You’d think that a professional writer would say that most people cannot produce satisfactory copy for an email marketing campaign. You would be wrong. I’ve taught a number of people how to write creatively. It is a skill. All it takes is application

There is a truism that if you think you can write adequate copy, the probability is that you can. The question is whether you have the time and inclination to take food out of the mouths of poor, struggling copy writers. Mind you, isn’t that what professional writers do?

Let’s look at the task.  

Each email marketing email will need a paragraph or three of copy designed to make the reader buy. Most will skim read so clever use of innuendo, alliteration and reference would be wasted. All you need is to say the same thing you said last time, but differently.

You need a good grasp of spelling, but then you have your spell-checker. They are not a panacea though as they don’t see the difference between its and it’s. I work on the expectation that checking copy takes half as long as writing.

Another requirement is a comprehensive understanding of grammar. You will have to go a step further though. As space and wordage is limited you also need to know when you can ignore the niceties and instead go for precision without irritating or offending.

Most importantly, you must have a grasp on who you are writing for. You need to be able to use a vocabulary and style that the customers on each email marketing lists will appreciate. Your own preferences are of no consequence. 

You also need that skill which all pros excel at; producing copy on demand. It is no good having something more important to do. Without copy the email doesn’t go.

There’s no insuperable problem in creating your own copy for a campaign. The only question is whether it is worth it to you. For instance, how long does it take you to produce 250 words? That’s not only writing it but proof reading, researching the subject and completing the copy before the deadline.