First of all, let’s just get this out of the way. Email is not dead! The email funnel is not dead! Don’t let anyone convince you of this. Your email list is GOLD. It’s a wonderful warm audience, if you treat them right.
Let’s talk about what goes into your email funnel. (If you find yourself asking, “what exactly is an email funnel?” here ya go – it is a sequence of emails that you send to someone on your email list. The sequence takes them through the funnel down to the point of purchase.) What goes into your email funnel depends on the objective, which is a great place to start!
You need to set an intention for your funnel so that you know what direction you are going while you’re writing them.
- Are you welcoming them to your email list?
- Are you telling him about a new product?
- Are you getting them ready for your big launch?
- Do you want them to join your membership?
- Do you want them to book a consult call?
The elements of a successful email funnel are different depending on your intention, but there are four key things you want in EVERY email funnel, no matter what you’re trying to do.
1. Stories
Stories are the best way to relate to your audience, to let them see that you’re a real person, and assure them they’re buying from someone they know, like and trust. Jesus told stories. That’s how he got his message across. So you want to be sure to include personal stories that relate to your ideal client.
2. Call to Action
It’s amazing how often people forget about the call to action! It doesn’t really help you or your audience to send out a “checking in” email. You should include some kind of action, whether it’s simply asking them to join your Facebook group or follow you on Instagram. Or you can link a relevant blog post. That way they get used to clicking links in your emails! Then, when you are trying to sell your new product or service, they’re more likely to click on the link.
The great copywriter Ray Edwards suggests using one call of action three times for an email in a funnel. If you use too many different calls of action, the reader can get confused and overwhelmed and end up not clicking anything. Instead, repeat the same CTA 3 times.
3. Good Subject Line
That’s what gets the reader to open the email in the first place! You want your email funnel subject lines to encompass something that piques their curiosity… something that makes them think, “I just have to know what’s in that email.” A great technique is to save some amazing email subject lines you’ve received and tweak them to fit your own email funnel. (Never copy them, not cool!)
A fun tool to test how well your subject line is written is the Advanced Marketing Institute’s Headline Analyzer. You can put in your subject line and it will give you a percentage indicating it’s Emotional Marketing Value. You want to aim for 30-40%, but I’m always aiming for 50% or higher. I actually think it’s really fun to tweak the headline and try to up that percentage!
4. Include a PS
Did you know the PS is the second most-read part of an email after the subject line? There are a lot of people that skip right over that wonderful body of the email that you spent ages writing and just go straight to the bottom to read the PS. You can use the PS to remind them to connect with you on Facebook or Instagram. Or you can sum up your email in a couple of sentences. Always include the link for your CTA in your PS!
Across the board, no matter what type of email funnel you’re writing, these 4 things should be included. Stories, calls to action, good subject lines and a PS.
Emails are important and it takes time to be sure you’re using them in a way that connects with your audience.
While you’re working on creating a compelling email funnel, be sure to check out my post on the Top 3 Email Marketing Mistakes & How to Fix Them.
If you’re struggling with your email funnels and want to hand it off to someone else, fill out my Contact form so we can talk about it. We all have different zones of genius. Wouldn’t it feel better to work solely in your zone and let someone else take over your emails?
About the Author: Chrissie is a copywriter by trade, specializing in helping online coaches reach their ideal client. Email chrissie@copywithchrissie.com to see how she can help with your copy needs.
