Home Articles posted by Michelle Hanna

Michelle Hanna

  • How to Automate Your Email Marketing

    Email marketing can be a great way to keep in touch with your customers and build relationships, but if you don’t want to spend your entire day on email marketing, you’re in luck–you don’t have to live on the email hamster wheel any longer.

    There’s a way to automate and evergreen your emails through various marketing automation systems so can set up your email sequences once and have them running on autopilot year after year– which also means you’ll be brining in revenue from those emails for all that time, too.

    Those days of adding “send an email to my audience” to your to-do list are behind you.

    Believe it or not, this whole idea of email marketing started in the 1970s, soon after the first email was sent out in 1971… So email marketing has seriously survived the test of time.

    Email automation came to the forefront later– when sending out emails started to take over people’s lives. It all started in 2001, when the first behavioral/triggered email was sent.

    So that means that email marketing automation has been around for about 20 years… and still has a better return than social media and other marketing channels.

    By automating your emails, you can reach your audience easier and faster and in a more meaningful way.

    You might be asking how that’s possible when email automation still means you have to do the writing of the emails… Well, I’m glad you asked!

    You won’t constantly be in the “content creation weeds” anymore once you start using automated email marketing . When you have that “send an email to my audience” on your list day in and day out, it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. You can’t get out of that constantly creating cycle.

    When you evergreen and automate your content, you’re able to focus on what you really want to do and how you really want to help your people.

    Your automated emails are well planned, targeted, purposeful, and organized into sequence that naturally flows together.

    In this post, we’ll take a look at exactly how to automate email marketing, some of the best tools for automating email marketing, how to get started with your email marketing automation, what to do to have your marketing automation work for you, and what to avoid in your email marketing automation.

    We’ll also explore how to use email automation to create newsletters, promote special offers, and more. So if you’re looking for ways to streamline your email marketing efforts, read on!

    Table of Contents

    What is email marketing?

    Email marketing is exactly what it sounds like… It is when you market your products, services, and company through emails.

    In order to use email marketing successfully, you need to be sure you have an email subscription list– that way you have people to send your emails to. And it doesn’t matter if you have 10 people on your list or 10,000. It’s all about getting your emails in front of the people who you can help.

    Email marketing is a SUPER effective way to grow your business and sell what you offer. It’s a great way to let your audience know about new offers or products you have. Email marketing can also really help build relationships with your subscribers and existing customers.

    Why successful business owners are using email marketing in 2022

    Successful business owners choose email marketing over and over again because it works.

    In a recent study, it was estimated that for every $1 spent on an email marketing campaign, the return on investment was $38.

    Not only is there a serious return on investment, but it will help you build credibility with your audience. You do more than sell in your marketing emails– and this gives you the opportunity to wow your subscribers and prove that you’re a serious competitor in your industry.

    From a logistical perspective, email marketing makes sense, too. It’s easy for you to track metrics to see how your emails are performing.

    Plus your emails will be easily accessible to your audience from mobile devices– which means you can literally be just about everywhere with them.

    When you are sending emails to your audience, you’re guaranteeing that you stay top of mind because they see your name and business in their inbox on a regular basis. They remember you when they have a problem that needs solved or are making recommendations to a friend.

    How does email marketing compare to other forms of marketing in 2022?

    When you use social media or other tools to market your products, your audience can very passively scroll on by– which means a lot of people aren’t reading what your posting on social media, or they can easily ignore it and move on to the next thing.

    And that’s if your audience sees your posts or paid ads at all... It’s estimated that only about 30% of your audience is exposed to your content on social media– and even fewer will actually engage with it.

    With email marketing, your subscribers are required to take some sort of action. That email will sit there in front of them forever until they do something about it. They either need to delete it or open it.

    This means 100% of your audience gets your email and sees it sitting in their inbox… Then there’s a 50/50 shot of someone opening and reading your email… So you’re significantly increasing your visibility when compared to using social media to market your business.

    What does it mean to automate or evergreen your email marketing?

    MailChimp does an incredible job of describing what it means to automate your emails. They say that email automation is a way to send your emails to the right people at the right time– without doing all the work every single time.

    Email automation makes email marketing way more efficient and personalized than other marketing methods.

    They are triggered emails (sometimes referred to as behavior driven emails) that are automatically sent out to your audience based on a specific action they took on your website or an ad they saw… That way they are getting relevant messages based on what they are looking for.

    When you use email automation, you schedule your sequences through an email service provider, which is basically the email marketing automation software you’ll use to send out your emails. Within your email service provider, you can add a ton of personalization options that will make your sequence much more effective.

    Those email triggers mentioned above are one of the ways you can personalize your automated emails. If you offer both an e-commerce store and courses, for example, you will want specific automated emails going out to people depending on what they seem to be interested in.

    You’ll also be able to schedule your automated emails to go out to your audience at optimum times based on when they are reading what you’re sending.

    Your email service provider will also allow you to segment your lists into groups of people… That way people are always getting the most relevant information for them. This is such a valuable email marketing tool. For example, if you have a sequence going out about an upcoming launch you have, and two days in, there are some people that have opened the emails and some that have not. You can then have specific emails go to each group that will apply to the action you want them to take.

    When we talk about evergreening emails, this is just a specific type of email automation. Evergreened emails are ones you can use over and over again… They aren’t time-bound and don’t expire based on an offer, challenge, or launch your doing.

