The Beginners Guide to Building Email Sequences that Convert

Building a loyal customer base doesn't happen by sending only one email after the user sign-up. You need to send a series of emails to nurture them, keep them engaged, and convert them into paying customers. By automating your email flow, you can save time and get a higher return on your investment. 

If you are wondering, what are those email sequences, you are in the right place to learn everything you need to get started. Email sequences are a series of emails to help you build and nurture your customer relationship. There are many different platforms for you to experiment with. I use Kajabi to build my email list because it has many beautiful and easy-to-use templates that I can easily customize to create my emails. Whatever you choose to work with, make sure you opt for something that you can easily adjust, and no coding is needed.

If you are writing and sending your own newsletters, you want to be able to build beautiful newsletters without needing to be a pro designer. Besides Kajabi, I can recommend you Flodesk, ConvertKit or MailChimp. Choose the one that feels the easiest and more natural to use. The second point to consider is how fast you are growing your mailing list, and don't forget to check out the costs attached to those. Sometimes starting with a platform can be a low-cost decision. However, as your database grows, so are the charges. Make sure you pick an email marketing platform that grows with you because it is difficult to change when you are thousands of contacts on your list. It is better to start with a smart strategy from the beginning. 

Welcome Sequence 

Naturally, when someone signs up for your newsletters, you will send a welcome message on the first day and another a few days later. Afterwards, you will aim to send them newsletters regularly. How often? My suggestion is always to consider the following: 

• Know your audience and understand how often is too often. There is no use sending out weekly 2-3 emails if you overwhelm your otherwise enthusiastic followers with them. Less is more...
• How much value can you provide to your readers? This is so important!!! The main reason you want to email your subscribers is to build and nurture a relationship with them. This can be done by serving them with content they love and appreciate. 

Once you have a plan, it is crucial to stick to it and send those newsletters regularly, on the same day and at the same time. This way, your followers anticipate hearing from you, and your opening rates will thank you for consistently showing up.

Emails work wonders for your business, but why? 

Today, social media platforms are filled with millions of different content feeds. A simple swipe through your social media platform will expose you to thousands of posts within minutes (if not seconds...). That said, it can become incredibly challenging to convert clients using social media marketing.

That’s where your beautifully built email sequences come into play! By creating and scheduling your regular newsletters, your business will build a personal relationship with your customers, thereby converting them into buyers and, hopefully, returning customers. Undoubtedly, email marketing is like a perfect first date. There’s that instant spark from the moment you meet, and when everything connects perfectly, your long-term relationship is solid and rewarding. 

Take it slow!

Don't push too hard! For instance, you'll risk pushing your customers away by sending your product or service with the first email. However, you can start with introductions by using an autoresponder as you warm up your potential customers and build trust. Then down the line, a few weeks or a month into your relationship is when you present your product or service. But by that time, you made sure your readers were aware of the pinpoint you offer a solution to, and they want your advice and help on everything. 

What to include in your email sequence?

There aren't many specific rules for creating email sequences. There are a few rules that you should probably follow. Here are some ideas that you can consider:

• Introductory/Welcome Email: introduce yourself and your business the same way you’d introduce yourself in a conference meeting. Typically, you can go the extra mile and add a freebie to this email or an opt-in offer.
• Offer Value in your Email: after the first introduction, the following email informs the customers why you can help them with your service or product. But remember, you should try as much as possible to educate them on how you can help them without necessarily mentioning the product.
• Serve your Readers: there is no limit to how much value you can offer your subscribers. These bits of information will help you establish yourself as an authoritative figure in the business and show what you know. Adding value and solving problems without trying to charge for them will help your subscribers build a trusting and enthusiastic relationship with you without any pressure. Just show up to serve and share, and the rest will follow. 

After the first two welcome and warm-up emails, the third and fourth emails should be a continuation of the previous emails in terms of topics and directions. Therefore, these emails should be informative without any sales pitch. You can educate, entertain or inspire your recipients on what you sell without giving them any offers.

The fifth email should be a follow-up highlighting the benefits of your product or services, backing it up with your value.

Don't be that Bull in a China Shop...

Then the final sequence can be an email talking about your product or service in an informative and gentle. That will evoke some response from your email list and drive them to purchase your product or services. Let's just stop for a second here...When I say gentle, I am still talking about showing up with confidence and clarity. It is completely okay to sell in your emails, and your readers probably expect that at one point. However, flooding your readers with nothing but sales pitches won't ever work. You need to construct clever and strategically targeted emails that will help you tell your story, touch on your customer's pain points and present your solution in a light that will feel like an unmissable opportunity to them.

Newsletter Sequences Help to...

Build your business like no other platform in your business, and allow you to create and nurture a perfect customer-business relationship that lasts for a long time. 

Consistency is Easy! Automate! 

As with everything in running your online business, email marketing is also built on solid consistency. However, with the opportunity to write and schedule your newsletters weeks and months ahead, you can clear an afternoon or a morning here and there and create a few in one go. Once you've created your emails, you can start tagging your readers and the content according to how you want to lead your readers through your funnel. The key here is automation because this will help you plan, use and re-use your content in the most time-effective way. When new users subscribe, they will start receiving the pre-scheduled emails right away (even when you are sleeping or eating ice cream at Godiva with your best friend..How cool is that?) This approach is my preference because it helps to stay in the zone and see the line of communication as it develops more clarity and confidence. Ready to move on to more advanced email marketing techniques? Read about The Best Email Marketing Strategies for Beginners or The Best Strategies to Get Your Emails Opened. 

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