeting (i.e., different email lists based on audience interests and preferences)
More cost effective than other strategies, such as social media ads
Increased automation for emails that go out based on certain customer actions
Cut out the algorithm middle man: Your clients are yours, and you won’t lose them if Facebook or Instagram go down for a day again
But is email copywriting really any different, in terms of skills and approach, from website copywriting?
According to CopyHackers, yes! Website copywriting, they explain has to be more general, but email copywriting can utilize personalization. On top of that, website copywriting is often more driven by design rather than text. And finally, email copy allows for more continuous engagement than website copy alone.
Email Strategy: One Formula
Like any other type of marketing, emails work best when you use a clear strategy. Turner suggests the following as a starting point:
Opt-In Incentive (Awareness)
Provide an incentive (like a discount code or freebie) for anyone who signs up to your email list.
Welcome Email (Interest)
Build a relationship by introducing the brand and some of their offers.
Newsletters (Decision)
Build on established interest with newsletters that provide value to the audience and introduce some more offers. This step helps you build authority with subscribers.
Promotional Sales (Action)
Promote actual products. But Turner reminds brands to balance promotional material with content that provides value for customers so they don’t feel bombarded by sales material.
Post-Purchase (Loyalty and Retention)
On top of providing purchase information, build customer satisfaction through these emails. This might include more offers/deals, social media information, and/or a sincere thank you to your loyal customers.
If you notice a brand is missing one of these steps, that can be a great “in” for you - pitch it to them!
The Body of the Email: Copywriting Formula
Hook
Storytelling is a great strategy!
Offer Introduction
Use this to transition from the hook to the offer.
Call to Action (CTA)
Explain how the offer can fulfill a desire for/create benefit for the customer, and end with a direct CTA (for example, a direct link with a shorter CTA that encourages them to click and purchase).
Subject Line Formulas
Benefit-Driven
Urgency/Scarcity (i.e., “Sale ends soon!”)
Personalization (i.e., using the customer’s name)
Questions to boost curiosity
“How-to _________”
Metrics & Testing
One aspect of copywriting that I didn’t pay much attention to as a newbie was metrics. We writers often want to focus on words, and for some of us, numbers seem intimidating. But learning how to be a successful marketer requires learning how to measure your growth and effectiveness. Even if you’re not directly working with the metrics, you should know what your clients mean when they mention random acronyms like OR, CTR, or RPR.
According to CopyHackers, the most important metrics you should consider (and their acronyms!) are:
Unique Open Rate (OR): How many people opened the email
Unique Clickthrough Rate (CRT): How many people clicked the link(s) in the email
List Growth: How many subscribers you gain
Revenue Per Recipient (RPR)
Revenue from Email/Total Revenue: Track how much of your revenue is driven by email copy
Bounce Rate: Unengaged sessions, which essentially means a session that didn’t either last longer than 10 seconds, lead to a conversion event, or include a secondary page view on the site
And finally, don’t forget to conduct some testing! This is especially helpful for determining the success of specific types of subject lines. Conduct A/B testing, where A is your “control” and B is the new type of subject line you want to send. Use OR metrics to determine which subject line works better.
Conclusion
Email copywriting is way more than just a fun way to earn money - it’s an essential piece of the puzzle for marketers and brands hoping to build a loyal customer base. Approach it with a strategy in mind, and pay attention to the fruit (metrics) of your labor.
Check out Sarah Turner and CopyHackers for more excellent advice - I’ll definitely turn to them for more “lessons” in the future!