    Evergreen emails are where you get the most bang for your buck… Because you only need to set it up once, and it can theoretically be an automated email sequence you use for years. It works quietly behind the scenes for you nurturing your audience, building your authority, and generating sales for you over and over again.

    How to automate your campaigns to save time and avoid mistakes

    Automating email campaigns takes some work and problem solving along the way to get your sequences running smoothly and productively. Just remember– once you have it all figured out, it’s done forever!

    -The first thing you need to consider is which email service provider (ESP) you’ll use for your email marketing automation. There is such a wide variety of email marketing automation tools that you will be able to find one that will do everything you’re looking for. If you aren’t sure where to begin, check out a recent blog post I wrote that will give you a list of my top recommendations based on what you need.

    -Then gather your email subscriber list… Figure out who you’ll be sending your automated emails to.

    –Determine what you’re trying to do with your email campaign. Who is your target audience? What information are you trying to get out to them? What questions or objections do they commonly have to your niche or products? Once you’ve figured these things out, then you can determine what emails you are going to use in that email campaign (you may have some of them written already, or you may have to write some to reach the goal you’ve determined).

    -Once you have your sequence(s) ready, then you will need to set up your automated workflows. Start by identifying your triggers. For example, a trigger for your welcome email sequence could be that someone entered their email address on your website to receive a free resource you’re offering. You will then add emails to your trigger that are scheduled to go out on a certain schedule you determine.

    –Run a test for your sequence. Even if you have to get help from friends or family to test it out, you want to be sure everything is running the way it should be before you have it go live with your potential clients.

    -Make that email automation live and watch it go to work for you! Once it’s up and running, you’ll want to check in on its performance and metrics regularly.

    The initial investment in getting your email automation up and running will save time and money for you and your business down the road. You’ll recoup your time (and money) faster than you would think possible!

    Mistakes marketers make with automated campaigns

    When you’re just getting started on email marketing automation, there are several mistakes you want to avoid.

    1. Be sure you’re sending out a variety of automated emails. You don’t want to only send sales or offer emails to your audience… That’s a guaranteed way to get them to hit the “unsubscribe” button. People want you to help them solve problems and build your authority without constantly pitching or selling to them.

    2. Send your automated emails from an actual live email address. It can be tempting to send your automated emails to an “automated” email address (you know those “do not reply directly to this email” messages you get). Send your automated emails from an actual live email address you check regularly.

    3. Optimize your emails to be mobile friendly. A lot of your subscribers will be reading on their phones (well over 50%). And if your emails don’t fit on their screen and aren’t easy to read, your message will be headed directly to the trash can.

    4. Make it easy for your audience to unsubscribe. I know — that sounds counter-productive. But if someone on your email list no longer wants to hear from you, they aren’t going to open your emails anyway. And when they can choose to unsubscribe from your email marketing automation, and it’s easy for them to to do so, you’re going to have a more positive impact on your audience and leave them with a favorable view of you and your company. Making it hard to unsubscribe just frustrates your audience and isn’t the upstanding thing to do.

    5. Include only one call to action per email. Including multiple calls to action in one automated email can drive traffic to places you don’t really want it to go to. If the purpose of an automated email is to provide your audience with tips on how to do something, send them to your YouTube video you created OR to the blog post you wrote– not both. If you’re sending a sales email, only provide links to your sales page your specifically promoting in that email (avoid that “check out all of the other incredible products we offer” pitch).

    What evergreen email sequences should I start with?

    When you’re starting out on your email automation journey, you’ll have to choose a starting point.

    At Win with Systems, we always recommend getting started on your email automation with a year-long nurture and sell sequence. This sequence will cover all of your bases– it will have a variety of emails that will meet all of the goals you set out to accomplish with email automation.

    It will build your authority with your audience by offering them how-to guides and other resources that will help them solve a problem.

    You will also have a chance to build relationships and nurture your audience which will lead to customer retention and loyalty. You can do this by including emails that welcome new subscribers, give your new customers and existing customers some insight into who you are and what your business is all about, and give your readers an opportunity to interact with you.

    Last but certainly not least, your nurture and sell sequence will have some offer emails that will help you generate more sales. You will have the chance to tell your subscribers all about your products and services you offer, how they can solve a problem they have, and bust common objections that may exist.

    If you are looking to figure out just how to write your evergreen sequence and what you should include in it, book a call to see how the Win with Systems team can help!

    In Summary...

    Email marketing automation is a solution to so many of the issues that pop up for entrepreneurs. Automated email campaigns allow you to get in front of your subscribers on a consistent basis with personalized emails. Plus, you have the opportunity to build your authority, grow your customer base, and make more sales… All behind the scenes, while you focus on other things.

    Getting your email marketing automation up and running can take some time and effort to figure out, but by using the strategies and tips outlined above, you can get it up and running soon!

    And the best part… Once it’s done, it’s done for good… And you can just watch it work for you.

    Ready to get your email sequences written using our proven system AND get them set up for automation?? Schedule a discovery call today so we can figure out the best way to get you started right away!

    Book Your Call with the Win with Systems Team Today!

    Continue Reading

  • What Kind of Emails Can You Automate?

    There are many different emails you can automate (and evergreen!), and in this post we’ll go in depth so you know how (and why) to create your own automated email messages, what email marketing tools (and email marketing software) to use, what kinds of automated emails you can send out, how this impacts your customer journey, and other marketing channels you can also evergreen.

