How to use Email Sequences to Nurture Leads and Make Sales

Written by Dena Williams

Have you ever had someone you know say that to make friends or meet new people you need to “put yourself out there?”

I definitely have. It was the advice I hated for most of my growing up and young adult life because I never knew what it meant. Put me out there? I talk to people, I engage, I’m out there! What more do you want? Talk about the vaguest of vague advice.

I especially hated it in the dating realm. I’ve never been the type to go out to bars or dance clubs, so there was zero chance of meeting someone there. I also thought it was inappropriate to walk up to strangers in a bookstore to introduce myself and land a date. I mean, I go to bookstores to be alone, not talk to people, and I figure everyone else is there to do the same. The alternative was beyond strange to my introverted, homebody self and I wasn’t going to do it.

The end result was an unequivocal single life at home alone with my cat on Saturday nights.

The thing is, when you put yourself out there, you are telling someone you don’t know who you are and what you’re about. It’s saying to someone that you trust them enough with information about you and then asking them to return the favor.

When you do it, it can be one of the most rewarding relationships you’ll ever have! But the first thing you need to do is talk to someone. Then, to grow that relationship, you need to be willing to open up and share who you are.

Funny enough, this concept is one of the key cornerstones of digital marketing. In fact, when I became a digital marketer, “putting myself out there” started to actually make sense.

Marketing is all about putting yourself (or your brand) out there to strangers and people you’ve never met to ask them to be your friend.

You want them to be a part of whatever it is you’re doing. Whether you're selling online or creating an online community, you have to be willing to stick your neck out there once in a while.

One of the best ways to do that in the digital marketing world is through email sequences. With email, you get to talk to a wide range of people. You might be talking to them because they have opted into your email list or you’ve purchased their email addresses. Either way, you have the attention of potentially thousands of strangers at a time, all with the same goal:

Put yourself out there and see who tags along.

It doesn’t stop there, though. As you grow your audience, you need to take time to nurture them into the community you want to talk to.

This might sound a little intimidating until you realize that it’s you on the playground, talking to a new person who might be your friend. This process is one for the long game, and if you can master it, you will see your business grow exponentially.

Let’s dive in a little bit to learn more, shall we?

What Is Email Sequencing?

There are two main types of email sequences you’ll use in marketing:

1. A time-based email sequence is a series of emails written ahead of time and sent based on a clock. They are sent at different intervals and usually, the goal is not to overwhelm your audience with a bunch at once.

2. A trigger-based sequence is based on actions your audience takes, whether via email, your website, social media, or all of the above.

Both types focus on engagement for sales purposes, opt-ins, awareness, etc. These emails are more casual than other pieces that you might write and are best received when they sound like they’re coming from a person, not an organization.

What is Nurturing?

A nurturing email sequence is designed to help introduce subscribers to your company. These emails may be used to deliver any guaranteed opt-in gifts (a coupon code or giveaway). They should set expectations on the frequency and content of the messages they’ll receive going forward.

In other words, this is where you develop your ideal customer and coax them into buying from you.

When creating a nurturing sequence, the main thing you want to focus on is personalizing your message. What are your client’s pain points? What are their successes? What do they care about?

The answers to these questions will provide you with exactly the kind of message you need to reach your audience in a nurturing way.

Here’s a great way to map your initial email sequence for maximum engagement:

Easy peasy! You can do this in your sleep. In fact, you most likely already do this, but you may not segment your message out into a bunch of different emails. It’s on your website and on your social media. The next (and best) step is to put it into an email form.

Go Forth and Conquer!

Now that you know what email sequencing is and how to set up a nurture sequence, it’s your job to go out and do it!

And trust me, putting yourself out there isn’t as scary as it seems like. In fact, when I finally got over myself and did put myself out there, amazing things happened. For one thing, I don’t sit at home alone with my cat anymore on Saturday nights.

Ready to see what can happen for you? Get going!

Sources

https://www.growthmanifesto.com/ultimate-guide-email-sequences

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/lead-nurturing-email-examples

Infographic created by copywriter - Dena Williams