When it comes to e-mail marketing done right, there are a few basic steps to start with. These steps are an absolute must in order to connect, convert, and cash in on your e-mail list. So if you’re new to e-mail marketing (or you’re not seeing much of an ROI with the e-mail techniques you already have in place!) this post is for you.

E-Mail Marketing Done Right

Ideally you’re reading this because you have traffic coming to your website, but not much is happening from there. If not, keep reading, but I also very much recommend you sign up for my free (for now) Pinterest e-course. Organic marketing with Pinterest can be a gold mine when done right!

But I digress – you’ve got the readers, but now what?

You hear all the time about marketing funnels, e-mail series, sales funnels…and that’s because that’s pretty much what we’re doing –

Funneling people from Point A (their first connection with you) to Point Z (a monetary investment in you).

So what about all the points in between?

The First Step in E-mail Marketing Done Right

The first step isn’t actually your lead magnet (surprise!) It’s actually leading them to that lead magnet. So maybe you’ve got people coming in from Pinterest reading a blog post or you have listeners on a weekly podcast – whatever the case may be, you need to be enticing them to stick around and continue tuning in.

Creating a Lead Magnet

A lead magnet is a gift given to those signing up to your e-mail list. Long gone are the days of saying “Subscribe to My E-mail List!” People are becoming more and more guarded with their e-mails. So you really need to dig in and figure out what you can give them to get them on your e-mail list.

What Makes for a Good Lead Magnet?

A lead magnet is best if quickly consumable and actionable (usually). I say usually because when I launched my first services site, I had an 80 page (!!) lead magnet in the form of a blogging planner. My business coach at the time thought me insane, but I went with it because I KNEW it was something my audience needed. Sure enough within ten days I had 800 new subscribers! Eventually this lead magnet grew into P3: Purpose, Planning, & Profits (my business planning bundle!) and now I offer a free training on setting up a successful editorial calendar.

So it’s really important to KNOW your audience and build out a lead magnet that will begin to solve a massive pain point for them.

Pillar Posts

If you’ve been putting out content for a while, you ideally know your pillar posts – the content that does exceptionally well and really supports everything else. Ideally your lead magnet will relate to these posts. Beyond that, you also want to create a lead magnet that relates to your end goal (that first sale).

For example, if you’re running a services site as a Virtual Assistant, you might create a checklist as your lead magnet called “Ten Things to Have in Place Before Hiring Your First (Or Next!) VA”. The end point for that lead magnet would be getting those subscribers to book a call and hire you for your services.

Consider a Trip Wire

A trip wire is something that relates to your lead magnet that immediately keeps your new leads in “YES!” mode. This appears instead of a “thank you” page after your new lead subscribes to your list. Typically on this page you would offer a low (<$10) item that relates to the lead magnet and you give them X amount of time – say 5 minutes – to continue saying yes to this special offer.

It’s a really great way to immediately begin to segment out subscribers and flag those who are primed to invest in you. It’s important to note, though, that this is not a money maker, it’s a customer maker.

Examples of a Trip Wire

A trip wire could be something like a short video course, a 20-minute 1:1 call, an audit opportunity, or a $1 trial for a membership site. If you don’t yet have a lower ticket offering, a trip wire is a great excuse to make one! If you’re brand new to e-mail marketing, though, then keep this in your back pocket and get the other pieces in place first.

E-mail Welcome Series

Okay so now you’ve got people subscribing and saying YES to that lead magnet! So what do you do now? Deliver the goods of course!

Personally I use ConvertKit as my e-mail marketing platform, but I’ve also used Mailchimp and Mailerlite in the past. For the most part the platform you use is a matter of preference, but you need to at least ensure they offer automation! Saving time while making money is the name of the game here.

Deliver the Freebie

The e-mail you send out with your download/freebie/lead magnet should have the highest open rate of all. Use a strong subject line and lay out the expectations of what they get by staying on your list. Don’t go overboard with this first e-mail, you want to give them space to digest what you’ve just given them.

Building Out the Funnel

Now that you’ve given them your lead magnet, here is where you’re going to map out exactly how you’re going to woo these new leads of yours. Again – automation is your friend! I firmly believe a welcome sequence should have a minimum of 3-5 e-mails, more if you’re targeting completely cold readers.

Think of a funnel like dating – a person gives you their phone number, what’s the next step? Well if you like them and want them to like you, you’re going to call them, right? Get to know them, let them get to know you, ask them to coffee…

You certainly wouldn’t expect them to just jump into wanting to marry you, right? I hope not!

You would want to make sure it’s right. It’s no different with your e-mail list and you do this by creating a series of e-mails that allows the reader to really get to know you and your offerings. Always have a CTA (call to action) in each e-mail, but don’t overdo. Simple is best.

Examples of an E-mail CTA:

• Like me on Facebook
• Hit reply and tell me…
• Opt in to my next training!
• Join our Facebook group
• Check out my latest blog post (use sparingly!)

Make the Ask

After you’ve developed a solid repertoire with your readers and they’ve had a chance to familiarize themselves with your teaching style, personality, and brilliance, it’s time to make the ask. This could happen in E-mail #5 or it might not happen until they’ve been on your list for a couple months – it totally depends on exactly what you’re pitching them!

For example, if you’re a food blogger and your lead magnet is “Ten Easy Weeknight Meals for Kids” then in E-mail #4 you might pitch them an affiliate offering for a meal planning service that costs $29/month. Provided you’ve taken the time to woo them and present it right, the investment would be a no-brainer.

If on the other hand your offering is going to require an investment in a $2,500 mastermind group, then it will probably take more than a handful of e-mails to see a conversion rate that works.

Consider Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are another post entirely, but one of the best things about having a growing e-mail list is being able to target and re-target your readers! This is especially true if you do have that bigger ask and might need to get that offering in front of their eyeballs a few times before they buy in. So as you begin to build out or strengthen your e-mail list, make sure you have that pixel in place on your website.

E-mail Marketing Help

I know we’ve covered a lot in the post and yet somehow only just scratched the surface. While you can absolutely use the information in this blog post to get started, I also recommend checking out my pre-recorded training on Simple Funnels That Sell. It’s a part of Purpose, Planning, & Profits, but you can also pick it up separately (PSST!! – use coupon code EMAILBLOG to get it for 77% off for a limited time!)