A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to one of the most important parts of the Marketing phase of your business: List Building.
And in my last post, I went a little deeper on lead magnets–the valuable “freebie” you give away to attract people to your list.
So now, if things have gone well, people are finding your opt-in form on your website, filling it out with their contact information, and hitting that call to action button.
And through the magic of technology, they’re now on your list! Woo-hoo!
You cue up some techno, crank up the volume, and do your happy dance. Everyone around you looks at you like you’re weird (but in a good way).
But then a thought hits you that stops you in mid-twerk…
…
“Um…now what?”
Good question. Because someone filling out your opt-in form to join your list is just the start of the journey. Now you have to take things to the next level and start building a relationship with this new person in your life.
And that’s where your email welcome sequence comes into play.
OK, So What IS an “Email Welcome Sequence”?
Well, it’s kind of self-explanatory.
It’s a sequence of emails that welcomes your new subscriber to your list (and a bunch of other things, which I’ll cover shortly).
After all, someone just gave you their email address, and in return, they expect to get the lead magnet they asked for. And of course, you’re going to give that to them.
But just getting their email address isn’t the only reason you offered the lead magnet.
You acquired their email address so you can continue to help them with their problems and to be able to market your products and services to them over time.
And your welcome sequence is where you start to build that relationship with your new opt-in.
What Should You Include in Your Email Welcome Sequence?
You’ll recall from last week’s post that your email welcome sequence consists of multiple emails, usually 3-10 (with seven being kind of the average), delivered over about a week’s time–usually one per day.
So, what do you do in those roughly seven emails? Well, there’s room for variety here, but here are a few of the common things people often include in their email welcome sequences:
- Thank them and deliver the lead magnet–This one’s not optional. Of course, you’re going to thank them for signing up. It’s only polite. And of course, you’re going to give them a link to your lead magnet. After all, that’s why they gave you their email address in the first place. If you didn’t follow through on that promise, they would (rightly) see you as a scammer. So, in the very first email in your welcome sequence, you’ll want to take care of these basics.
- Tell your origin story–Someone just expressed enough trust in you to hand over their email address, but like anyone at the beginning of a relationship, they’re likely still a little skeptical about you. By telling them more about yourself and telling them the origin story of your business (why you got into it in the first place), you start to build on that initial trust. Sometimes people include this material in their first email, but more often, this makes up email #2. Also, since they may not have opened your first welcome email or may not have clicked on the link, you’ll also want to give them a second chance to download the lead magnet they asked for.
- Deliver more (unexpected) value–They knew they were going to get the lead magnet when they signed up, but that doesn’t mean that’s ALL you can give them. You might give them links to one or more of your best blog posts, or podcast episodes, or YouTube videos, etc. Doing so does two things simultaneously: (1) It gives them a little shot of dopamine at receiving something else of value that they weren’t expecting and (2) it starts building your credibility in their eyes. This is often done anytime during emails 1-3.
- If they’re three emails into your email welcome sequence, you might also remind them to consume the lead magnet (read, listen to, or watch) and send you any questions they have. This generates engagement.
- Bounce them around to your social platforms–You might encourage them to connect with you on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever other platforms you use regularly. Give them links to some of your best articles and posts (ones that got a lot of engagement). If your opt-ins connect with you on social, that means they’re going to see your content even more often, as they’ll see your posts in addition to the emails they get from you. And the more they see your content, the more credibility you gain in their eyes.
- Pitch your products and services–As we get closer to the end of the welcome sequence, it’s time to ask for a sale (buy your book, sign up for your online course, hire you as a speaker–whatever your current offer is). Now, I know that you may have a knee-jerk reaction against this because many consultants do. But I’m going to give you a little bit of unsolicited advice: get over it! The truth is, this person just signed up for your list for a reason. They see at least some value in what you’ve offered them so far. And when someone has just signed up for your list, they’re in a buying mood. So, spend 1-3 emails at the end of your welcome sequence telling them about what you have to offer and giving them a clear call to action to purchase. You can even ratchet up the urgency by offering a discount only to new opt-ins that disappears once the welcome sequence ends.
OK, those are some of the most common elements in a good email welcome sequence.
Done well, your new subscribers will learn more about you, gain a greater respect for you, and come to trust you more (and maybe even purchase a product or hire you)–all in a week’s time.
And what happens after that, you ask?
Well, that’s the topic of my next post, so you’ll just have to wait. 😂
Till then…
To Your Success,
Willy
P.S.–If you’re in the process of creating your list-building system and don’t fancy writing a welcome email sequence for your business, I can help.
I’ve written email sequences for a number of consultants over the years and would be happy to ghostwrite yours, as well.
Just reach out to set up a call. We’ll talk through the process of getting your welcome sequence written and set up in the ESP software of your choice.
