Struggling to Generate Leads from Your Email Marketing Campaigns? Try This Ultimate Welcome Sequence

Computer photo created by master1305 – www.freepik.com

Got a fantastic product or service, but despite trying all the marketing tricks in the book, it’s still a struggle to get new leads?

It’s frustrating when competitors seem to be doing so well and have a loyal following promoting their brand. How on earth are they doing that?

What’s the secret ingredient to getting more leads and sales?

It’s not as tricky as you might think. There’s no high-tech magic wand. These brands are doing their thing through high-level, effective email marketing.

Email marketing has the potential to achieve conversion rates 40 times higher than social media marketing—but it’s not as simple as writing a few short paragraphs and tossing in a fun GIF.

Effective email marketing reaches those higher rates because it’s written to be intentional and engaging. Fail to write engaging emails and risk subscribers hitting the unsubscribe button…and quick. So if your email campaigns are dry and boring, they aren’t going to be successful.

How To Write A Welcome Sequence That’ll Turn Subscribers Into Loyal Leads

Every email list starts with a welcome sequence. Typically, 5-7 emails that deliver a freebie or discount, offer value and engage the subscriber.

But get the welcome sequence wrong, or even worse, fail to have a welcome sequence, and you may as well be emailing the invisible man because there’ll be nobody at the other end of the email to open it.

Follow these tried and tested welcome email structures, and you’ll be guaranteed to get more leads. But remember, there’s no set-in-stone way to write a great email sequence. It depends on the end goal. So think about why you’re writing it. Perhaps it’s for:

• Selling a new product or service
• Nurturing towards a later offer
• Delivering a freebie and keeping potential customers in touch with the brand

Whatever the end goal, write the emails to fit around it.

Email #1

Goal: to say hello and deliver the freebie.

The first email in a welcome sequence needs to be short and sweet. Don’t write an essay on why your business exists or how your products are the best. The reader has signed up for a discount or a freebie, so give it to them.

A good structure for the first email is the following:

• A quick thanks for signing up. Celebrate and make the reader feel excited to be on the list.
• The freebie as promised.
• A brief sentence or two about your brand.
• What to expect next.
• Engage with a question or ask them to safelist you
• Add in a P.S. that teases and encourages them to look out for the following email

Remember, no waffling. Keep it to the point.

Email #2

Goal: to offer lots of free value.

If you offered something special in the P.S., of Email #1, now is the time to deliver. Offer value by sharing a strategy or showing readers how to get a quick win.

Before writing, think about a pain point that the reader has. Why did they sign up for the list in the first place? What are they looking for help with?

Offer up a solution. Providing loads of value for free makes the reader realize that the paid services or products must be superb.

Email #3

Goal: to inspire and motivate.

Email #3 is the perfect place to put your storytelling hat on. Once again, reflect on why the reader signed up for the emails. Then choose a pain point and write a story around it.

The Bridge method of copywriting works well here:

• Highlight a problem. It works even better if it’s a problem you or the business has faced as well.
• Explain how easy life is now you’ve solved the problem.
• Bridge the gap by showing how the product or service you offer solved the problem.

The idea of this email is to get the cogs working in the reader’s mind. Then, if they have the same problem, you’ve shown them what a breeze life will be once they’ve solved the issue. Hopefully, this encourages them to purchase either now or in the future.

Email #4

Goal: to throw in an unexpected bonus.

Who doesn’t love a surprise? So with Email #4, throw in some value for free, like a link to a blog post or an extra discount.

The law of reciprocity means that the reader will want to give something back by getting this extra surprise. It’ll warm them to your brand.

This email aims to build trust and loyalty—both necessary for increasing leads and sales.

Email #5

Goal: to nudge them in the right direction.

Here’s the point where it’s finally ok to give the reader a gentle nudge towards your products or services in a more sales-like way.

But don’t go overboard. You’ve spent four emails building a relationship, don’t destroy it with one icky sales email.

So what’s the best way to give a gentle shove in the right direction?

If it’s a service, perhaps offer a preview or an extended free trial or share social proof. Let your past and present customers do the talking for you by sharing testimonials and reviews.

Email #6

Goal: to add in some scarcity and urgency.

It’s time to add some time limits and FOMO into the mix. But, again, do this in a non-salesy way if possible. Point out that this offer for new subscribers is limited in number and time.

Want a handy hint? Use a countdown clock for that extra virtual push.

Email #7

Goal: to get some customer feedback.

The final mail in the welcome sequence is the ideal time to segment your list. Throw in a short survey or ask the reader for direct feedback.

By segmenting your list, it’s even easier to send personalized and super-relevant emails. And that’s the key to leads and sales.

And, if you’re not fully comfortable with email copywriting, you can always enlist the help of a copywriting agency or take an online copywriting course to hone your skills.

It Doesn’t Stop There

Your welcome sequence is up and running, but that’s not the end of the marketing story.

Keep in touch with subscribers regularly with engaging and entertaining emails. And create new freebies to encourage more leads to your list. By being consistent, your list will grow, and reaching those new leads won’t seem so tricky.