Think about how many emails you get a day… and I’m not talking about the one-to-one messages you get from friends, family, and colleagues. I’m talking about the emails you get from companies because you’ve signed up to their list or made a purchase.
I’ll bet it’s in the dozens… if not hundreds.
The reason for that is simple: email works. It helps companies build relationships, sell products, generate traffic, and earn referrals. Each of these results can increase a company’s success.
To succeed with email, companies need well-written messages, which is why learning to write emails is such a great idea for writers.
The other reason I like emails is that there’s a lot different types of messages, which means there are a lot of ways to make money writing emails. Here are four of the most popular formats…
The Email Newsletter
First up, and my personal favorite, are email newsletters. These messages might take the form of a single article, or they might include a variety of elements. They are personable, informative, and entertaining. They’re all about nurturing relationships with the audience, which makes them fun to write.
Depending on the client, they might need you to write one of these messages a week or more. And the pay usually runs between $300 and $900 per issue, depending on the size of the company and the complexity of the messages.
Transactional Messages
Typically containing just a few lines, transactional messages are all those emails that are triggered by an action you take as a reader. Order confirmations… password resets… shipping confirmations… review requests… that kind of thing.
These messages have a very high read-rate, so smart companies can use them to better connect with their readers, and in some cases to make additional sales.
Companies usually have at least a couple dozen of these messages loaded into their emailing system — and dollars to doughnuts, they all could be better written.
These are short and sweet, so they pay $50 to $100 per message… but you can knock out four or five in an hour.
Promotional Emails
Promotional messages do just what they sound like. They promote a product, service, or special offer. Often these messages are less about converting a sale and more about enticing a reader to click a link where they’ll learn more about what’s on the table.
These messages are usually just a couple of paragraphs (but might be as long as two pages). They can pay anywhere from $250 a message all the way up to $2,000. Again, it depends on the complexity and on how much the company values the email.
Sales Funnel Emails
Sometimes called autoresponders, these emails work as a series, with each email telling the reader a little more about whatever it is they signed up to learn about. The messages culminate in asking for a sale.
So, imagine you sign up to learn more about training your dog through a Facebook Ad. You get a series of five emails, each with a helpful dog-training tip. At the end of the series, the company offers you a discount on their video course that digs deeper into dog training. These types of email messages are usually short — 500 words or less (often way less!) — and they pay between $100 and $1,000 for each message.
There are a lot of different ways you can make money writing emails. Email writing adds value to your services and to gives your bottom line a boost. A great way to get started is to begin paying more attention to the messages you receive. Ask yourself what type of message it is… what its goal is… and if it’s well-written or if you could write it better. If it’s a good one, save it in a Swipe File for future reference. If you can write it better, take a few minutes to practice doing just that!
New on the Site
If you didn’t get a chance to listen in to Nick Usborne and I when we talked about feedback — why it’s important, why it’s hard, and what you can do to benefit more from feedback on your work — the recording is up and available. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
Mastering a writing skill will help you deliver great work to your clients and present your value more confidently. But whatever skill you’re planning to master, the number of program choices can feel a little overwhelming. In this featured article, Digital Copywriter member, Lynelle Suan talks about building your own custom curriculum, including tips for organizing your studies and tracking your progress.
At the beginning of the year, Suzanna Fitzgerald set her first 21-Day Challenge to publish something every day. In her newest Reality Blog, she reports on her success, and talks about what it means for new Challenges to come.
Mark Your Calendar
February 16: The key to a successful business is to take smart risks, make smart mistakes, and learn everything you can from them. Do that, and there’s a good chance you’ll ultimately succeed beyond what you originally thought possible. In this live interview with Ben Settle, we’ll be exploring the idea of business mistakes and how to use them for growth.
February 24: There are lots of ways to set goals and even more ways to pursue them. But one of the keys for most people is to set goals that force you to stretch yourself. Join us for an interview with Reality Blogger Suzanna Fitzgerald about her big goals and what it’s going to take to achieve them.
Around the Web
HubSpot shares eight tips to help you write better emails.
I covered four email types above — OptinMonster writes about 13 different types of email messages that are useful for marketers.
Emails can also help you build your business…
And you can find some additional email writing tips from Content Marketing Institute. I especially like the advice to mail your list only when you have something worthwhile to say.
That’s all for now. Make it a great week!