    In other words… how you can increase your revenue through evergreen emails?

    Table of Contents

    Why automate your emails?

    If you want to generate revenue while you’re on a walk, or sleeping, or working on another business idea (talking to you, serial entrepreneurs!) there are a few ways (through digital marketing) to do it.

    • Ads: these can be extremely volatile at various times throughout the year and it requires significant work to get your messaging and audience right.
    • Emails: Email can run all year long and provide a way to nurture your audience, but also make offers to them. You can use email automation once someone is already on your list.

    If you DON’T want to be the bottleneck in your business, that’s reason number two to use email automation.

    Reason #3 to use email automation: It goes without saying that automated emails are important for automated marketing. For business owners like me who want to be more present with their families and automate what they can to both serve their audience through building relationships with customers and potential customers, keep them engaged, and in most cases keep them loyal to your brand (all while being more present with your family!), evergreening and automating your emails is vital.

    Reason #4 to use email automation: You can use automated emails to not only build a relationship with current and future customers, but also to communicate with your team, automate customer support and more.

    Evergreen automated emails are important for businesses of any size, both large and small because it helps reduce costs , saves time and improves ROI.

    What does it mean to evergreen your emails?

    Evergreen content is any type of email marketing content that never becomes outdated or irrelevant. It’s not time sensitive.

    When you evergreen an email, you can send it out again at a later date. The message remains relevant even though. There is nothing time sensitive in these emails.

    Unlike a live email campaign (like a broadcast email), evergreen emails can be used any time of year, just like an evergreen tree can survive all year long, and even in harsh conditions.

    What marketing automation software or email automation tools are best?

    There are many different marketing automation or email automation tools on the market that companies can choose from. Depending on what functions you need your automation tool to do will determine which one is right for your company.

    A few common ones are Mailchimp, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Infusionsoft and KartraMail. . Below is a quick overview of each one along with the four major email automated services within each products.

    1. Mailchimp

    Mailchimp and MailerLite are two platforms that are great for beginners who are looking for email campaigns and automation, not necessarily a CRM. MailChimp mainly focuses on three main areas: email marketing services, newsletters & mass emails, and automation software. Some of the main features they focus on are Email drip campaigns for nurturing leads into your business, email branding capabilities to create a consistent design throughout all of your emails, and email automation software to easily allow users to create automated campaigns.

    These two platforms both allow automated emails. MailerLite seems to be the easier of the two to use so if you’re brand new, this is probably your best option.

    2. HubSpot:

    HubSpot is an integrated platform that helps marketers manage their leads by automating various tasks such as emails, blogging, SEO, landing pages, social media, etc. The main features Hubspot provides include lead scoring for sales enablement purposes, email & text message autoresponders that automatically send emails and texts to leads and contacts, contact management software that helps users keep up with all of their leads & contacts in one place, website publishing capabilities to allow users to create a blog for their company on their personal website, social media marketing tools/services, and blogging software for creating content. I see a lot of folks using Hubspot, especially in the blogging niche.

    3. ActiveCampaign:

    ActiveCampaign is another one of the most popular marketing automation software models on the market. ActiveCampaign mainly focuses on three specific areas: email marketing, small business automation tools/services, and customer relationship management (CRM). I love the capabilities of Active campaign, especially when it comes to segmenting your list. If you’ve had your list for a long time and have the time, know how, or a team member to help… ActiveCampaign is a great option.

    4. Infusionsoft:

    Warning: I would not suggest this email automation software unless you or someone on your team can dedicate a good amount of time to this. It can be quite confusing at the beginning (earning it the nickname “Confusionsoft”. Infusionsoft mainly focuses on three specific areas: small business automation tools/services, customer relationship management (CRM), and lead capture capabilities. Some of the main features they focus on are Lead scoring for sales enablement purposes, email & text message autoresponders that automatically send emails and texts to leads and contacts, and marketing automation software that allows users to easily create automated campaigns. Note: while Infusionsoft (Keap by Infusionsoft) can seem overwhelming or confusing, it does have advanced features that can be extremely useful for online business owners.

    5. Kartra

    Another email marketing tool I love that also has other marketing capabilities is Kartra. This is what I use myself now as I can create my funnels, track my customers, release my email marketing campaigns and more through this platform. If you don’t need funnels and have something else to track your customers, this likely wouldn’t be your best option. However, if you want a one-stop-place, this is a great option.

    At the end of the day, each email automation software and marketing software has different features offered which make it hard to compare apples-to-apples between each provider. The important key is finding the right tool is to first understand all of the features offered by each provider, then test out the tool yourself, and finally choose which tool you think will be best for your company. Any new automation tool I have tested has had a free trial period that I can test out the email campaign and evergreen email sending capabilities for a while.

    What kinds of emails can you automate?

    Welcome Email Sequences

    While many automated emails center around selling a product or persuading a visitor to sign up for something, welcome emails focus on providing value and building trust between you and your lead when they first subscribe to your list or download something from your site.

    An automated welcome email sequence introduces a new subscriber to your list, invites them to get to know you and you them, and introduces the reader to your other resources. Many automated welcome emails include a link for readers to easily unsubscribe from the automated sequence should they ever want to opt out.

    What should your welcome email sequence include?

    The most important thing for this type of automated email to include is a reason for your reader to stick around. A welcome email sequence should make it clear who you are and more importantly, what problem(s) you can help your reader solve.

