Digital marketing has come a long way. With influencer marketing, social media, responsive search ads, and more, marketers have virtually limitless options for marketing and advertising.
But one “old-school” method still reigns supreme – email.
Across industries, email marketing is still a top performer for businesses. Approximately 78% of marketers credited business development to emails, and it boasts an incredible ROI of $42 for every $1 spent.
Why Do Email Sequences Matter?
Email sequencing is so effective because it reaches a wide range of people. Not everyone is on social media, but just about everyone has an active email. It also allows you to target different segments of your audience to deliver more relevant content and offers.
Every customer goes through the buyer’s journey when they’re shopping for something, no matter how big or small.
- The Awareness Stage: This is when the buyer first becomes aware that they have a problem.
- The Consideration Stage: This is when the buyer defines their problem and considers the options available to solve it.
- The Decision Stage: This is when the buyer evaluates and chooses the right business to deliver a solution.
In many cases, a potential customer will seek out a particular product or service, discovering organic or paid content. They may find themselves on a landing page, which should include a signup or subscriber form to add their email to your email list.
Once that email is added to your email list, you have an opportunity to offer discounts, alert them to new products or sales, promote your content, share your social media pages, and more. All of these interactions can eventually lead to sales and a long-lasting relationship.
What to Include in Your Email Sequence
Your email sequence should be automated to send to all your email contacts. Here’s what that should include:
The Welcome Email
First impressions are everything. The purpose of a welcome email is to connect with your customer and thank them for joining your email list, as well as fulfilling any promise you made in exchange for their information. In most cases, this is a special offer or discount.
Your welcome email should go out the instant someone signs up for your email list. It should thank the subscriber for joining, welcome them to your brand family, and give them an idea of what to expect from future emails, such as a monthly newsletter.
Here’s an example of how that should look:
Hi [first name],
Thanks for joining our [brand] family!
You’ll receive two more emails over the next week, then you can expect to hear from us on a [frequency] basis for our [content].
As promised, here’s your exclusive offer:
[Choose one of these]
Coupon or discount
Exclusive content, such as a webinar or downloadable asset
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of the email.
[sig]
This first email should be short and sweet with a welcoming tone. Stick to the pertinent information.
The Invitation to Connect
New subscribers may not know a lot about your business and how they can connect with you if they need help. Your second email – the invitation to connect – solves this for them and highlights your social channels and contact information,
This email should go out a few days after the first welcome email and should include information for subscribers to connect (social media, contact email) and benefits of connecting (product updates, discounts, etc.).
Here’s an example:
Hi [first name],
Would you like to connect? We’re on social! Follow us to be among the first to hear about our updates, product launches, promotions, and more!
You could also engage with super cool fans in our [brand] community.
Follow us on:
Facebook [link]
Twitter [link]
Instagram [link]
LinkedIn [link]
Etc.
You could also visit us on our website [link] or call at [number].
Questions? Comments? We’d love to hear from you! Give us a call or email to [benefit to contact, such as a free consultation].
[sig]
The “Getting to Know You” Email
After you’ve sent an invitation to connect, it’s time to learn more about your email contacts and inspire action with relevant content and offers.
This final email is an important part of your welcome sequences and helps you personalize your content to their needs. This email should go out about four days after your invitation to connect.
You should include information like:
An ask for their information and some details on how you’ll use it, such as to send birthday offers or provide relevant and valuable content to them
A survey to collect that information
Here are some examples:
Example 1:
Hi [first name],
Thanks for connecting! We’d love to learn a little more about you so we can give you a special gift on your birthday!
Here’s a link to get started: [survey link].
Thanks!
[sig]
Example 2:
Hi [first name],
We’d love to learn more about you so we can send you blogs, discounts, promotions, and other content you’re sure to love!
What topics are you interested in?
[Provide options with a poll or set up click segmentation to give them options for topics to receive more related communication.]
[sig]
Once you have this information, make sure you use it! You can gain valuable data to make future emails and offers more targeted to your email list.
Customize Your Emails
These examples should give you a starting point to draft your email sequence, but remember to tailor them to your own brand and message. Consider how you would speak to customers in person and let that come out in your emails. This will keep it feeling personal, rather than a boilerplate script.
Get Started with Email Marketing
Email marketing is an essential tool for generating sales, growth, and customer loyalty. Whether you have a startup or an enterprise brand, a targeted, personalized, and welcoming email sequence leverages the power of marketing to connect you with your prospects and turn them into loyal paying customers.