Whether you are a student or in between jobs, or starting your freelance journey, there are many jobs where you can make money creating products and/or selling your services. One of these is writing emails, otherwise known as email marketing, where you write newsletters for companies, which will then send them out to their subscribers and potential customers to raise awareness of their products. If you’re considering writing emails as a possibility for a work-from-home job, read on to find out how you can succeed in this area.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing refers to the use of emails to promote a product or service to existing or potential customers. You probably come across it every day if you subscribe to a news publication or are part of a loyalty scheme with a retailer (whether it is of the online or bricks-and-mortar variety). Companies use this not only to raise awareness of their products or services, but to also keep their customers in the loop regarding special offers, discounts, new products and the like. It isn’t just your typical publications and retailers that use email marketing; it is also useful for clubs, charities and course providers, informing subscribers of upcoming events, opportunities and talks (virtual and in-person), as well as the work they’re doing and any special offers.
Since email users check their emails around 20 times a day on average, email marketing has now become an essential tool in marketing and raising awareness of an organisation and its services. Here are the essentials that you need to know if you would like to enter the world of email marketing, from ways to find and obtain work, to building and maintaining a client base.
Why is it important?
Email marketing is important in today’s world as most people use emails as a means of communication with companies and others. Not only can a company raise awareness of its products and services among new and existing customers, they can also retain those who spend their money with them by informing them of new products, competitions and special offers.
If you show customers that you care about their needs, they will continue to invest in the shop or service provider. Furthermore, email marketing can help to ensure that there is a high level of traffic on your website, given that the reader can click on links within the email to visit the site, whether that be for casual browsing or to buy products advertised in the email.
Another reason why email marketing is crucial in promoting services and building a customer base is because it can reach people in a myriad of ways. From desktop to phone, you can reach people regardless of where they are and what device they are using, at any time of day. As long as they are connected to the internet, you can rest assured that customers will know the latest discounts and products.
What you need to succeed
First of all, if you want to succeed in the writing business, you need to ensure that your spelling and grammar, as well as your use of punctuation and paragraphs, is up to scratch. If you struggle or lack confidence with this, use a dictionary or a grammar guide. A knowledge of marketing and how to best reach out to your intended demographic will also help, but you may be able to pick this up along the way. Being persistent in finding opportunities and clients is also a must.
Where you can learn about email marketing
Having sufficient knowledge of an industry you seek a role in is very important, and writing emails (or other copy) is no different. Luckily, there are plenty of courses in email copywriting, both free and paid, available for those who would like to learn, as well as YouTube videos and websites with manuals detailing the process. Be sure to read or watch materials to learn about what email marketing and being paid to write emails entails, and how to ensure that you can promote your services well, and write according to your audience and the purpose of the emails. Online courses offer practice assignments that can contribute to the creation of a portfolio to showcase to potential clients.
Furthermore, joining a writing website such as Words of Worth can be a good foundation for making money from writing material for clients. Here, you don’t have to worry about sourcing clients yourself, as they will provide you with regular opportunities. In turn, their trained editors will provide you with feedback on your work and you will be paid often.
You can also look at the ways in which companies use email marketing to target new and existing customers, starting with looking through your inbox to find emails from companies and services that you are subscribed to. Take a look at the layout and designs, and the kind of language they use to promote their services. Also, consider how they have specifically targeted your needs and desires – are they offering reductions on products that you use or are interested in using? Are the mailers on a first-name basis with you? These are important things to consider when writing emails for marketing purposes.
Where to find jobs and opportunities
There are two options for finding paid opportunities: one is through search engines and the other is by visiting (and possibly joining) freelancer websites. The former is useful if you want to look for companies seeking email writers and are in pursuit of a stable job, since they are often in search of people to create and send marketing materials to current and potential customers. It is also an excellent way to hone your writing skills, which can be particularly useful if you plan to go freelance further down the line. Some challenges to working for a company as opposed to freelancing are the lack of freedom in choosing assignments and opportunities to experiment with your writing style.
The latter, on the other hand, is appealing to those who want to work for themselves, or start a side hustle to earn extra money – sites include Fiver, Upwork, Guru and Freelancer.com. These platforms are popular among individuals and businesses alike who seek people to carry out these jobs on a flexible basis, and play host to users from around the world. You start by creating a profile that tells commissioners who you are, and what you specialise in. Depending on which site you choose, you can either bid for a project, or pitch one to interested clients, who will pay a specific amount. Some sites, however, may take a percentage of the profits that you make, leading to you earning less money overall depending on the amount that the site takes. Additionally, you will have to seek out clients yourself and ensure that you are managing them effectively. This means removing subscribers who do not use the service as often as others.
If you are an avid user of social media, you might come across adverts promoting opportunities for email marketing on platforms such as TikTok. You should be wary of these, as social media can be a hotbed for job adverts that are actually scams. If you are in any doubt, remember to trust and follow your intuition; if an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Find and build your client base
The kind of customers that you attract with your work is a good indicator of who your average client is and what to expect. Linking back to the previous section, commissioners on freelancer websites will often leave reviews of the freelancers they have worked with. This is important as it cultivates the reputation of the freelancer and serves to advise others on who they should go to if they want a high-quality project from a reliable client. Things to consider when seeking clients include their age, lifestyle, background, values and interests. For organisations, check out their mission statement(s), ethos and values. Researching your market will ensure that you effectively tailor your services to the client’s needs and desires and thus sell the products and services in question to the customers.
Evaluate what is working and what needs improvement
Making money writing emails is a learning process through and through – it is a matter of seeing what works, which customers you are attracting and how you can climb the ladder of progress to get the results you seek. By learning from feedback and experience, you can understand your writing style as well as your clients’, and be on the road to success. Investigating current trends and how the field is evolving is particularly important to keep up to date with what’s going on, in case there are new programs and tools that will help you carry out email marketing efficiently. Who knows – maybe you will be able to guide other aspiring marketers in making money through sending emails containing newsletters, competitions and special offers. Start today and see where your email marketing journey will take you.
If you’re interested in a career as a freelance writer, apply to join our professional team at Words of Worth today!