    Each email should also include the option to unsubscribe if the reader doesn’t think you or your business is a good fit for solving their problems. You can use email marketing to simultaneously identify your dream customer (and help them self-identify that they’re in the right place). while also letting your reader know what problems you can solve for them through various resources and offers.

    This kind of email automation can be useful for anyone in any niche.

    Write your welcome seqeunces faster with our Welcome & Wow template and training program

    Fulfillment Sequences

    Fulfillment sequences are the email automation that gets opened the most. This automated email sequence is prime real estate because people want what they ordered or opted in to. And because of that, they’re more likely to open these emails.

    If all you’re saying in these emails is “Here’s the thing you ordered!” you’re missing a valuable opportunity to reap the benefits of email automation. The good news is that it’s easy to update your fulfillment emails and within the day, you can have existing customers who know what you have to offer (when they didn’t before) and new potential customers eager to buy from you.

    Here’s what should be in your fulfillment emails according to the marketing data we’ve gained from the vast number of clients we’ve had and variety of niches we’ve worked with. Using these tips will help you develop and increase customer loyalty from the very first purchase or opt in.

    Fulfillment emails should include…

    • Information about who it is you help, work with, etc. How do they know that this is the right place for them?
    • A reminder of how to receive what they bought or opted in to
    • A reminder of how it will help them and the problem it will solve for them
    • Information about other offers that are a natural next step after this one
    • The option to dig deeper with you and follow you on other platforms too
    • The option to unsubscribe

    The confirmation email can be the first place to start when thinking about your fulfillment emails.

    This kind of email automation is vital to the success of the rest of your emails with that reader.

    Warning: Whether or not they open the next few emails greatly depends on how you position this email. If you position this email and the next few as something that might be annoying to them, uninteresting, or just another way to sell them… they’re not going to be excited about opening and reading your emails.

    If on the other hand, you position these emails as a way to help them — focus on the value you’re going to provide in each email instead — that’s where the magic happens. That’s where you get those high open rates and loyal customers who can’t wait to open your emails again and again.

    The good news about fulfillment emails is that it gives you the opportunity to not only send a confirmation email to let your buyer or opt-in-er know that you received their info and/or order, but also the other ways you can help them, company culture, success stories, etc.

    Buyer Sequences

    This kind of email automation goes specifically out to those who have bought from you in the past. Think of the people on your buyer sequence as your VVIPs. These are the people you’re lovin’ up extra hard… the ones who have already raised their hand to say they want to work with you. We want to go above and beyond for them so we want to provide valuable insights and inside info that only your buyers will get.

    Most don’t think of a buyer sequence as a marketing email but that’s exactly what it is. This above-and-beyond helpful info keeps you front and center with people who already know, like, and trust you.

    This kind of email automation

    Side note: If you are on an Ecommerce platform, this will still be helpful for you.

    Re-engagement Sequences

    A re-engagement sequence is the way you win back your subscribers that haven’t been engaging with you emails.

    Believe it or not, you lose up to a quarter of your subscribers every year. Yes, some of them unsubscribe, but some of them just go radio silent.

    People can stop interacting with what you send for a variety of different reasons. Maybe they are bombarded with tons of automated emails from lots of companies and they’ve just stopped opening all of them. They instantly get sent to the trash.

    Or maybe you’re emails are being automatically segmented into different folders (like that glorious “promotions” folder that Gmail has) and they aren’t being seen.

    There’s also a chance that people have lost interest in your messaging. And that’s where the re-engagement sequences come in.

    This kind of email automation targets those inactive subscribers and drums up interest from them again.

    A re-engagement sequence should be going out to your subscribers that have been inactive for 30-60 days and should have at least three emails in the sequence.

    This is going to sound counter productive, but when you engage in this kind of email marketing, the first thing you want to do is give them the option to unsubscribe from your email campaigns.

    In that same email, you’re going to want to also give them the option to stay on your list by giving them a call to action that requires them to do something.

    Send them to an email confirmation landing page or to your website… Something that requires them to engage with you beyond just opening the email.

    The second email is going to ask them to review their subscription preferences– and again, give them the option to unsubscribe.

    That third email in the sequence is going to be the offer email… This is the one where you make it so intriguing they can’t resist opening it. You’re going to offer them a value-added free tool or resource… Something that will solve a problem for them.

    And bonus pro-tip, this one needs a really juicy subject line that will let them know they NEED to open this email.

    Finally, your re-engagement sequence needs to feel really personalized– make your “quiet” audience members feel valued and remind them why they signed up for your emails in the first place.

    This is a great email marketing option that will really help to get your audience active again!

    Onboarding Sequences

    An onboarding sequence is going to have a lot of similarities to your welcome email sequence… Only this sequence is going to be targeted at a specific group of people.

    This kind of email automation is written for the people that have signed up for something you’re offering… You may have numerous onboarding sequences, depending on how many product offerings you have.

    Your onboarding sequence will basically walk your clients through what to expect from the purchase they made.

    Email marketing this way builds trust and loyalty with your customers. They know exactly what to expect from their purchase… AND it shows them you have your act together, have systems in place, and that they really get a return on investment.

    This email sequence also shows that you will be there with them through the entire customer journey.

    You should be including a confirmation email and an automated welcome email in this sequence. And then your sequence can be based around the purpose of their purchase… Or whatever your call to action was that got them to make the purchase.

