Let’s talk about email sequencing. You’ve seen other businesses use them. You’ve heard all about the great results they bring in. (In case you haven’t, consider the example from FEED. The Agency that earned $100,000 in just 3 days with a single email sequence.) While all marketing tactics have their pros, emails are total killers conversion-wise. For every $1 invested in email marketing, you get $38 back. If you’re still on the fence, this is your wakeup call. There’s so much to gain from email marketing—and we’ll teach you exactly how to craft a profitable sequence.
Email Sequences That Work
When you’re starting out, it’d be best to stick to sequences that work. We’ll walk you through four such types of sequences.
1. Welcome Sequences
A welcome series aims to gain subscribers’ trust. Mostly, it explains three things:
- What to expect from a newsletter
- How it helps the audience
- Why they should trust you
This last part is especially important. Usually, businesses build credibility by incorporating UGC, statistics, and media appearances in their welcome sequence.
2. Cart-Abandonment Sequences
The purpose of a cart-abandonment sequence is to recover lost sales. It’s sent when a prospect attempts to make a purchase but doesn’t complete his order. This is your chance to let him know that his cart is waiting for him and make your offer more enticing. It’s up to you how you’ll do it, but here’s what businesses usually do:
- Show how a product helps your prospect
- Offer discounts, free shipping, or money-back guarantees
3. Upsell Sequences
An upsell sequence directly follows a purchase and increases your AOV (average order value). It promotes upgrades or additional products to customers who already made a purchase. The first step in this sequence is to confirm your buyer’s order. Next, you explain why product X would be an excellent addition to what they already bought. Lastly, you make your offer.
The same goes for services. Let’s take business coaching as an example. After a client books an appointment, you could offer them a planner that will make tracking their sessions and progress easier.
4. Cross-Sell Sequences
Much like an upsell series, a cross-sell series directly follows a purchase. The goal, however, isn’t to promote products that add value to your buyer’s previous purchase. Instead, you’re promoting related products that your buyer might want based on what he previously purchased.
The easiest way to do this is to promote your bestsellers. The best way, though, would be to offer a product that complements your buyer’s previous purchase.
How to Write an Email Sequence
Now that you know what types of email sequences you could create for your business, it’s time to get to writing. Follow these step-by-step guidelines to write an effective sequence.
Step #1. Determine Your Goal
This first step is to determine your WHY. Why are you creating this email sequence? What do you want to achieve with it? Here are some common marketing goals to help you decide:
- Establishing thought leadership
- Building brand awareness
- Increasing engagement
- Growing your audience
- Selling
Don’t stop there. Be more specific. Do you want to sell an ebook? Or gain more subscribers? Clarify the end destination for your prospects in detail before you start creating your sequence, and you’ll write 100x more persuasive emails.
Step #2. Plan Your Sequence
You already know where you want to take your readers. This step is about determining how you’ll get them there. First, decide on the basics:
- What’s the purpose of your email sequence?
- How many emails will your sequence contain?
- How can you organize the emails in a logical way?
Even seasoned marketers often overlook the last part. Your sequence should reflect your prospect’s buyer’s journey. It should take your reader from point A to point B—from being on the fence to taking you up on your offer. But there’s a number of steps you need to take your buyer through before he gets to the point B(uying).
To do that successfully, cover the following things in your emails:
- Address your readers’ objections
- Showcase your product’s features
- Translate them into benefits
- Make your offer
Step #3. Write
The last step is to write copy for your email sequence. Keep it direct and straightforward. Your offer and the benefits your reader can gain should be crystal clear. You also need to convince your reader of two things:
- His problems are no longer bearable
- Your solution will eliminate them and lead your reader to his dream life (“magic pill”)
The Takeaway
At first, email sequences might sound intimidating. There’s a lot of planning to do and it should be done before you start creating your email marketing campaign. Otherwise, you risk losing potential customers or creating an inadequate buyer’s journey that takes your readers nowhere. However, with a bit of good prep, you could harvest the benefits of email marketing like so many other businesses are doing right now. Follow our guidelines and you’ll create an email sequence that converts in no time.
