Why I Love Writing Emails … and You Might, Too
By Michele Peterson

“People pay me to write their emails for them. How are yours working out for you?”

I said this a little tongue-in-cheek at a networking mixer once. I thought it would be a fun way to boldly lead into a conversation about one of my favorite writing projects. Plus, I’m pretty good friends with the guy I said it to, so I figured I was safe even if it bombed.

I was floored when, without missing a beat, he replied, “I need help! I’d love to see what you can do for us.”

We met a few days later, and he hired me on the spot to write a five-part email autoresponder follow-up series for the solar company he manages.

This low barrier to entry is one of the things I love about writing emails. It’s usually an easy conversation to have because businesses are already sending emails … I’m simply proposing to help them get better results from this thing they’re already doing.

And because the investment per item is relatively small, there isn’t the sticker shock or resistance I find with other bigger projects. Emails offer an easier “foot in the door.”

Easy Money

I love writing emails — and you might, too — because it’s fast and profitable.

Emails are short-form copy at its best … usually 300-500 words. I can easily write a five-part email series like the project I did for the solar company in a single day after I’ve researched their products and services and gotten familiar with their audience demographics.

I deliver the copy. They pay me (typically $150-$300 per email). I move on to the next project.

This quick turnaround is great on several levels …

• I don’t have time to become bored with the project.
• They get their copy while they’re still excited about it.
• I can write A LOT of emails over the course of a week or a month … and have a very good income to show for it.

Let’s say my fee for a five-part email series is $750 ($150 each). If I do just two of these a week, that’s $1,500. If I do just two a week for 50 weeks, that’s $75,000 a year.

And that’s at the low end of my fee range.

I give clients the low rate when they hire me to write multiple emails at the same time. I can bang these out faster because I can stay in the flow and write all of them one after the other.

Clients pay higher rates (up to $300, and sometimes more) for individual email blasts, like one-off promotions.

So, if I write just an additional two single emails a week, that’s an extra $600. If I do two single emails a week for 50 weeks, that’s an extra $30,000 a year.

And just like that, I’m making a six-figure income.

High Demand

I love writing emails — and you might, too — because LOTS of businesses need them … and they need A LOT of them!

Smart business owners know that they need to communicate with their customers using the customers’ preferred method …

And multiple studies have shown that most customers prefer email as their method of communication with companies. Even millennials prefer email.

According to a study run by Bluecore and NAPCO Research, 68% of consumers across all demographics prefer to receive brand communications via email.

Why?

Because email feels the most personal.

So, businesses are sending email. It’s fast. It’s convenient.

But if the email copy isn’t well-written, business owners aren’t getting the results they want and need.

That’s where we professional email copywriters come in to help and save the day. We are skilled experts trained in best practices of writing copy that gets results. And they’ll be able to see a positive return (an average of $38 for every $1 spent, according to a HubSpot report) on the investment they make in hiring us.

The beauty of the high-demand email writing opportunity is that most of your clients will be loyal, repeat clients. At least, mine have been.

I have several clients who keep me on a monthly retainer for a set number of emails each and every month. Others hire me to write batches of emails at a time, several times a year.

I haven’t had a single client who has hired me just to write a single email.

Repeat business is comforting to this freelance copywriter. Would it be to you, too?

Fun to Write

I love writing emails — and you might, too — because they are fun to write.

I get to tell stories, have conversations … connect with the reader on the other side of the screen.

Emails don’t have to be “sales-y” or full of hype … in fact, they shouldn’t be. They don’t have to be technical or full of jargon, either.

I get “in character” and become the company or the brand when I’m writing emails for clients. Then I simply talk to their customers and/or prospects.

This isn’t to say that there’s no art or thought that goes into writing emails. Of course, there is. As a professional email copywriter, there’s intent behind every word I write on behalf of my client. And you also need to strategize when you’re writing a series of emails so you build a cohesive, strong overall message.

I become the best version of the company or brand that I write emails for … I am them, but even better, especially when it comes to writing emails.

That’s fun.

And with proper training, you can do it, too.

Next Steps for You …

1. Brush up on your email writing skills so you’re as confident as you can be.
2. Ask business owners or sales/marketing managers you know if they’re happy with the results they’re getting from the emails they’re sending their customers. You can borrow my line, if you’d like: “People pay me to write their emails for them. How are yours working out for you?”
3. Write the email copy. Get paid. Repeat.
4. Once you have a happy client, ask if they know other people like them who you could also help. Chances are very good that they can refer you to several other potential clients.
5. Keep repeating until you’re making the amount you want to make.

Now more than ever, businesses need emails to communicate with customers and prospects. (Check out Today’s Unexpected Opportunities for Email Writers here.) You can help by writing effective messages. At the same time, you can have fun writing these short projects. You may find you love writing them, too.

Do you have any questions about getting started as an Email Specialist? Please share in the comments so we can help.