    You may also want to segment your sequence for users that are engaging frequently versus those that are not.

    Nurture-and-Sell Sequences

    We know we shouldn’t have favorites– but we just can’t help it. This Win with System’s sweet spot.

    Around here, we love it so much because it checks so many boxes and takes care of so much of your automated email marketing.

    A nurture and sell sequence (also very lovingly referred to around here as an evergreen sequence) is one you can’t afford to skip out on.

    This kind of automated email sequence is going to do all of the things you need it to– wrapped up in one powerful sequence.

    An evergreen sequence is the automated email sequence your subscribers will receive on a consistent basis. They start going out to your new customers as soon as they sign up for your email list.

    This sequence though serves multiple purposes. It’s not just a series of offer emails– and actually we discouraging anyone from only selling to their audience… That’s a sure-fire way to burn your people out quickly.

    A nurture and sell sequence is one that builds relationships with your audience. They are personalized and make your audience feel welcomed, wanted, and valued. Some of your nurture and sell emails should also encourage engagement from your audience. They elicit a response to get conversation going between you and your subscribers.

    Evergreen sequences also build your authority. You should be regularly sending content to your audience that gives them advice, tips, or resources that are specific to your industry. You want your audience to know they can rely on you to be a reputable source when they need support in your niched area.

    Finally, there is definitely a place for your offer emails in your evergreen sequence. Based on the research we’ve done and the feedback we’ve gotten from our clients, we recommend that one out of every four emails you send is one that’s sole purpose is to sell.

    You will probably refer to or reference your products occasionally through other emails you send, but the offer emails are the ones that spotlight one of your offerings. It goes through all the nitty gritty details of what’s included in your offer, what the benefits are, and how your audience could benefit from it.

    The best part about evergreen emails is that they are automated messages that will never expire and can be scheduled so you don’t need to monitor them all the time.

    This makes your life easier by letting you set up automated processes or “bots” to perform tasks for you so they run on their own without any extra input from you.

    Mark Suster, VC investor at Upfront Ventures has written a great article on automated emails that you should check out. 

    After learning all that a nurture and sell sequence can do (and how you can evergreen it and use it for years to come), you’re going to get one up and going ASAP!

    Book a Call With Us

    And we'll determine the best plan to help you get your sequence up and running in no time!
    Schedule Your Call Here

    Client Sequences

    A client sequence is one that you will send out to really love up your current clients. This is a great automated email sequence that will show your clients how much you value them.

    The sequence should kick off when you have new users that join your platform or purchase something from your online store.

    It then continues with emails that go out every so often just to let your client base know you care about them and that you know they’re out there reading your emails.

    Consider this your most nurturing sequence… It’s the one that’s going to be the most personalized and maybe even a little on the sappy side.

    New users will feel warm and welcomed right off the bat and your established clients will know they’re always a priority– remember it’s all about that complete client journey.

    This kind of automated email really helps build rapport with your audience and gives them the opportunity to interact and respond to you.

    Side note– when you ask your clients to reply to an email, it’s really important that you send timely follow up emails. Answering them and giving them your feedback when they take the time to send you a message will really make a lasting impression.

    You can also send anniversary emails or other personalized touches like birthday emails as a part of this sequence… If they’ve been a member of your group for five years, send them an email letting them know you noticed and you’re so glad they’re still with you. Send congratulatory emails when they finish your course. Follow up with them on their one year anniversary of completing the course. When you take time to notice and acknowledge those milestones, your audience will LOVE it and feel appreciated. That is how you build loyalty, my friends.

    This sequence is also a great opportunity to offer exclusive deals or discount code to your loyal people.

    Student Sequences

    Student sequences will be really similar to onboarding emails– this sequence is just specifically going to be targeted to students that have enrolled in a course you’re offering.

    This kind of email marketing automation is going to help set your students up for success and seriously improve your the start of your course.

    They will feel confident and prepared through the entire duration of the course.

    A student sequence should include motivating emails that keep students persevering, so they actually complete the course (how many have you started and never finished??).

    Not only that, but you can use this sequence to teach your learners. You can give some “bonus” content here that adds extra value, clears up misconceptions, or answers frequently asked questions. You can also give a preview of each module and WHY it could be meaningful or relevant to them.

    Your student sequence is also a great place to give some extra bonuses for the course. They don’t have to be super big, time consuming, or tedious. It can simply be a template, a pdf, a bonus video, etc.

    You can (and should) also share testimonials through this sequence… It will help inspire people to keep going, AND they will see the results that can come from doing so.

    Affiliate Sequences

    Right now, affiliate partnerships and marketing are taking the world by storm.

    You might as well get on that action… You know, that whole strike while the iron is hot idea??

    When you launch an affiliate sequence, you are basically linking products or services through your emails. They can be your own products or you can promote other brands. When your subscribers click on the links your email, they are sent to an ecommerce platform where they can purchase said products or services.

    Why should you look into an affiliate sequence?

    Well, first of all, its a great sequence to evergreen and automate. You can have this email automation running on its own and making money for you while you sleep, play with your kids, or work on other projects. Usually, your affiliate emails need little maintenance, so they work over the long term.

    Affiliate emails have a super high return on investment because you will either be making money from the sale of your own products OR you will get a commission (usually its small– but it’s still something) when you promote someone else’s offerings.

