Blog - Page 3 of 15 - Ava Carmichael

How to Create an Email Sequence that Converts

Your subscribers are pouring in, now what!? In my free guide below, I’ll show you how to create an email sequence, and the first Welcome Email Series that will keep your subscribers on-board, engaged and eventually become loyal, paying customers.

Getting Started: Writing a Welcome E-mail Series

Why should you write a welcome email sequence?
How many emails should you add to your welcome email series?
How often should you send these emails?
What do you write in your welcome email series?
How do you combine your broadcasts and your welcome email series?
How do you transition from a simple welcome email series to selling something?

Download the free Welcome Email Series Templates ?

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Click Here to Download!

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Why should you write a welcome email sequence?

You may never get a second chance to make the first impression. We hear that all the time, right? Well, its the same concept when a customer lands on your page for the first time and chooses to subscribe to your email list.

They are opting in to share their contact information with you. As a courtesy, the most important thing you can do is follow up. Create a warm welcome email thanking them for signing up and offer something as a way to say thanks.

What will keep them engaged and tuned in for the long haul will be your email sequence that follows that initial “thanks for signing up!” email, or, your “welcome email.”

When your new subscriber signs up or joins, it is better for you to send a personal and targeted email to them rather than a once-per-week Newsletter that goes out to everyone. Creating an email that introduces yourself will feel more personal, and they’ll be more likely to feel connected, which creates customer loyalty.

PRO TIP: You don’t want to send a sales email to a brand new subscriber from the first email touch base. That would be rude and assuming. Let your options get to know you before sending sales-pitchy emails.

Here’s what a great welcome email series accomplishes:

Captures your audience’s attention
Engages with your customers
Creates a memorable experience
Builds trust
Creates fertile soil for customers to buy

Essentially, your welcome email series is designed to get your new subscribers to get to know you, like you and build trust in you to solve specific needs or create value in their lives.

How can you do that?

For one: Always Be Creating Value first. (or, what I like to refer to as the ABCV method). Create value, create value, create value — and then Ask.

How many emails to include in a welcome email series?

I recommend to start with 3 – 5 emails, spaced out over the course of a few days. For example, send the first email immediately after the subscriber joins, and then send a follow-up within 2 days and the third within 5 days. I have found this method is good so that they aren’t scared off, thinking you’re going to spam them daily. It helps to build trust and maintain your audience retention.

Click Here to Download my e-Mail Templates

How often to send automated emails?

Some marketers or bloggers will send more than 3, which could be seen as excessive, however, keep in mind that not all of your subscribers will see, open, or engage with every email you send. For example, if you send out 5 emails, the open rate may only be one or two. Sometimes the open rate is even zero. Which is why it’s important to always be growing your email list. A lot of your success will be a numbers and stats game.

Keep in mind also, that just one “Hello, welcome!” email isn’t enough to get someone to know you, like you or trust you. You need to build that relationship. Another thing to keep in mind is this: you won’t always resonate with everyone. Be OK with attracting your ideal clients who want to be a part of your circle, and letting go of the ones who aren’t on your wavelength.

To avoid feeling too excessive with your email sends, you can try sending more emails but choose much shorter emails or offer different, valuable content (just make sure it’s your own branded content or a collab with another brand).

What to include in a welcome email series?

Here are a few things you could include in your welcome email series:

An introduction. “Hi, my name is Ava. This is my story..”
How can you add value or improve their life?
What makes you an expert? Your credibility, press, reviews, etc,
Your brand story (want to know how to craft your perfect brand story, check out my Branding 101 Course)
Value, value, value (ABCV: Always Be Creating Value)
Engage, ask them questions
Briefly introduce your products and/or services

Email #1 Example: Your Welcome Email

Introduce yourself, give them a reason to look forward to or open your next email!
Use the [Mail Merge] tags in your email provider so you can address your subscriber by name. It’s personal and polite.
Ask them to add you to their contact list so that your emails won’t end up in their spam folder
Let them know what they can expect from this email and any upcoming email correspondence
Remind them of how they subscribed and state your value proposition or what you do to make lives better
Provide a ton of value and give them links to your best content, or offer a freebie, download
Ask to connect on social media (Include your social links)
Give a teaser about your next email
Sign with a signature that is authentic to you, and keep it consistent. (i.e. Sincerely, Always, Xo, etc.)

