How to Create an Effective Email Autoresponder Series for new Opt-in Leads
For good reason, email marketing is one of those major online strategies that has been in existence for donkey’s years and will continue to stand the test of time. Email still very much remains one of the most cost-effective ways to connect with new opt-in leads and nurture them into paying customers, while also growing your business in the process.
It is proven that the most important time to engage with new prospects is immediately after they have filled in your online “Opt-in Form” on your webpage to subscribe to your email list.
By opting in to subscribe to your email list, your leads have indicated a serious interest in your business and what you have to offer. This is the ideal time to start building a relationship with them – which takes them on a journey towards becoming paying customers.
In that regard, here for you are key questions:
(A) Do you have on your webpage an online “Opt-in Form” that captures new opt-in leads?
(B) Are you acquiring new prospects who are also subscribing to your email contact list?
If so, that means you really need to create an email autoresponder series that will grab the attention of your new opt-in potential customers and give them what they need to take the next step – which is paying you! And in that respect, here’s what you need to know.
Autoresponder series can have as little as two emails and as many as 50 or more. There’s no one magic number that works for every business. The best way to discover how the number of emails to put in your relationship-building sequence is to begin by looking at the most common buyer objections.
What can prevent people or new leads who complete your online “Opt-in Form” from taking the next step? For instance, why won’t they purchase from you?
Here are some examples:
(1) Your company is new and does not have the same brand recognition as your competitors.
(2) Products or services you provide are unique, and your leads may not understand what they are buying.
(3) Your prices are high (or perceived to be high) and people may need justification for them.
(4) The solution you are providing is unconventional or unexpected and people are not yet comfortable with it.
The answer to how long your email sequence needs to be is “long enough”. It must give your new opt-in leads the information they need to move to the next step. That may mean introducing yourself and your brand first before you offer details about your products or services. It may mean educating them about your unique or unconventional approach.
I recommend a minimum of 5 emails for your welcome sequence. But having said that, I know some businesses who have 30 or 50 emails long as introductory sequences.
Just as there is no magic involved in choosing the length of your autoresponder series, there is no single answer to how your autoresponder series should look. But there are certain elements that all effective autoresponders have in common.
1. A killer email subject line
You have to give people a good reason to open your email. Although email open rates have remained consistently high over time, it is still a good idea to have a compelling subject line. Some of the best headlines ask a question or offer a provocative statement.
2. A personalised salutation
While some marketers don’t personalise emails, most understand that doing some personalisation – and it can be as simple as beginning your email with “Hi FirstName” – is something people like and appreciate.
3. Relevant and actionable information
Your new opt-in leads may have arrived at your site for a number of reasons. Some may have subscribed via completing your online “Opt-in Form” to get an incentive that you offer as a lead magnet. Others may simply want to learn more about your business and fill in your “Opt-in Form” in the process. Either way, your sent emails should be highly relevant to the prospects or subscribers on your email list and should offer useful information. It is the best way to demonstrate your authority and build trust with your email readers.
4. Call To Action that is compelling
Each email autoresponder you send must include a Call To Action – which is the desired next step or action you want your readers to take. And you may want to add in more than one. Some people put a Call To Action above the fold, so that readers see it the second they open an email. Others prefer to put the CTA at the end. And some add it in multiple locations throughout the email, including in the postscript.
5. Emails that are something special
I know stating that your emails require something special is not enlightening but let me explain what I mean. Your emails must be readable, entertaining and compelling. You need to find ways to keep people reading.
In an email sequence, here are some pointers for keeping people reading – and looking forward to your next email:
- Create a soap opera sequence that builds suspense and makes people eager to find out what happens next.
- Use a ‘PS’ (postscript) at the end of one email to tease what’s coming in the next email.
- Provide special offers at the conclusion of your email (and mention the offer at the start).
- Talk directly to the reader using a conversational tone.
- Include humour in your emails.
Again, in this instance, there is not one “correct” answer. Your email sequence should be written to appeal to your target audience (such as your new opt-in leads) and address their most pressing needs and concerns.
How your autoresponders are written will make a big difference in how people respond to them. Here are some pointers to help you.
1. Be consistent with your tone
The tone of your sent emails should echo the tone you use on your website, blog and social media business pages. Consistency tells people what to expect and makes people comfortable with you and your brand.
2. Use proper spelling and grammar
There is some wiggle room – depending on what your brand is, you can perhaps get away with using slang and even profanity, but it would have to fit with the image you want to project.
3. Add in plenty of white space
No one is going to read an email if they open it and see an impenetrable block of text. Break up your writing into short paragraphs, include images and make your email messages as easy to read as possible.
4. Emphasise what is crucial
While it might seem cheesy to use bold or italicised fonts liberally, it is a great way to ensure that people don’t miss the crucial information in your emails. There is nothing wrong with using some strategic formatting to make your point.
5. Provide educational emails
Send emails to your new opt-in leads that presell them and that tell them something they want to know with regards to what you are offering as a business.
6. Write in some drama
Even if you are not writing a soap opera sequence, you should still attempt to make entertaining emails. Tell stories, make jokes and do everything you can to engage your readers.
The last step is deciding when you should send each email in your sequence. There is more than one way of doing it. Let’s start with the obvious. If for instance, your online “Opt-in Form” tells new opt-in leads that they are subscribing to a weekly newsletter, you should in this case confine your emails to once a week.
Even if you did not mention email frequency in your form, you should still be careful not to overdo it. In general, it is highly recommended that you send one email every two to three days unless you are doing a countdown sequence to a product or service launch or promoting an offer that is time sensitive. In those cases, sending one daily email can be very effective.
The key is to avoid bombarding your email list with unwanted emails. Your autoresponder sequence’s goal is to build a relationship with your list that takes them on a journey towards spending money with your business, not frighten them away. And if you follow the steps I have outlined here, you should end up with a compelling autoresponder sequence that turns new prospects (on your email list) into paying customers.
Hope you get a lot of value out of this information on creating an effective email autoresponder series in connection with new opt-in leads. Furthermore, if you would like to discover more tips about boosting email open rate to drive more sales into your business via email marketing, then visit the link here.