    This kind of email automation is like any other offer email you send… You don’t want to sound like the slimy used car salesman. Be authentic and only promote products you really believe in. Don’t just “pitch” them on the product, but give them your experience with it and how it’s made your life easier.

    Abandoned Cart Sequences

    Did you know that 70+% of people abandon their cart before they actually complete their purchase??

    Because abandoned carts are so common, this one’s a must-have if you sell anything online.

    When you have an abandoned cart sequence that goes out automatically to your cart-abandoners, you can easily recover some of those lost sales. Which means you make money off of something that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t have this email sequence.

    And this all can happen behind the scenes without you actually tracking down potential clients.

    People leave the checkout page for a variety of reasons… We’ve all been there. You start filling your cart, go to the checkout page, and never finish.

    Maybe you got distracted. It’s possible your credit card information wasn’t saved and you didn’t feel like getting up to get it. The checkout page and/or process is too long. Shipping isn’t free. You start to second guess if you really need all those things…

    This kind of automated email sends gentle reminders to your so-close-to-being-a-buyer audience. They should contain about 3 emails that go out over a two or three day period.

    When setting up your automation, your first triggered email should be set up to go out a few hours after the cart is abandoned. This one should just be a reminder email about what they left behind.

    The second email is the one where you do a little more persuading about why they should come back and complete their purchase. Include testimonials or success stories. Have this marketing automation go out within 24 hours of them leaving their full cart.

    Last but not least, you’ll want to have one last automated email schedule to only go out to those that didn’t take action based on the first two. It’s a good idea to offer to help your potential customer with their order or answer any questions they have.

    Team Member Sequences

    Team member sequences are a great idea if you have employees or contractors working on your team.

    This sequence is a great way for you to stay in touch with your team members, provide them with informal training and more information about the company, and to go through employee onboarding.

    This kind of automated email sequence can be a really fun one to put together because this series is for your internal people– the ones that know the industry well and are passionate about it.

    Common Objections to Automated Emails

    Occasionally folks will object to email automation. They’ll say that if you really care about your audience, you wouldn’t send an email automation for everything — all your email marketing would be live.

    The problem with that is that it’s simply irresponsible.

    Sending live emails are a great idea– when the world calls for them. Maybe you have a timebound topic you want to discuss. Sure, send a live email. When breaking news or relevant information about your industry comes to the surface, you will want to update your audience and give your perspective.

    But sending only live emails isn’t feasible or realistic– which is why those that rely solely on live emails are only reaching out to their audience occasionally. They go out haphazardly without any organization or purpose… making this a really irresponsible choice.

    If you’re an entrepreneur, an expert in your field, and someone who values your clients, you need to be emailing consistently with a purpose.

    Email automation allows you to do that.

    Automated email campaigns can be organized to do a variety of different things for you (see the nurture and sell sequence above 😉) and keep you front of mind with your audience.

    When they see your name pop up in their inbox every few days, they will remember you when they need your services.

    Marketing automation shows a strong return on investment. Once you make the initial investment- whether it’s a time investment setting it up yourself or making the financial investment to outsource it, it’ll pay for itself over and over again.

    You won’t have to do any additional work and:

    • Your audience will hear from you frequently.
    • You can promote your products and make sales without being anywhere near your computer.
    • You build your authority and gain the trust of your subscribers.

    Having an automated email campaign is well worth the investment AND is a reliable way for you to have regular contact with your audience.

    Then you can be sending out those live emails because you want to and because you have something you really want to share with your people– instead of it feeling like you have to.

    The Impact of Evergreen Sequences on New Subscribers

    If you’ve ever spent loads of time, energy, or money bringing in new subscribers through organic or paid traffic only to email them once in three months or only when you’re launching, you’ve seen low open rates and/or low customer retention. By sending consistent nurture-and-sell emails, you’ll notice higher open rates, higher buy rates, higher click through rates, and more return customers.

    Why? The main reason is that you’re continuing to be helpful to them and maintain your authority. You don’t seem like you’re there just to take their money and leave.

    Other reasons why evergreen email sequences are so successful for new subscribers:

    – Evergreen email sequences keep getting sent to subscribers who have joined the list which means that your ONE evergreen sequence that you created ONE time can continue to nurture and sell for you — on autopilot — for years to come. Any new subscriber that comes on the list will get that email sequence which means you’ve essentially cloned yourself to nurture and sell again and again without the need to continue writing emails every single week if you don’t want to.

    – Evergreen email sequences can be used for any niche and any audience. It doesn’t matter what you do… If you a hairstylist, an online marketing specialist, a business coach, and health and fitness pro, or a spider-goat farmer (yes– this is really a thing). You have people that need (and want) to hear from you. You can nurture them, inform them, and sell to them– no matter what your business is.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Evergreen/Automated Emails

    Question: Who can you NOT send evergreen emails to?

    Answer: While you can use evergreen emails for any niche, you cannot send evergreen emails (or any kinds of emails for that matter) to people on your list who have unsubscribed.

    Question: What is the first step to get an automated email campaign going?

    Answer: Hone in on what kind of sequence you want to write first. The brainstorming and writing is the most time consuming part. Once you have a plan (and some emails written), then you can decide on your email service provider and start getting things scheduled.

    Question: What email service provider is best for me if I have an online store?

    ActiveCampaign is a great places to start. Check them out and see if they have all the capabilities and functions you need!

