What should go in my email sequences?
Marketing email sequences are so important! I always talk about these critical automated emails as part of a lead magnet system.
You want to make sure after the value you offer- giving them this great freebie- you want to incorporate nurturing and follow up into your process, and that it's automated so you don't have to think about it.
So, how do you structure a marketing email sequence?
Email marketing is still one of the biggest returns on investment in the game. All of my clients use it, either through their website provider like SquareSpace, Wordpress, Wix, or Weebly, or through an email marketing site like MailChimp, MailerLite, or Constant Contact.
When you connect the email marketing system to your website landing page with a simple name and email form, it automatically sends a string of emails to anyone who fills it out — all without you lifting a finger!
With all of these systems, it's easy to set up a linked sequence of emails that are prompted by a lapse of time, and they start from that landing page form info getting into the system. The first email is usually an immediate send, and they’re spaced out from 1 hour to a few days based on that initial email.
I use a spreadsheet to map out the emails and timing. I recommend always having at least 3 separate emails, but typically my sequences are at least 5 emails long.
Why so many emails?
Number one: You want to get them what they've asked for right away.
Number two: You don't want to have to schedule or plan for custom emails, or write your own custom emails every single time, or worry about whether or not you followed up with someone.
If it's an automated nurturing sequence, it's basically running on its own, and that's the huge benefit.
Email #1: Welcome
The first email, of course, is going to be a welcome message. “Thank you for requesting this lead magnet!” Then, add a little bit about what they've asked for, and get them the thing. You’ve officially fulfilled your promise!
Lead magnets can be a link to a special video or a downloadable PDF with tips and tricks, but they can also be free conferences and webinars. In that case, the first email would be telling them a little bit of what's going to happen, what the schedule of events is, and how they're going to access it, so that could be a zoom link or you know the date and time or what have you.
For evergreen marketing sequences, you want to make sure that it's something that's replicable and does it on its own. You might have a picture of yourself, an about me blurb, why this lead magnet is important, and what value it brings.
When in doubt: Be simple, be super simple.
In every email, a simple let's chat, book a call, connect with me, reply here button. Also, you always want links to all your socials and of course your website so that you can connect that way.
Email #2: Follow-Up with Questions
The second email could be the next day, it could be a few days later — but not so long that they forgot about the lead magnet, because here's what happens.
The second email is going to help nurture your client or potential client that used or downloaded or watched the lead magnet to begin with, and it’s also going to remind those people that — and we're all guilty of it — that have forgotten about your lead magnet.
Isn’t that so sad? But all of us have done it: We're in, we sign up, we got it...but we never opened the email.
So, this will prompt them to open that first email to get the free gift, or at the very least, help remind them why it was so important.
I always tell our clients: What are some questions that you want to ask people, after they've gotten the freebie?
If it's a PDF, what did you think about this aspect of it? If it’s a free training session, what questions can you ask from the first day’s info?
Day 2 is really about prompting them to get into it — to do the action that you've asked them to do, or to see the value of the lead magnet
Email #3: Added Value
Like the second email, the third in the sequence can also be up to a few days later. If you have a lot of heavy action items or heavy lifting on their part, maybe you wait a little bit longer to give them some time to get through it. We all have to assume that our clients or potential clients are busy. We’re all busy, and if people feel like they’re already behind, they’ll stop opening future emails.
If you cater to people from brand new business owners or seasoned CEOs, they're going to be busy. You just have to assume they're busy, and maybe they didn't see the first couple emails. Prompt them to remind them why it was important, and some extra value.
This is where I incorporate a bonus section with extra training, teaching, or value for the client from your business. I've added things like a blog from your site, a story you were featured in, a podcast that interviewed you, or whatever relates to the lead magnets and giving some them a little extra value.
Email #4: More Offers
The fourth email is more about you, your business, and some other offers hinting at what's going on and how you work with other people.
At this point, if they're still along for the ride and they've been doing the work that you've asked them to do, they're probably getting to the point where they've decided I need some more, I want to work with this person, or I think they could solve this other problem.
In email four, you want to go a little bit more in depth about your business views, maybe why you started the business, what you offer, or what you have to offer and an easy way for them to connect with you again.
Email #5: The Sales Pitch
Email five isn't a real strong call to action. What is the next step that you want them to take?
We're starting with a free offer, so the next logical step would be a low paid offer. You don’t want to jump from a free offer to the VIP service.
You may have that, and that might be the leap they take once they talk to you or dig around on your website a little bit, but most of the time people are going to kind of dip their toe in and slowly make their way across the pool instead of just diving right into the deep end.
You want to have a clear call to action on what that next step is. Is the freebie a workbook, and then you're leading them to a paid workshop? Or is the freebie a challenge, and you're leading them to a group program?
You don't want it to be super sales heavy in all the prior emails. You want to be value, value, value, value, and sales sprinkled at the end. Make sure that you are just giving them so much value that they make the decision before you're even in a sales conversation with them.
Each email, make sure that you are very clear on how they can connect with you, and give them extra value. That's going to be so, so important.
I want you to be so excited about sitting down, because now you have the structure of what to put into play. All you have to think about is incorporating that copy, and yet super simple, Personal to your ideal clients.