Many of you are busy working on your blogs and marketing pieces right now and you may be wondering about the whole email marketing piece of the equation. You know what an opt-in is and you know what a freebie is. But how do you begin to cultivate relationships right off the bat?
There are two ways to do this: One way is to get people on your email list using a freebie and then putting them onto your main email list where they are bombarded from you with emails that may have nothing to do with the freebie they opted in for. This creates tension with the person because now they are confused on what you even do.
The second way to do this is by taking some time out and write a small email sequence that allows this person to get to know you and your knowledge that pertains to the freebie they opted in for. You segment this person as someone who wants to know more about this subject before moving them into your main email list, which from there, you’ll only send them emails regarding the topic they like.
This might be sounding confusing, so let’s get into the meat of this post and let me show you exactly what I mean by giving you examples of what I’ve done inside my own business using the second tactic.
Email #1: The Welcome
One of my popular opt-ins is for a content calendar I have put together and it’s a popup on my website. I have on automation sequence where people get to know me and my character a little bit more before I put them onto my main email list.
When people sign up for the content calendar, they are immediately taken to a welcome email, which is where I let them know what they are in for and what to expect in the next few days.
You can see the example of my email below:
Email #2: The Challenge
In the second email, I begin to challenge the subscribers to act like CEOs of their businesses. I challenge them to download the content calendar I gave them and to begin using it the way it ought to be used: like a serious corporation or CEO would.
I then go on to say how big corporations make sure their content calendar and editorial calendar is in place and how they tweak their progress as they go along. It’s a lesson email and I want the subscribers to read this email and rethink the way they are running their business.
Email #3: The Lesson
This is a lesson email that really just lets my subscribers know that this takes time and practice. The idea is to never give up on tweaking, because far too many people give up after trying once.
They become aware that something else is coming their way as an additional resource and they should look out for it.
Email #4: The Ask
My last email is the email where I ask my subscriber to take action – to hop on a free call with me. I have been providing value after value and now I give them the opportunity to get on a call with me to speak about their content with me one on one.
By this time, they should have a sense of not only on how I operate but what kind of person I am if I just keep giving value away for free.
Then on the call, that’s when I’ll determine if they are an ideal client or not; I’ll either offer them a package where they can work with me or I’ll send them on their way if I feel like they wouldn’t be a good fit for any of my programs.
Segmenting
There is one last thing you have to do before you can call it a day and sign out.
You need to segment this list. What in the world does segmenting mean? According to TrackMaven, Segmenting is “the process of dividing a market of potential customers into groups, or segments, based on different characteristics. The segments created are composed of consumers who will respond similarly to marketing strategies and who share traits such as similar interests, needs, or locations.”
This way, when you place these subscribers into your main mailing list, you can begin creating different emails for the people who are interested in a particular interest.
For example, in my own business, I have a few different segments: blogging, content strategy and book writing. That way, I can segment my main newsletter to just go to people who are interested in book writing, so the people who are interested in content strategy will get emails based on content strategy and events that have to do with content strategy. Then the book writing people will get emails about their interests without being bombarded by my emails about content strategy.
Conclusion
I want you to know that email marketing isn’t just about creating a once a week newsletter – it’s much more than that. It’s about creating trust and relationships based on different features that you do. It’s about getting your subscribers interested in what you’re doing so they will buy from you when you ask them to buy.
It’s strategic. It’s marketing. It’s businesslike.
If you’re ready to set up your first onboarding email sequence, then download my FREE Onboarding Email Sequence Worksheet! Inside of this worksheet, you’ll develop four emails that will give your new prospect value and helpful insights on your freebie! Then you’ll create a unique call to action for your prospect to take – whether that’s a free call or even an ask to buy a small program you have. By the end of the worksheet, you will have your first email sequence mapped out and ready to be inserted into your email marketing system! Click the image below to download it now!
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