How to write email sequences – The easy 7-Step Blueprint for newsletters

Major mistake #2 – Write. Upload. Send.

Pain. Pain. Pain

Do you do that? Struggle to figure out what to write every time you need to send your  email newsletter? It doesn’t have to be that way.

Think bulk upload then AUTOMATE…

Super simple and easy with all email service providers like Aweber, Mailchimp etc.

I’m going to show you exactly what an irresistible email autoresponder series can look like, and the blueprint that you can apply to your own email content.

Major mistake #3- Try to look like a big brand.

I do understand why small businesses would do this. And to be honest it wasn’t until I tested this out that I realized just what a huge mistake this is.

There is a major trend going on this year in email marketing. Big brands are getting better at it, but as solopreneurs and small businesses we totally have the edge.

Personalised messages.

It’s easy for us, we know our audience intimately. We can write with a person in mind and tap into that person’s psyche and problems.

What does that mean for emails?

Well, big brands tend to use sleek professionally designed templates that go out to zillions of people. Same message. Same design.  But that is old hat now.

People are savvy online now. They want personal messages that speak directly to them.

For one of my larger clients I recently persuaded them to test glossy templates against simple text only emails.

This was a big deal. Each email goes to over 300k subscribers.   The fancy design template had been working for years, but conversions were showing signs of drop off.

So we tested it: Fancy template vs Simple text no images + a small logo (with simplified content)

The text only version won hands down. Gradually we saw more opens, more clicks and eventually more sales.

As a small business owner play to your strengths. Think ‘personal’ communication. Make it as intimate as possible and strip out overly fancy design.

So, now you know what to avoid with your emails. Now I’m going to share with you a proven blueprint that will help you get your email flow on and be irresistible to your subscribers.

Here is the standard ‘funnel’ that you’ve probably heard of and may already have set up. 

Assuming you’ve already set up your opt-in hook or freebie and you’re capturing email addresses, I’m going to show you now what to do with your email newsletters to convert more of your subscribers into raving fans and customers

Start with the end in mind

What do you want your people to do? 

Read your newsletter?  Comment on your blog?  Like your Facebook page?  Share your stuff?

Ok good start.  But lets really think about this.  What is the one thing you want them to do ULTIMTELY?  What’s your end goal?

You want to get them a result or solve their problem (through buying your product or service, right?)

EVERYTHING you do must focus on that end goal.

I hate to state the obvious, (and you probably know this) but they are not going to buy your stuff right away.  So how about this…

 Each piece of content your subscriber reads should move them one step closer to solving their problem

Which means you’ve got to deliver value.  Not just a few ‘tips’ but real value.  Find out what their pain points are, what are they are struggling with?  What do they need to fix urgently.  Then spend time teaching them about your ‘solution’. 

Have you ever been seduced by one of those long form sales pages?

The type that you can’t stop yourself reading, are seriously tempted to part with your hard earned cash half way through, but started with absolutely no intention of buying the thing.

There is a formula that the best of these sales pages use. 

And the trick with email newsletters is to use this exact formula to move your subscriber closer to a result with every email you send.

I didn’t come up with this formula. But I’ve studied the real guru’s like Jeff Walker, Eben Pagan, Ryan Levesque, and have tested it on millions of emails to refine the formula based on my own research.

So how do you do this?

Address the emotional triggers

There are around nine emotional triggers that you need to overcome before you can expect someone to buy something from you.  Lets look at an example of these triggers.  Lets say you fancy an impromptu meal out one night – how do you decide which restaurant to go to?

Your best bet is to head straight to your favourite haunt.  But what if you’re in a new city? 

You could take a look on the main street, browse some of the menus’ hanging in the window to see what wets your appetite.  Or you could take a punt on the one with a queue of people out front?

Maybe you’ve already done some research and heard from a friend about the most wonderful french bistro that you can’t wait to try?

Have you ever been given free taster’s in a bar at lunchtime and ended eating there later that evening?

All of the above scenarios tap into one of the nine emotional triggers that result in people making a purchase.

So here’s the thing.  If you can address each of these triggers through your email newsletter, then you are in a prime position to ask for the sale.  Want know what these emotional triggers are?

Reciprocity (free tasters)

Authority (the ‘michelin star’ indian restaurant)

Trust (your favourite Italian, you’ve been there and know what to expect)

Anticipation (the only, new up and coming sushi bar)

Likability (the restaurant you keep going back to because the maitre d’ knows your middle name)

Community (everyone you asked recommended the tapas bar)

Events and ritual (the steak restaurant with the ‘Friday special filet’)

Social proof (the established bistro with the most reviews on trip advisor)

Scarcity (the hidden gem who told you they have a waiting list of 10 weeks)

The email blueprint

It is virtually impossible (and not practical) to cover all these triggers in one email.  

But when you map out a series of emails, step-by-step that cover all these triggers, you can successfully lead your tribe towards your end goal.

EMAIL #1

This one should deliver your optin freebie – the cool thing that you promised them when they signed up.

Then ask them about their challenges. Find out what they are struggling with in relation to your business. This is always the most opened email in a sequence (I’ve seen over 70% open rate) and the perfect time to find out more about how you can help your new super fan.

EMAIL#2

Introduce yourself. Sounds simple, but don’t assume your new subscriber knows anything about you.

Tell your story in context of why they should care. What’s your back story? How does this relate to how you can help them?

Reference your opt-in hook again. Be interested; ask what they learnt from it. This gives you a chance to deliver it again (include another link to download) as well as finding out what results they’ve gotten (gold to share in email #6)

EMAIL#3

Give value.

Teach them how to do something related to their problems and your products – help them to get a step closer to a result.

Share a story of success such as a case study from an existing customer. Relate it to one of their problems – which you found out from email #1

EMAIL#4

Give more value.

Share one of your very best ‘secrets’.

Share some of the responses you’ve had to the freebie they signed up for (be real and authentic about this, no yucky made up stuff).

Make your fans feel part of a community by showing them how others are benefiting.

EMAIL#5

Give even more value.

Teach or show them how to do something related to your product.

Share another story, one that establishes your authority and credibility in your field.   Answer their question ‘why should I trust you?’

EMAIL#6

Show social proof.

Show that your product works with testimonials and case studies.

Now time to tease in the offer that you will make them in the next email. Create some anticipation around a special vip/subscriber offer coming soon.

EMAIL#7

Scarcity (this is the most important trigger for driving sales)

Open up your offer. Make it for limited time or limited numbers.

This is a simple email – the sequence you’ve created does all the hard lifting for you – this one simply opens the shop front.

So, If you’ve been struggling to come up with content for your ‘newsletter’ or are not getting the responses you want from your email list, download the mind-map below, follow the plan and start seeing your fans convert into super fans and customers.