Email #2 Example: Thanks, Gratitude and Welcome (again)

Re-introduce yourself (maybe they didn’t get the first email, or they forgot). Use this 2nd email as a chance to reintroduce yourself and offer ways you can help them.
Continue to give value
Story tell. I am a huge believer in telling your story and entertaining your audience. Pull them in with a story about you or someone you knew or worked with.
Give them an offer or access to your best performing content or freebie also offers them your best freebie.
You are your new sub are still in the early meet and greet stage, give her a reason to stick around. Give them high value content that will really make their lives easier/better. The best strategy is to offer something that will transform their life immediately, whether in the email or through a link.

Email #3 Example: Story Tell & Give Value

By now, your new sub is getting to know you. You’ve provided her value and haven’t been pushy or too sales-y. Engage with her further through story telling or a personal anecdote that is inspiring. Sharing more of who you are and giving your “origin story” builds a relationship.

Mention a freebie, give a download link or provide a strategy checklist. Give something of value, position yourself as the expert that you are! Use this email to sincerely provide motivation and inspiration.

Email #4 Example: ABC Value, Value, Value!

Second verse, same as the first. Just as you added story and value in email #3, do the same in email #4. Be polite, personable and provide solid tips, tricks, or strategy (i.e. VALUE) that will transform their lives.

Email #5 Example: The Ask (AKA: Sales Ask)

By email #5, your subscriber should know you and trust you a lot better. S/he’s warmed up to you and more likely to buy what you are offering. It is now time to ask for the sale or guide them along into the sales process.

PRO TIP: Do NOT be afraid to ask for the sale. If she passes, that’s OK. Remember, this can be a numbers game! If you are offering something that you know is truly valuable and you’ve worked hard on it, the price and what you’re asking for is VALID. Not everyone will be paying customers right away. Keep a positive relationship open with them, sometimes people need more time. Or, maybe they’re just curious.

To Start the Sales Process:

Ask them for the sale directly by selling a low-cost product to try, or offering the full monty at an introductory (early bird) rate.
Follow your offer up with 1 – 2 reminder emails and let them know the offer is limited and the doors are closing soon
Invite them to participate in one of your sales funnels (a webinar, a free email course, or video series?) which provides value, and more specific information on a particular topic. You can use the end of the landing page or video to pitch them your full product offering.

PRO TIP: Don’t combine your email broadcasts (plain ‘ol newsletters) and your welcome email series. You’ll only want to send broadcast emails out for non-subs, and subscribers who are not in your welcome email series.

The reason for this is simple: You want to send targeted, specific, and customized emails to every new subscriber to make sure their first experiences with you are personal, positive, valuable and memorable. You don’t want to interrupt this very personal (and strategic) flow with a random sales email, or your latest blog post. Remember, we are still in the getting to know you phase.

Almost all email service providers like MailChimp, ConvertKit or Constant Contact, give you the option to create groups within email lists or exclude certain audiences when sending out your broadcasts.

So, how do you transition from your welcome email series to keeping that open dialogue and potentially selling to your subs later? Well, there are several ways, such as:

After your welcome email series is completed and they still haven’t committed to the sale, you can send them to a sales funnel to sell them a product down the line. It could be an email sales funnel, or a webinar sales funnel. Most people start with an email sales funnel. It requires less commitment, tons of value and allows you to sell without the hard sell of a webinar.

PRO TIP: A great sales strategy is offering and delivering a high-quality product that brings so much value and changes lives so much that it sells itself.

“Value Sells. $h*T does not sell.” -Dan Lok

The main takeaway you can glean from this strategy is this: Build relationships, give before asking and keep the conversation going in a way that is respectful.

Business and Entrepreneurship

How to Optimize Your Pinterest Pins (Get More Views)

In this short video tutorial, I explain how to get more views and how to optimize your Pinterest Pins!

For more Pinterest optimization tips and tricks, read my other post Creating The Perfect Pins for Pinterest

Business

How to Get More Customers

The #1 questions all businesses have is this: How to get more customers? And my first response is this: approach your marketing the same way you approach your relationships.

My father is the #1 sales guy for his company in the southern region. He didn’t earn this title simply because he knows his product, he connects with people first. He doesn’t walk into his customers’ offices and say, “Hey Louie, what are you buying from me today?” Nope. He says, “Hey Louie, let’s go get a hamburger.” My dad takes his business relationships seriously. He connects on an emotional level, and in turn, his customers treat him like a friend. He knows their stories, and they know his.

