Email copywriting: How to start as an email copywriter in 2025

Email copywriting is one of the most lucrative and in-demand forms of digital marketing today. With businesses relying on email marketing to drive sales, nurture leads, and engage customers, skilled copywriters are highly sought after. But how do you start from scratch?

If you’ve been learning about copywriting but feel lost on how to get your first clients, build an email list, or craft emails that convert, this guide is for you.

This article breaks down everything you need to know to get started with email copywriting—from learning the craft to finding clients and growing your career.

What Is Email Copywriting?

Email copywriting is basically writing emails that make people take action—whether that’s buying something, signing up for a webinar, or just clicking a link. It’s more than just hitting send. It’s about knowing what makes people tick, grabbing their attention, and convincing them to do what you want—without sounding pushy or spammy.

The email body plays a crucial role in this, as it needs to align with the subject line, stay on-brand, and be designed to capture the reader’s attention to encourage engagement, such as clicking call-to-action buttons.

Think about your own inbox. Some emails you open right away, some you ignore, and some you delete without even thinking. The difference? Good vs. bad email copywriting.

If you want to make money with emails (and trust me, businesses do—email marketing still has one of the highest ROIs out there), you need to know how to write emails that people actually read and take action on.

Why become a copywriter?

Before diving into the steps, let’s explore why email copywriting is such a great niche to get into:

• High Demand: Every business needs email marketing. If they sell something, they need email copy. Crafting personalized and engaging content within each email campaign is crucial to connect with subscribers and drive specific actions.
• Scalability: Unlike long-form copy like sales pages, emails are short and repeatable. This means you can write multiple emails in a day, making it easier to scale your income.
• Recession-Proof: No matter the economy, businesses always need email marketing. It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers. Even when budgets are tight, companies still invest in email.
• Remote-Friendly: You can do this from anywhere. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection. That makes it perfect for freelancers or anyone looking for a flexible career.

Why does email marketing copywriting matter?

People are bombarded with emails every single day. If your email doesn’t stand out, it’s getting ignored.

Although email has the highest return on investment (ROI) of all marketing channels, people still seem to struggle to provide enough value in their emails so that readers take action.

To ensure your emails are effective, it’s crucial to focus on email deliverability by avoiding spammy practices like using all caps or excessive exclamation marks, which can negatively impact your email performance.

Good email copywriting helps you:

1. Get people to open your emails (because if they don’t, what’s the point?)
2. Keep them reading (because no one’s got time for boring, robotic messages)
3. Make them take action (buy, sign up, reply, whatever your goal is)

The secrets of a killer email copy

If you want your emails to work, you need to nail these key elements:

1. A Subject Line That Stops the Scroll

Email subject lines are everything. If they’re boring, no one’s opening your email. You need to spark curiosity, create urgency, or promise value.

Example:

2. A Hook That Pulls Them In

The first line of your email matters almost as much as your subject line. If it’s boring, people bounce. Your intro should:

• Call out a problem (“Ever feel like your emails just disappear into the void?”)
• Tell a quick story (“Last month, I sent an email that made me $10K… in 48 hours.”)
• Make it personal (“Hey [Name], let’s talk about something no one tells you about email marketing.”)

3. Keep it short & punchy

Nobody wants to read an essay. Your email should feel like a conversation, not a lecture. Write like you talk. Keep sentences short. Use spacing to make it easy to skim.

Your copy should be scannable; remember, 51% of people read their emails on a phone or tablet, so a wall of block text is going to be distracting and frustrating to read.

4. Make the reader feel something

People buy with emotions, not logic. Your email should hit them in the feels—whether that’s excitement, curiosity, FOMO, or urgency.

Example: Instead of saying, “Our software improves efficiency by 35%,” say,

“Imagine getting an extra 2 hours back in your day without lifting a finger. That’s what our software does.”

5. A Call-to-Action that’s clear

What do you want them to do? Don’t assume they’ll figure it out—TELL them. And make it easy.

