Okay, so you're creating an email list and want to make the most of people joining, by offering them a warm welcome.
Sensible move!
According to Mailchimp, sending a welcome email sequence gives an average of 51% more revenue, than sending a single welcome email.
Making it, well worth the time and effort it takes to set it up.
How, it all begins.
Someone gets curious, downright nosey or they think you can help them and they add their email to the box and click subscribe.
Brilliant! Then what?
Well, silence, if you follow the example of some lists, I've signed up to. A huge wasted opportunity in MHO.
Without wanting to heap on too much pressure. Now's the time to dazzle your brand new subscriber.
Not, rabbit in the headlights dazzle, but the get them excited about opening your emails, dazzle.
Why?
Because the habit they form now, (opening or not opening your emails) is how they will continue....forever.
Bore them and that will be it. A short unfruitful relationship.
So, let's start at the beginning.
What is an Email Welcome Sequence?
An email welcome sequence is a group of emails that are sent over a short period of time, (often daily) to someone who has just joined an email list.
The goal of these emails is to start building a relationship with the subscriber. Then to help them move from reader to hopefully buyers by the last email.
As soon as they have signed up, is the perfect time to build on the visibility you have. People will be expecting to receive an email from you. So don't disappoint them!
Why Sending An Email Welcome Sequence Is Good For Business?
Making a connection from the start will help to build a relationship for the future. Making it far more likely that your new subscribers will stay engaged with your emails, increasing their likely LTV (lifetime value).
Your new subscriber is keen to know more about how you can help them, otherwise, why would they have signed up. So tell them!
How Many Emails Should Be In A Sequence?
Most sequences have between 4-8 emails but can have as many as you need. Depending on the length of your sales cycle and the products you sell. The more complex a sale or a product the more emails you are likely to need.
A great tip I learnt from Daniel Throssell is to not only send an email but also have a link with each email. Giving people something extra to read from you. (You can read more about it here: Parallel Welcome Sequence )
This could be a blog or an article and means that by the end of the 6 emails (or how many you choose) your reader could have read 6 emails and 6 blogs. Which means they will know an awful lot about you and how you can help them.
Not everyone will read it all, but that's okay. The people who click the links are worth following up with.
How Often Do You Send The Emails?
I send 5 emails back to back and then leave two days between the remaining two emails. You can send them daily if you prefer, or leave a day between each.
But, if you leave too much of a gap between each email you are likely to lose momentum.
Okay, still with me? Excellent!
Planning Your Welcome Email Sequence
Start at what you would like to achieve, at the end of the sequence.
Then work back through the emails, giving your readers all the information they will need, to make a decision to buy.
Offer just one product or service during the whole sequence.
Any more than this is likely to confuse your reader and a confused person rarely buys.
Remember we are in this for the long haul so there will be plenty of time to offer other things later.
1st Email: The Big Welcome
This email can be short and to the point, ideally arriving as soon as they have signed up.
Start by congratulating your subscriber on their decision to join your email list and give them the link for the download (if you had one). Even if they had the option of downloading it from your sign up page.
This will help anyone who hasn't been able to download it (for whatever reason) and reduce emails to your inbox - always a good thing :)
Now is also a great time to set expectations:
What they will see in the following emails?
How often you're going to be emailing them?
Also, ask them to white list your email, so they don't lose your emails in their junk folder.
Add a link to a relevant blog or article (optional).
Then end with a strong reason, to open tomorrow's email by having a teaser in the P.S.
Example: P.S. Tomorrow, discover the story of how I went from (this) to (this).
2nd Email: Building Credibility and Trust
You opened a curiosity loop at the end of email 1, with the P.S. so it's important to keep to your word and close it now. With your story of going from (this) to (this)
Make it personal to build trust. Use it to help your reader towards the offer you're going to make them in the last email. But don't mention the offer just yet.
Add a link to a relevant blog or article (optional).
Then leave them with a teaser of the value they'll get in tomorrow's email in the P.S.
3rd Email: Give Value And A Quick Win.
Show your reader a tool or strategy that you’ve used that’s going to help them achieve a quick win. Something specific that addresses a pain point of your target audience.
Example for me - Many coaches struggle to connect with their ideal clients. So, my tip was a painless, free way to find out the language their ideal clients use to describe their problems.
You can either add this to the email or use it as your link for your reader to follow. Then use the email, to give them reasons to click that link.
Giving a quick-win that works will again help to build trust.
4th Email: Goal: Provide Unexpected Value & Surprise.
Build trust by sending useful resources.
This could be a blog post or a useful guide & resource. Something that will help them to move forward and build bonds with your subscribers.
Also, due to reciprocity, when they receive a gift for free or get some unexpected value, they will want to return the favour. Which will come in handy when you make them an offer.
5th Email: Give Value and Drop A Hint
Drop a subtle nudge in the direction of your product or service. A subtle nudge is a soft pitch where you provide a splinter or preview of your product or service.
You can also highlight your client's success stories and testimonials if you have any.
Linking a blog or article which shows the breakthrough clients can get, will help to give even more credibility here.
6th Email: The Ask.
Finally, the day has come to make your offer!
It's a good idea to make this a time-sensitive offer. As long as you stick to it and don't offer them the same thing in the future (as this will destroy the trust you've built up).
Add a link here to a blog or article which will back your offer up.
7th Email: Final Call and Feedback.
Let your new subscriber know this is the final call for the offer and the last email in the sequence.
Then ask them what they’d like to see next.
You could also use this opportunity to segment your subscribers through a link trigger.
Ask them to click the link they prefer (give two options) and this can be used to segment them to receive the information they would like best.
Imagine having this data. You can send relevant product and affiliate offers, as well as content to the right group of people.
So, that is it.
Now you have all the information you need to create an email welcome sequence for your business.
So, it's over to you to get creating.
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