    Question: What marketing automation platform is best for me if I sell in an ecommerce business?

    Answer: If you have an eCommerce business and want to have a one-stop-shop when it comes to email marketing and all the other tools you need to track your customer journey, Kartra or Hubspot are great options!

    Ecommerce marketers and online store owners appreciate having everything in one place to keep management streamlined and easy. The automated workflows and templates make setting things up on these platforms a breeze.

    How to Use Evergreen Email Sequences to Take Friday Off

    Let’s say that you are an email marketer and you need to write a blog post about evergreen email sequences. How would you go about writing the article?

    The evergreen email sequence is a marketing strategy in which one or more automated emails are sent out over time to provide value to the readers of your blog. The evergreen sequence builds trust, ranks highly in search engines, and simply helps people understand your products better. It does all of this while requiring little attention from the person writing them!

    According to Baremetrics , evergreen emails have an average open rate of 53%, making it by far the most successful type of automated email on average. Furthermore, evergreen campaigns typically have click-through rates equal to half their open rate, which gives evergreen email users some of the best engagement numbers ever recorded.

    If evergreen sequences are so successful, why don’t more people use them? One reason why is because evergreens can be difficult to write. However, this article will make evergreen emails easier than ever with specific steps and examples!

    The first step in writing evergreen emails is figuring out what your sequence should accomplish.

    What do you want readers to do once they’ve finished the sequence? Do you want them to purchase a product or service that you offer? If so, then the last few emails in your evergreen series should encourage readers to buy whatever it is that you’re selling! Otherwise, if there’s nothing for your target market to purchase, evergreen emails are a great way to bring in traffic back to your site.

    After you’ve settled on what exactly you want your evergreen sequence to accomplish, it’s time to think about tone of voice.

    The best evergreens are neither too informal nor too formal – readers should feel like they’re talking with a personal friend. While evergreen emails can be either promotional or informative , avoid dry informational evergreens that do nothing but list facts and figures about the product you’re selling because these types of evergreens will not keep people engaged!

    If evergreen campaigns are done well, consumers will keep coming back again and again so that they don’t miss out on more valuable information or sales! This is why evergreens are such a great marketing strategy – email users can send evergreen emails for years, and they’ll still get the same results!

    Do you ever see your customers after they’ve bought from you? If not or if it’s been awhile since their last purchase, evergreen campaigns are the perfect way to keep customers informed . Evergreen sequences convince readers that your company is trustworthy and reliable.

    After evergreens have convinced readers of the value provided by your store, evergreen email campaigns encourage them to come back for more!

    Evergreens are an excellent way to introduce new products or services to an existing customer base – after all, what better return policy than one in which people read about inexpensive items sent out over time with automated emails?

    To put evergreen email courses into practice, try following the steps below:

    1. Figure out your target audience and what you want them to do. Write evergreen emails that help readers do this!

    2. Decide if evergreens are right for you – will they bring more people back to your site? Will evergreen campaigns convince customers that your business is reliable?

    3. Keep evergreens relevant by sending automated messages after important life events like purchasing a gift or moving to a new location! 

    4. Test different types of evergreens to see which appeals most to your target market! Different strategies work for different people so use evergreen email sequences according to each individual’s preferences! 

    5. Use helpful email automation tools like the ones we discussed above to get the most out of your evergreen and automated emails.

    How to Make Time for Your Automated Emails

    Yes, when you are just getting started, setting up your automated emails can take some time. But it is well worth the up-front costs for the years of life you get out of them.

    It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few months to get an email sequence written well, optimized, and set up in your email service provider. It depends on the purpose of your sequence and how many emails there are.

    Our advice is to start small. Carve out some time in your schedule each week to work on one type of emails. Set up your welcome sequence or your abandoned cart sequence and continue to build from there.

    Automated email marketing is a GREAT task to outsource. If you simply can’t add something else into your schedule, but you know how important email sequences are, let us help you with it.

    Schedule a call with the Win With Systems team to see just how we can get your email sequence up and running in no time.

    How to Know if Your Sequence is Getting Results After You Have It Up and Running

    One of the best ways to ensure your automated marketing emails are working is with split testing . Split testing is where you test two versions of an automated marketing message against each other to see which one performs better, then keep the version that earned more clicks and send it to more people. Like everything in life, what works for someone else might not work for you so don’t take my word for it. Just try automated marketing messages, automated evergreen emails and split testing to see what works for you!

    What Are Your Next Steps?

    Step 1: Make sure you have a valid email address that you want connected to your automations.

    Step 2: Plan out your email marketing automation and get your first series of emails written.

    Step 3: Add powerful subject lines to your emails, review them, and test them out to be sure they perform well (we love subjectline.com for this).

    Step 4: Shop around for the best email service provider that will meet your needs.

    Step 5: Get your first sequence loaded into your ESP with all the appropriate triggers.

    Step 6: Do a test run to be sure everything is running smoothly.

    Step 7: Watch that sequence go to work for you!

    Continue Reading

  • How Can Evergreen Emails Easily Increase Revenue for Digital Entrepreneurs?

    Whether You're a Digital Content Creator, Consultant, Coach, Evergreen Emails Can Dramatically Impact Your Business

    Email has long been the trusted method to nurture and sell to your market. Unlike social media and other platforms, email isn’t changing all the time and it’s not “pay to play”, making it a necessary tool for any entrepreneur’s marketing and sales plan. This post will outline the following:

    Table of Contents

    Who can benefit from evergreen email marketing?