Everybody has a story, right? Do you know that your story can be a determining factor in how your customers connect with you (or not)?

There’s a reason why.

It’s because your story makes you human and relatable. It tells people there is a pulse. It tells your customers that you are willing to share you. You’re not just here asking everyone to give you something. Your story is the first layer of creating trust.

If you’re wondering why your customers aren’t responding as much as you’d like, ask yourself where you can give value first.

The value you offer must match the request

If you are a new business, the first years of your business may mean you have to give more than you can take. No long-term business was ever built without first providing proof that the product was viable. Even Colonel Sanders had to give out a lot of samples (over a 100) before ONE store finally said ‘Yes.’
-Ava Carmichael

In other words, you’re saying, “I know you don’t know me, and you have never done business with me but trust me when I say my products/services are worth $2,000!”

The roofer that (is listed on Google Business with 10+ positive reviews) shows up on-time at your home to offer you a free estimate, and takes the time to answer all your questions is probably going to get your business. If he said ‘hello’ to your kids or dog, he just earned a lot more points.

The lady handing out the sausage samples at Costco makes you want to purchase, right? Same premise. It’s not just guilt marketing, we are wired to reciprocate. And we feel compelled to reciprocate even more if the exchange gave us value.

Giving builds relationships.

Without giving a sample of yourself, your product, service, or having any real social proof, the risk can feel too high for a newbie, right? You have to show people what you’re made of first, or offer a low-risk chance to try it.

How to Engage Your Customers Properly

Imagine you are meeting a new friend at a party. She’s fabulous. You tell her all about yourself and open up because you want to create trust and a relationship. But when it’s your turn to listen to her story and engagement, she’s just talking about ‘the new cookware she started selling, asks you to come to her next party, bring $10..and, Oh, bring a friend!’

How do you feel after that exchange? Turned off, used, offended?

Is your business guilty of this kind of exchange? Are you truly dedicated to helping your customers, or are you just in it for the money? If the latter is truer, it will show.

Money is an Energy Exchange

Money is just an energy exchange. It means nothing unless it is traded for something of value.

As a business, it is your duty to create a healthy, valuable exchange with your clients first. Don’t be afraid to offer details about who you are, why you started, what you know, what makes you passionate. Don’t be afraid to GIVE samples first (i.e. valuable information, convenience, a free class, a quote, tokens of appreciation, etc.). Give first before expecting in return. This is what all healthy relationships are made of. And our business relationships should be no different.

Say ‘No’ to smarmy marketing tactics.

No, I’m not saying you shouldn’t set healthy boundaries, offer so much that you lose money, give away the farm, offer ‘TMI’ or tell your whole life story. But transparency and a willingness to step out first are important. Giving VALUE is important. And a relatable, authentic story about your journey is always appreciated.

Back to that party story, only this time it’s different:

You are standing at that same party by yourself with a drink. The fabulous woman whom we just spoke about walks up to you and says, “What an incredible dress you’re wearing! Where did you get it? You know, I have a list of about 5 exclusive designer showroom sales that happen every year here in New York. I will text them to you right now if you want them?”

OK! What normal woman will say ‘no’ to that, right? You see, the exchange was not only genuine, but it added value and a positive first impression. The fabulous woman now has your contact info and you have a super-secret list of designer sales to hit this year! The next time you think of valuable fashion information or designer duds, who are you going to remember first? Stop seeing your customers as dollars, and start seeing them as your peeps.

Look, I get it. We all know businesses are here to make money. We aren’t delusional and looking for friends when we shop for info or products. But as humans (and customers), what we want to feel most is heard, respected and important.

And it’s not always enough for customers to come to you. Sometimes, you have to reach out to them. That’s a subject for a future post. Thank you for hanging in till the end.

In my newly launched course on Branding (you can find it on Skillshare or here on my website), I explain why your story is so important to your brand success, how to craft your story and use your authentic voice to attract your ideal customers.

It’s 100% free to sign up. There are handy worksheets you can download and print, too. And when you’ve signed up for the course, you can also join me and others in the Branding 101 Workshop Group on Facebook. Look at it as your own support group as you build your business.