When your reader subscribes to your email list, it is epic… right!?!
So we need to treat that as so. We need to nurture these new subscribers and stay relevant and be remembered. This is the only place where you can speak to your audience in its entirety.
When you are on social media, only some of your follows will view your content, whereas with your email subscribers you are directly in their inbox and they will view your content at their leisure.
How many times have you subscribed to get a freebie and forget that you subscribed until the next time you checked your email? Then you’re all like “oh yeah, I really needed that freebie!” and you are so thankful that they are in your inbox instead of you having to be somewhere online at a certain time to get that content or hunt down a website or social media post.
On the flip side….
How many times have you subscribed to get a freebie and then you don’t hear from them for a month and totally forget who they are. Then they write to you out of the blue one day ready to tell you about their new product they have coming up and you wonder who the heck they are?
It is imperative to nurture your new subscribers to build a relationship so that when you do have something terrific to offer them, they already know you, like you, and trust you.
So what does this sequence look like? Great question! I would like to first talk about the whole reason behind why you cherish your email subscribers. They are your people, they are the ones who read your posts, follow you on various social media and most importantly they are the ones who will buy from you. This is gold. Treat them as such. Always provide value, true value. People can tell when its fluff or just something in their email inbox.
With every word you write be authentic, helpful, inspirational, and above all provide value.
Here is a sequence plan if you already have a product to offer:
Email 1: Offer a warm welcome and introduction to you and what you do or what your blog is about.
Email 2: Offer a story, but more importantly, your story. Share your ‘why’ with your new subscribers. Get a little personal and let them know your passion for doing what you do.
Email 3: A story of inspiration to lead into a blog post you have already written. This should be a short couple of paragraphs, light, and fun. Then provide the link to read the full post. (encourage them to click through to your blog).
Email 4: Pinpoint a problem they may have. One that directly relates to a paid product that you have to offer (we are not going to talk about the product yet). Help your new subscriber identify the problem and offer some simple and quick solutions, perhaps lead them to a blog post you have written.
Email 5: Pinpoint a problem again, only this time you will talk about your paid product and how it helps solve this problem. Then you will offer a link to your landing page.
* as a perk for being an exclusive email subscriber, they get a special bonus or early bird pricing. Make them feel special (because they are!)
If you do not have any products just yet, your email welcome sequence may look more like this…
Email 1: Offer a warm welcome and introduction to you and what you do or what your blog is about. Invite them to your Facebook group or to follow you on your favorite social media.
Email 2: Offer a story, but more importantly, your story. Share your ‘why’ with your new subscribers. Get a little personal and let them know your passion for doing what you do.
Email 3: A story of inspiration to lead into a blog post you have already written. This should be a short couple of paragraphs, light, and fun. Then provide the link to read the full post. (get them to click through to your blog).
Email 4: Pinpoint a problem they may have. One that directly relates to your blog content. Help your new subscriber identify the problem and offer some simple and quick solutions, lead them to a blog post you have written.
Email 5: Continue to tell short stories and send them to a blog post you have written. These can be brand new ones weekly or to old posts. Keep providing value and solutions to the problems your readers face. Ask them to hit reply and let you know of a problem they face in ______ area of your expertise. You will be amazed when they write back to you. These make terrific blog posts, by the way. And this my dear, is how you truly nurture your email subscribers and build a community. Make it interactive and fun.
Write to your list every week at least. You want to make sure you continue to provide valuable content that is solution driven. You’ll stay relevant and in their radar so when you have a product to talk about, it is not of the blue.
What are your favorite emails to receive? Do you enjoy the short stories that lead to a super helpful blog post or do you like the ones that pinpoint a problem you often face and provide a quick and easy solution? Share in the comments!