What are email sequences and why do you need them?

We’ve heard it all before, your email list is where the money is. Social media platforms can disappear tomorrow. But if you focus efforts on your list, you’ll be prepared when the social apocalypse happens and your online business should be minimally impacted because your email list is always going to be there. You own it. 

Not to mention, with an email list, your people have literally given you their email giving you a backdoor entrance to their most personal online space: their inbox. Email is one of the most popular ways that businesses and brands communicate with their customers (and the biggest money-maker, too).

This backdoor access is a privilege you shouldn’t ignore. Meaning, you need to start emailing these people who have specifically asked you to email them or shown interest in your products or services. They are primed and ready. Emails will help push them over the edge to invest in you (or not). That’s how successful online businesses grow.

What is an email sequence?

Also called drip emails, autoresponders, an email sequence is a series or group of emails that are automatically sent to people who have signed up to your list. Usually, these emails are scheduled to be sent depending on the actions of your subscriber. 

Depending on the type of email sequence, they can be used to welcome and engage your subscribers, nurture leads that have shown interest in your offers, onboard clients or team members, or remind customers to purchase. I talk more about what type of email sequences you need for your business and how to use them effectively in this post.

An email sequence is typically used to support your audience as they move through your sales funnel. 

Writing an effective email sequence requires careful planning around the actions you want your email list to take as you craft your content. All you have to do is map out your subscriber’s journey once and the automated email sequence will keep your readers engaged for months or years down the road. How? By funneling them through your sales process based on what action they take on each email.

Why you need an email sequence

Email sequences not only help you scale but they turn subscribers into loyal customers if done correctly. Basically, you’re guiding them on a journey of value that builds trust and ultimately, lands the sale.

To create an effective email sequence, you need to know the needs of your audience at every contact point you have with them within your sales funnel. Your content needs to make sense, provide value, and be relevant to the recipient of your email in order to increase engagement. 

A successful email sequence requires engagement. High open rates are great, but if no one is engaging or taking action, the sequence is pretty pointless.

The important thing to remember is that email sequences are automated. Meaning you write them once, but you are not physically sending them out each time. They go out like clockwork without you having to think twice. No business owner has time to send out different emails to different subscribers all day every day. That would be a lot of work and your time can be better spent elsewhere, trust me. 

How To Make An Email Sequence Work For You

When planning your email sequence, it’s important to think about what you want your emails to achieve. What is your objective or end result? Do you want to nurture leads, re-engage with lost customers, communicate with your audience more regularly? The content inside your emails will vary depending on the goals you have for either your audience or your business.

Email sequences work best when you’ve defined the message for your audience. You don’t want to send the same email to someone who’s signed up for your financial 101 freebie and someone else who ordered a #bossbabe notebook from your eCommerce business. You need to alter your message based on how each audience member has responded to your online content.

THE BASICS OF WRITING AN EMAIL SEQUENCE

Writing an action-inducing email takes planning, skill, and coming up with relevant content. First, you really need to know your audience in order to write catchy emails that speak directly to their needs. This takes time, patience, and attention to detail. You can’t rush through this process (but you can hire this out to copywriters like me if all of this information is literally making you cringe). 

An email is composed of a subject line, body content, and call to action. All of these work together to push your subscribers to engage and take action with each email in an email sequence. You need to have an enticing subject line, skimmable body content and a CTA that’s seductively actionable.

Emails are a huge way to connect directly with your audience. So don’t miss out on this connection point and get your emails written! If you need help doing this, I would love to help. You can learn how to work with me here or contact me so we can discuss your email marketing needs!