Ask any professional copywriter and they will probably tell you that using a pro for your email marketing campaign is the best option. I have any number of logical reason I could bring to the argument. However, most people can create copy suitable for an email marketing campaign.
All you have to do is:
1/ Target your language and vocabulary
This one has advantages when staying in-house. With segmented email marketing lists, the specific group you are aiming at will be known to you. Don’t patronise. Like the majority of the population, I don’t like being talked down to. On the other hand, I find it irritating to be confronted by jargon. If you do use a pro, inform them of the specifics of the customers.
2/ Tell them about your product
This is, remarkably, frequently ignored. Don’t waffle or go on about yourself. Going off subject is self indulgence. For a holiday, be light on the history of the city and big on your offer.
3/ Be positive
If there’s a limited number of products, a ‘delay and you’ll miss it’ is less appealing than ‘buy it now’.
4/ Build to a climax
Start gently, progress to more urgent language and then hit them with the order to Click Through Now.
5/ Massage your customers
Treat them as you would if you were selling to them face to face. Be friendly and welcoming. Tell them how discerning they are – Someone like you will appreciate our . . . Use words such as ‘we’ to make them feel you are looking out for their interests and know their problems.
6/ Play to the emotions
People don’t make decisions based solely on price; ask the manufacturers of iPads. Let them know how impressed they will be with the quality and how envious others will be.
7/ Ideas
You need to vary what you say and how you say it. We all have problems with creativity when confronted by a blank page. What pros do on such dry days is to copy other writers. You can legitimately pinch ideas but the words must be your own.
8/ Cut copy to the bone
And cut again. Unlike writing articles, blogs and such, there is no specific wordage. You have something to say and you need to put it as briefly as you can. Eliminate every word that is not adding to the sell.
9/ Perfect spelling
Spell checkers have not eliminated poor spelling. Homophones remain a problem. There and their, assess and asses, those sorts of mistakes will make your marketing email seem amateurish. Read the copy through aloud as this often reveals the error.
10/ Adequate grammar
I’ll happily start a sentence with a conjunction; see 8/ above. However, know how to use apostrophes, colons, brackets and more.
If you think you can create good enough copy, you probably can. That said, you will need to work out how much it costs you in time, not only for writing, but research and those days when you have no idea what to write.
