You started building an email list -of course- every online business has one. You posted a freebie offer on your website – a download, a coupon code or SOMETHING enticing for someone to give up their sacred email address.
But, what are you doing with your email list?
Perhaps you are sending out a weekly email? Great!
Perhaps you are sending out an email… whenever you remember? Ok…
Perhaps you have no clue how to tackle email marketing (because let’s face it, the buzz is all about Messenger Bots anyway!) Yikes! You might be in trouble!
The cold hard truth is: email marketing still matters.
With online advertising costs continuing to rise, email marketing is an easy and proven way to build a relationship with your customers. Keep reading if you need tips on how to write emails that convert.
Let’s start with the rule of 7.
Did you know that your customers need to hear your name 7 times before they’ll remember you or even consider buying from you?
If you’re sending a weekly newsletter, it’s going to be 7 WEEKS before a potential customer may convert into an actual customer! When you add in the fact that most open rates are between 14-35%, it could take up to 21 WEEKS of emailing your list to get them to read 7 emails and be ready to purchase from you. Can we suggest something? Pick up the speed on this relationship building!
Enter the email sales sequence.
The sales sequence is a set of 7-10 emails sent over the course of the first 1-3 weeks after someone subscribes to your email list. This sequence delivers more than the freebie you’ve offered. It keeps the momentum going. These emails are strategic in nurturing a potential customer from their first thought of “hey this person/company/product is nice” to “I’m ready to buy this!” Once the initial sales sequence ends, the subscriber begins receiving your weekly newsletter, or perhaps, another email sequence.
There are many different kinds of email sequences. From following up after an abandoned cart to thanking a customer for making their first purchase, email sequence has the same goal: to continue to build your relationship with your customer. Today, we’re focusing on the initial sales sequence.
The 5 key elements of an email sequence
PRESENTS
The best way to make friends is with presents, just ask our kids. Once you’ve offered up a freebie – make sure it’s easy for your customer to access it immediately upon subscribing. Somewhere along the line of emails consider lavishing them with more gifts. It builds trust, increases their interests, and builds desire for your offer. (I mean who doesn’t want a deal? and when you’re now offering 20% off + FREE Shipping your product looks even better!)
THE STORY
Sales pages alone don’t create relationships. What inspired you to start selling this product and the transformation you – and especially your customers – have experienced along the way – THAT’S what tells the story. These stories are also memorable and shareable.
Not sure how to tell a story? Check out storyteller Marsha Shandur’s blog for guidance on how best to tell stories. http://www.yesyesmarsha.com/storytips/
For one of my email sequences I told the story of a mythical client named Nina, by mythical I mean she was a smashing together of many clients into a harrowing tale of online business success. However, her road to get there was full of challenges starting with making a product that she loved and then having NO idea on how to sell it. Readers loved the sequence not just because it was a story but it felt like it was THEIR story. Cue the heavenly music of angels singing upon each click of the email to be opened. – Marsha Shaundurs
THE TEASE
Don’t you dare finish a story in one email! Or if you do, you better give a tease of what is to come. Think back to your fav binge-worthy Netflix series, did they ever finish a storyline in only one episode? Nope, they drop in something that makes you want to keep watching and watching and watching.
Examples of the tease include:
“Stay tuned tomorrow when I have an insider sneak peak for you” <<< Who wouldn’t want to open that email that?
“The end of that story will need to wait ‘til tomorrow as this email is already too long”
“Tomorrow I’ll be sharing the biggest mistake I ever made and a whole crowd saw me do it”
All these are little teasers leave your email subscribers in suspense thinking, “oooo I can’t wait until tomorrow’s email!”
A DASH OF MYSTERY
This is similar to the tease, but slightly different. Mystery is all about getting your reader to open the email. It’s how you entice them with your email subject line.
For example, consider these two subject lines:
My mother is proud of my business
What my mother REALLY thinks about what I’m doing with my life
One has mystery, one does not.
How about these ones?:
Are you missing this #1 element in your sales funnel?
Let me write your email sequences for you
One of these invites an email to be opened, the other gets right to the point.
THE CALL-TO-ACTION
The whole point of building a relationship with your subscribers is to get them to TAKE ACTION. At first, the action might just be to keep an eye out for your next email, a reminder that they have access to the freebie we gave them, or a link to read more. Eventually, you’ll likely want to invite them to purchase something from you. A call to action is generally anything with a link to read more, enroll or purchase.
How many call to actions? The most common advice is to have only ONE CTA because it distracts the reader. As you know, the internet is a black hole that is ready to suck you in with cute cat videos or articles about birthing in South Asia. However, we’ve seen emails with hundreds of links that have been strategic and successful. In those situations, all those links were articles that confirmed the authority of what the writer was sharing. Either way, ensure your emails have a call-to-action within them.
