Most brands think that for email marketing to be an effective channel, you need to throw discounts and urgency at your audience.

But crafting emails that convert has less to do with Discounts and everything to do with your marketing strategy, product-market fit and audience know-how.

I help course creators enroll, engage and educate audiences through customer-centric email copywriting. In 2023, I wrote sales copy that has generated more than $3M US. And everybody wants to know how.

What are the persuasion secrets I use to get these results?

Email marketing is a fantastic channel because it builds trust, delivers value, and positions the brand as a partner. But there’s more to this than just picking an offer and sending an email.

For the past few months I have been writing sales emails for a brand teaching English grammar and vocabulary to professionals like copyeditors, proofreaders, freelance writers and translators. 

Here is what I learned:

• Market-product fit can make or break your business. 

You could have millions of website visitors, if they’re not the right fit for what you’re selling, you’re not going to see results.

• Assumptions about your audience – are just that – assumptions.

I am fascinated by consumer research and I’m always baffled by how many brands are running marketing campaigns operating on assumptions about their audience. And it’s just as fascinating to see what happens when you begin to do the work and get to know who your audience is. Hint: engagement goes up, so do sales.

• English grammar & punctuation sucks. 

I am not a native English speaker yet I make a living as an English writer. It comes with years and years of practice, learning and reading. Well, let me just tell you – what you think you know is nothing compared to what there is to know when it comes to English grammar and punctuation. After working with this brand I’ve learned a few things and began to polish my writing skills. 

• Yet, grammar is not boring

This brand delivers grammar content to more than 1 million people every month. Yet, when it came to using email marketing to engage this audience, the brand was worried we won’t be able to come up with interesting content to make grammar appealing. But – we did. I used quizzes, historical elements, quotes and easy one-question surveys to engage the audience and help them learn something new.

• Easy-to-digest content is ever more important

This is particularly true with heavy, dry content, such as grammar. Yes, there is a small percentage of your audience who might be able to follow through long grammar lessons delivered in an email – but most people will disengage. It’s not their fault – it’s simply the nature of the world we live in. So, making information easy to digest helps with engagement, audience retention and teaching. Take that into account the next time you send an email.

• Working with a copyeditor or proofreader is fantastic

I am a writer not a copyeditor. When I write an email I don’t focus as much on punctuation, but a proofreader will. These professionals take care of the work I really don’t want to bother with – which is honestly a win-win for everyone involved.

• Being one of many sucks

This is something many brands don’t get until they discover they have a huge audience, in a crowded market, and they’re having a hard time monetizing their products. How are you going to stand out from the crowd? What are you going to be known for? What is your specific area of expertise? Who do you help? Be very specific – everyone interested in English grammar just makes you one of many – and that sucks!

If you want to learn more of my secrets as a conversion copywriter for course creators, here’s what to try next:

• Listen to Master the Inbox – my podcast where I teach course creators, coaches and consultants how to use email marketing to nurture and convert their audience in a non-spammy, non-bullshit BUT data driven approach.
• Watch my Email Teardown series on YouTube to see what great sales emails look like.
• Learn more about running successful email promos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmXZEZDMnLQf1GnQeRfO5nUjNtZwEzoi0
• Connect with Monica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicabadiu