Email Sequences: What Are They and How Can You Use Them?

Have you ever filled out a form and been sent a series of emails in the days afterwards? Perhaps you downloaded a free piece of content and were sent 4 or 5 follow up emails trying to sell you a product or service? We call this an email sequence, and it is the foundation of any email marketing strategy. When used correctly, e-mail sequences can help generate leads and close sales regularly.

 

What Is An Email Sequence?

 

E-mail sequences are automated. This means that once you set it up once, you are set for the duration of the campaign. It also means that your emails are being sent out to prospective customers on your behalf while you are working on something else. Think about how nice it would be to have a conversation with several or more customers while at the same time pitching a big client or mapping out a new strategy?

 

You begin the creation of an email sequence by determining the purpose of the campaign and the desired action you want the recipient to take. In most cases, the purpose is to showcase a product, and the action is for the customer to purchase it. Then, you decide what action will kick-off the sequence. For example, if you are selling widgets, you may create a lead generation magnet such as an eBook called “5 Reasons Widgets Will Help You Lose Weight” and offer it to visitors for free in exchange for their email address.

 

Once they fill out the form, this kicks off the email sequence. The first email will thank them for downloading the eBook and recap what they should expect to find inside. It will end by pitching the product you chose to showcase and providing a call to action button at the bottom that links to the appropriate product page. It is important to remember that this is the first email in a sequence and that you need not try too hard to close the deal here.

 

Types Of Sequences / Campaigns

 

What happens after that first email can vary greatly. You need to decide how many emails you want to send and how far out you want to space them. This is a delicate balancing act because if you are perceived as annoying they will unsubscribe. However, if too much time passes, they may be no longer interested in your product, or worse, buy from someone else.

 

To figure out how many emails you want to write and schedule, you have to think about the content that will go into them. Each email must be unique and highlight a unique selling point about the product. You have to assume that if the reader did not take action during the first few emails; it is because you did not sell them on the value it will provide to them. View each email as a different pitch in an attempt to close a different buyer persona.

 

For example, if you are a fitness supplement company trying to sell pre-work out powder you may want to stop at 4 e-mails. The first can focus on the product as a whole. The second can talk about how much better a workout can be after taking a pre-workout. The third can talk about how clean and pure your product is and highlight the ingredients. The final e-mail recaps the first three and makes one last push to sell the product. Anything more and you will be simply repeating your facts or sending emails with little value to the reader.

 

How To Set It All Up

 

Once you create your lead generation magnet and write your email copy, you need a program to set the whole thing up for you. ClickFunnels is a leader in sales funnels and email sequences. They start by giving you the template you need to generate submissions. For example, you may inspire someone to click a link, but you want to ensure they actually fill in the form so you can capture their address and start the sequence.

 

The landing page outline that click funnels supply, provide space for items such as videos thanking potential customers for clicking the link, the top 5 reasons they should download the eBook, and what others are saying about the content will motivate users to submit their form. Once the form is submitted, three things will automatically happen. First, the lead magnet will download to their computer. Second, the email sequence will begin. Lastly, you can bring them directly to the page of the product you want them to buy in an attempt to close the sale right there.

 

Saving The Information

 

It is important to set up a system to collect and store these emails that are being submitted to you. You can do this by connecting your Click Funnels campaign to a tool such as MailChimp to ensure all the email addresses are being saved. These will come in handy when you want to run a similar campaign in the future. You can also add these new leads to your monthly newsletter, future sales offers, or distribute them amongst your sales team.

 

Conclusion

 

Email sequences allow you to be in multiple places at once. You can have conversations with dozens if not hundreds of customers at the same time. It helps keep your brand and product top of mind with customers and increases your chances of closing the sale. The key to this entire tactic is to understand the value your products offer and the best way to communicate that to your target audience.

 

Let’s Talk

 

Have we gotten your wheels turning? Interested in learning more about how e-mail sequences and sales funnels can increase your sales and profits?

We would love to learn more about your brand and how 360 Gateway Brands can help!

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