• Bad CTA: “Click here to learn more”
• Better CTA: “Grab your free copy here”
• Best CTA: “Get instant access—click here”

The clearer and more compelling, the better.

6. Understanding Your Audience

Understanding your audience is the cornerstone of any successful email marketing strategy.

Know Your Niche, Pain Points, and Aspirations

To write email marketing copy that truly resonates, you need to dive deep into who your audience is, what challenges they face, and what they aspire to achieve. This involves creating detailed buyer personas that encapsulate the characteristics of your target audience.

By doing so, you can tailor your email copy to speak directly to their needs and interests, making your emails more effective and engaging.

Here are some actionable tips to help you get to know your audience better:

1. Conduct Market Research: Use surveys, focus groups, and online analytics tools to gather data about your target audience. This will help you understand their demographics, preferences, and behaviors.
2. Create Buyer Personas: Develop detailed profiles of your ideal customers. Include information such as age, gender, occupation, pain points, goals, and buying behaviors.
3. Analyze Customer Feedback: Review feedback and complaints from your customers to identify common patterns and areas where you can improve.
4. Monitor Social Media: Engage with your audience on social media platforms. Pay attention to the topics they discuss, the content they share, and the influencers they follow.
5. Use Email Analytics: Track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to see how your audience responds to different types of email content. This data can provide valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t.

By understanding your audience, you can create email copy that speaks directly to their needs and interests, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Relevant Details to Consider:

• Pain Points and Challenges: What problems are your audience facing that your product or service can solve?
• Goals and Aspirations: What are your audience’s short-term and long-term goals?
• Motivations: What drives your audience to take action? Is it a desire for success, fear of missing out, or something else?
• Preferred Communication Channels: Where does your audience spend most of their time online? Are they more likely to engage with emails, social media, or another platform?
• Content Preferences: What type of content does your audience engage with the most? Is it blog posts, videos, infographics, or something else?

By understanding your audience and crafting email copy that speaks directly to them, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns and drive more conversions.

Step 1: Learn the fundamentals of email copywriting

If you want to write emails, you need to understand how email marketing works before you start writing. A good email copy is strategic, persuasive, and designed to drive action—whether that’s making a sale, getting a response, or building a relationship.

To improve the effectiveness of your email marketing, consider these email copywriting tips: focus on crafting compelling subject lines, personalizing the content, and including clear calls to action. These strategies can significantly enhance engagement and return on investment.

So, before you start pitching clients or writing for real businesses, you need to master the basics. Let’s break it down.

1. Different Types of Emails You Need to Master

Not all emails are the same. Businesses use different types of emails to achieve different goals. If you want to be a valuable email copywriter, you should know how to write at least these six key types:

Welcome Series

These are the emails new subscribers receive when they join an email list. The goal is to introduce the brand, set expectations, and start building trust. Think of it like a digital handshake.

Example:

Sales Emails

Sales emails persuade the reader to take action—buy a product, book a call, or sign up for a service. These need to be direct, engaging, and packed with persuasive techniques.

Example:

Abandoned Cart Emails

E-commerce brands love these. When a shopper adds something to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase, an abandoned cart email reminds them to come back. These emails recover millions in lost revenue for businesses.

Example:

Newsletter Emails

Newsletters provide value first, promotion second. They’re used to build trust and keep the audience engaged so that when it’s time to sell, people are more likely to buy.

It is crucial in an email marketing campaign to align the email body with the subject line to meet recipient expectations.

Example:

Lead Nurture Emails

Not everyone is ready to buy right away. Lead nurture emails warm up potential customers by addressing objections, sharing testimonials, and positioning the brand as the right choice.

Example:

Transactional Emails

These aren’t “salesy” but are still critical. Transactional emails include order confirmations, webinar reminders, and receipts. Even these can be optimized for engagement.

Example:

Once you understand these different email types, you’ll be way ahead of most beginners. But great email copy isn’t just about knowing what to write—it’s about how you write it.

