50% of people who contact your business for the first time are, generally not ready to buy straight away. So the question I have to you is what do you do with those people? If you’re like most businesses, the answer will be “nothing” and this is where you’re missing out on potential sales.
In this article, I show you how to create an email nurture sequence to help them learn more about your business and how it can help them.
Related article: 12 email marketing workflows you need for your business
What is an email nurture sequence?
This is a series of emails that are meant to educate lead or prospects about your business and the product or service they showed initial interest in. They are not a means to try and sell something to the prospect.
By educating them about you, your business, and the product or service they’re interested in, you’re building trust and showing them that you’re worth doing business with.
Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than those who buy immediately. (Business.com)
How to create an email nurture sequence
Step 1: Build an email list
To put a nurture sequence in place for your business, you need email addresses. How are you going to collect email addresses at the beginning of your sales cycle? It’s no good implementing a nurture sequence when they’re already a customer.
If you offer several categories of products or services, segment your list based on their interest. Then, have a nurture sequence for each category.
Step 2: Have a goal in mind
What is it you want your prospect to do next? Is it book a meeting with you or purchase a product? Do you want them to call you, purchase a product via your web store or visit your store?
Step 3: What will trigger your nurture sequence
At what point will you start your nurture sequence? If you’re offering a lead magnet, wait a short period of time before sending. When you meet someone face-to-face or over the phone, you should send nurture emails a few days later. It could be an hour after they placed items in their online cart but didn’t actually place an order (called cart abandonment).
If you offer a lead magnet, have a nurture sequence after they access it. After meeting face-to-face, have a nurture sequence post meeting. If you do both, you can potentially have the same sequence but with different triggers.
Step 4: Decide on the length of your email nurture sequence
Your nurture sequence should be a total of no less than 3 emails. The maximum number of emails depends on your business and what it is you have to tell them. How often you send them is just as important. Don’t email them very day. Consider sending the first email two days after the event that triggers the sequence. Don’t leave it too long before you send the next one. It depends on what it is that triggered the sequence.
Step 5: Plan your welcome email
This is the most important email in your nurture sequence. Why are you sending it to them? Put your email into context. Mention what it was that triggered the email. For example, “It was great to meet you on [day of week].” Or “Thank you for download my eBook.”
Carefully consider your subject line will be as the pre-header text. Getting your first email opened means that the subsequent emails are more likely to be opened as well.
Step 6: Determine what to include in the rest of your email nurture sequence
Are you going to educate your prospect about the product or service they inquired about? Be general rather than why they should buy product X from you. Educate instead of sell. If you do have particular offers, put them as a PS after you sign off.
Step 7: Create your emails
Make sure you have a consistent style in your emails including the language you use. Provide links to additional information as to why the product or service you provide can help them, even if it’s from third parties. Again, educate.
Be personal. Use their name in places such as the subject line and body BUT don’t overdo it. Read the emails out loud to get a feel for how it will be received.
Step 8: Automate and test your email nurture sequence
The key to making this an effective tool for increasing sales is to automate it. Once a certain period of time has passed, send the first email. Based on your plan, send emails in sequence until they, hopefully, take the action you want them to take or they’ve received all of the emails in the sequence.
Test it to make sure everything works as intended. View the emails on different devices. Make you test removing them from the sequence once they take action. Test any links you included in any emails.
Test, test, and test again.
Step 9: Mange your audience
If you have automated your nurture sequence, make sure there’s a way of stopping any more emails going out once they’ve done what it is you want. For example, if your goal was encourage them to schedule a meeting with you, make sure you don’t send any more emails when they schedule a meeting.
Step 10: Evaluate your results
Look at your email metrics such as open rate, click through rate, unsubscribes. Don’t assume it was them and not you. It could be you. Are your subject lines optimised? Are you providing value in your emails?
Also look at what is working. How many people are purchasing (converting) as a result of your nurture sequence?
Wrap up
Nurturing your leads is essential when converting leads into customers, either by online actions or by delivering highly qualified leads to your sales team. One of the most effective ways for marketers to successfully lead nurture is through a robust email drip campaign strategy.
Drip campaigns can be used for a variety of goals: welcoming new leads, re-engaging old ones, and even persuading leads to complete a purchase.
Use the email drip campaign ideas provided and see how you can run something similar for your business. You’ll be converting more leads in no time.