3. The Psychology Behind Persuasive Emails

People don’t make decisions based purely on logic. They buy (or take action) based on emotion—and justify it with logic later. That’s why great email copywriters use psychological triggers to increase conversions.

Curiosity

People are naturally drawn to things that spark their curiosity. Using open loops or teasing information in your subject lines makes readers more likely to open the email. Humans hate not knowing something. If you can make someone curious, they have to open your email.

Example:

• Subject: “You’re making this mistake without realizing it…”
• Email: “Most people do this without thinking, and it costs them thousands. Here’s what you need to stop doing today…”

Social Proof

Nobody wants to be the first to try something. Show proof that others have already seen success with your product or service.

Example:

Urgency & Scarcity

When people feel like they might miss out on something, they’re more likely to take action. Limited-time offers and exclusive deals tap into this fear of missing out (FOMO). People take action when they feel like they might miss out.

Example:

Storytelling

A compelling story makes your email feel more personal and relatable. Instead of just listing benefits, frame them within a narrative that resonates with your audience. Stories engage the brain and make emails more personal and relatable.

Example:

If you use these psychological principles in your emails, they’ll instantly become more effective.

Recommended Books to Learn Faster

Want to speed up your learning curve? These books are must-reads for email copywriters:

• The Copywriter’s Handbook – Bob Bly (Great for foundational copywriting skills)
• Email Marketing Demystified – Mathew Paulson (Teaches the strategy behind email marketing)
• Made to Stick – Chip Heath & Dan Heath (Shows how to make messages more memorable)

Once you’ve got these basics down, you’ll be way ahead of most beginner copywriters—and ready to take the next step in your email copywriting career. For further reading, consider exploring additional resources and tools that can enhance your email copywriting skills.

Step 2: Build a Portfolio Without Clients

A strong portfolio is essential for landing clients, but many aspiring copywriters make the mistake of waiting for paid work before creating one. The good news is that you don’t need real clients to showcase your expertise—you just need well-crafted samples that demonstrate your ability to write effective email sequences.

Collaborating with other business owners can also provide valuable insights and shared experiences that enhance your portfolio.

One of the best ways to build a portfolio is to write sample emails for existing products. Pick a real product from an online store, such as Amazon or a Shopify brand, and create a 3-5 email sequence as if you were hired to promote it. This allows potential clients to see your writing style, how you structure emails, and your ability to drive action. Formatting these samples professionally in Google Docs or on a portfolio website adds credibility and makes them easy to share.

Another effective approach is to reverse-engineer successful email campaigns. Subscribe to newsletters from established e-commerce brands, SaaS companies, and industry experts. Study their subject lines, calls to action, and overall messaging strategy. Then, rewrite the emails in your own voice while maintaining the same structure. This exercise helps you develop an intuitive understanding of what makes an email effective.

If you want to take it a step further, consider offering free work in exchange for testimonials. Reach out to small businesses or startups that aren’t leveraging email marketing effectively and offer to write a sequence for them.

The testimonial you receive from a satisfied client will make it easier to land paid work down the line. Additionally, starting your own email newsletter can be a great way to refine your skills while positioning yourself as an expert in the field.

By following these strategies, you’ll create a portfolio that gives potential clients confidence in your ability, even if you haven’t worked with a paying customer yet.

Step 3: Finding Your First Clients

Once you have a solid portfolio, the next challenge is getting clients. Many new copywriters struggle with this step because they don’t know where to look or how to approach potential clients. There are several effective ways to land your first projects, each with its own advantages.

Freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr provide an accessible entry point.

These platforms already have businesses looking for email copywriters, which means you don’t have to generate leads from scratch. Creating a compelling profile with your portfolio samples and applying for relevant projects daily increases your chances of landing work. Writing personalized proposals rather than sending generic pitches helps you stand out in a competitive marketplace.

Another approach is direct outreach to businesses. Many companies, especially small e-commerce brands, and SaaS startups struggle with email marketing and could benefit from well-crafted campaigns. Research businesses that aren’t using email effectively, then send them a personalized cold email offering to help.

The key to making this strategy work is to focus on providing value first rather than immediately asking for a paid project. Offering to write a free email or conduct a short audit can open the door to a long-term working relationship.

Networking on LinkedIn and Twitter can also be a powerful way to connect with business owners and marketing managers. Engaging with their content, sharing insights about email marketing, and building relationships before pitching your services makes it more likely that they’ll be interested in working with you.

Additionally, reaching out to digital marketing agencies that specialize in email marketing can provide steady contract work as a freelance copywriter. Many agencies look for reliable writers to handle email campaigns for their clients.

With persistence and a strategic approach, securing your first clients becomes much easier. Once you have completed a few paid projects, you’ll have real-world experience and testimonials that make it easier to attract new business.

Step 4: Pricing Your Services and Getting Paid

One of the biggest challenges for new email copywriters is figuring out how much to charge. Pricing your services correctly ensures that you’re fairly compensated for your work while remaining competitive in the market.

When starting out, project-based pricing is often the best approach. Beginners can charge anywhere from $50 to $150 per email, while intermediate copywriters typically charge between $200 and $500 per email. For larger projects, pricing email sequences in packages makes sense. A 3-5 email sequence can range from $500 to $1,500, while full-scale campaigns with complex automation can go up to $5,000 or more.

As you gain experience, offering retainer packages can provide a more stable income. Instead of charging per project, you can offer businesses a set number of emails per month for a fixed fee. For example, you might charge $1,500 per month for four emails, ensuring predictable revenue while building long-term client relationships.

Regardless of the pricing model you choose, it’s essential to secure payment upfront. Using platforms like PayPal, Stripe, or Wise makes transactions easy, and requiring a 50% deposit before starting a project ensures that you’re compensated for your time. For ongoing work, invoicing clients monthly keeps the payment process streamlined.

Pricing is something that evolves as you gain experience and build a reputation. Starting with competitive rates and gradually increasing them as you improve allows you to scale your income over time.

Step 5: Improving Your Skills and Scaling Your Career

Becoming a great email copywriter isn’t just about writing—it’s about understanding strategy, analytics, and conversion optimization. To increase your value to clients, you need to go beyond crafting compelling copy and learn about the mechanics of email marketing.

Understanding audience segmentation and personalization is one of the most effective ways to improve email performance. Clients will pay more for copywriters who know how to write tailored messages for different segments of their audience rather than sending the same email to everyone. Learning about automation platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and ActiveCampaign also makes you more valuable, as businesses rely on these tools to manage their email campaigns.

Specializing in a niche can further boost your credibility. Many email copywriters focus on specific industries, such as e-commerce, SaaS, or coaching businesses. This allows you to position yourself as an expert in that space, making it easier to attract high-paying clients.

Raising your rates should be a priority as you gain more experience. Clients who see a direct return on investment from your emails will be willing to pay more for your services. If you’ve helped an e-commerce brand increase their revenue through email marketing, for example, you can confidently charge higher rates moving forward.

Building a personal brand is another way to scale your career. Starting a blog, YouTube channel, or newsletter where you share insights about email marketing can attract clients and establish you as an authority. Posting case studies and breakdowns of successful email campaigns on social media also helps position you as an expert in the field.

With continuous learning and strategic positioning, email copywriting can become a highly profitable and scalable career. The key is to start, gain experience, and refine your approach over time.

Final Thoughts: Taking Action Today

Becoming an email copywriter is an attainable and lucrative career path, but success comes from action, not just theory. Learning the fundamentals, building a portfolio, and actively seeking clients are the steps that separate those who make it from those who don’t.

If you’re serious about getting started, commit to writing your first email sequence today. Pick a product, craft a compelling email series, and start reaching out to potential clients. The sooner you take action, the faster you’ll gain experience and start earning from your skills.

Email copywriting is a skill that compounds over time. The more you practice, the better you’ll become and the more opportunities you’ll have to build a thriving career.