    If you have a company that can make online sales, even if you mostly sell through live launches, then yes, you can benefit from evergreen emails.

    Why You Need Evergreen Emails

    Beyond protecting your business when things turn sideways, there are a few other reasons to have an evergreen email sequence.

    1. It nurtures your audience without you forgetting to.

    If you’ve ever had the good intention of emailing your list and then got busy and before you knew it, 3 weeks had passed, automated sequences reduce that. It takes out the thinking and the guesswork so you only have to do it once. Once your sequence is set up, it can run for you so that anyone on your list is consistently being nurtured without you needing to consistently think about it.

    1. It helps you serve your customers and clients at a higher level.

    Because these are already written, you can turn your attention to what you do best — helping your audience, all while still providing immense value in your nurture emails, too.

    1. It brings in revenue even when you’re not actively selling.

    With an automated sequence, your sequence can sell for you when you’re out and about, when you have friends over, when you’re taking the kids for a walk and yes, even when you’re sleeping. Because your subscribers are going through the sequence automatically, they’re getting multiple offers throughout the sequence so you can make more sales.

    What Kinds of Emails Fall into the Automated Category?

    Because evergreen emails are emails that you can write once, set up in your email service provider, then let run again and again automatically, there are a few different sequences that are considered evergreen sequences.

    • My signature year-long evergreen sequence (52 emails)
    • Welcome emails
    • Abandoned cart email sequences
    • Buyer sequences
    • Re-engagement sequences
    • Flash sales can be put into your year-long evergreen sequence
    • Student sequences
    • Affiliate sequences
    • Fulfillment sequences

    This isn’t an extensive list, but it does show one important point: if you can automate it, you can consider it an evergreen sequence.

    How to Get the Most out of Your Automated Sequence

    Your evergreen content, whether it’s our year-long, 52-email strategy-and-data-backed sequence or it’s a short welcome sequence, can bring in revenue for years to come if it’s done right.

    The more traffic that comes through to your evergreen sequence, the more eyes on your nurture emails AND your offer emails. Not only that, your evergreen sequence can also be used to drive traffic out, too.

    Here’s how to get the most out of your evergreen sequence:

    • The more traffic you have coming into your evergreen emails, the more you can make. Have an abandoned cart sequence for every single sequence.

    With 70-85% of shoppers abandoning their cart, recovering even only a few of these can be massive for a business.

    • Turn email subscribers into blog post visitors, podcast visitors, and views on your Youtube… or subscribers of anything else you have online.

    By giving them content you already have in these places, you’re providing value to your leads and those who have shown interest in what you do while also bringing more traffic to the resources you’ve worked hard to create.

    • Focus on providing valuable content that actually helps your reader. Not only does it aid in their perception of you as the authority, but your helpful advice also keep them coming back for more.
    • Don’t be afraid to make the offer to your SLO, course, and even high-ticket offer in your evergreen emails. Because you’re nurturing your people throughout the year (if you do the year-long evergreen sequence), it’s not this slimy salesperson vibe. It’s coming from a place of genuine helpfulness.
    • Share industry tips for your niche, send your readers to your website where they can find long lasting evergreen posts (something else that you can evergreen — like a blog post or article that your potential customer is already using the search function to find!! An evergreen article is a lot like an evergreen email – something that is not time-sensitive) Basically anything you can do to provide more value while they determine that you can in fact help them, is going to help you in the long run.
    • Your evergreen content should be relevant to your reader and filled with valuable, helpful information that gets them closer to their goals.

    Evergreen Content Ideas, Topics, and Examples

    There are far too many to include here, so I’ve included loads of ideas for you in this PDF, the Big List of What to Write About.

    A few examples of evergreen topics include something that is on sale all year long and common questions you receive in your inbox, DMs, etc.

    What are these automated emails also known as?

    If you’ve heard the term “email funnel” or “evergreen funnel”, this can refer to an automated nurture sequence. You may have also heard of a drip campaign, where emails are dripped out one by one for a certain amount of time. If these emails are automated, they are also technically evergreen emails.

    Why is it called "Evergreen" email marketing?

    Think about the evergreen trees you see in nature. When deciduous trees are dying as the weather becomes colder, evergreen trees are still able to thrive, even in the harshest environments.

    Why is that?

    It’s because these trees have a natural protective coating that keeps them safe no matter the time of year or temperature. While other trees are impacted by the seasons, trees with that protective coating can thrive year-round.

    Evergreen content can do for your business too. While other businesses ebb and flow in financial stability depending on the time of year, you can make sales year-round with your evergreen sequence, even when you’re not in the middle of a live launch.

    This kind of sequence protects your business and keeps it stable, even when unexpected life events occur and you have to unexpectedly step away from your business for a while.

    Ready for your own evergreen email sequence? Apply for our done-for-you or do-it-yourself service here.

    Who should avoid evergreen email marketing?

    While this kind of email marketing works for most business owners, there are a few businesses that should avoid evergreen email marketing because it won’t work for that particular audience.

    • Businesses that are centered around current events
    • Businesses that have frequent sales, new products, or new offers
    • Businesses with frequent pricing changes
    • Businesses that center around current news articles statistics or date
    • Businesses that have information that does not last for a long period of time. Someone in stocks, for example, is unlikely to be able to benefit from this kind of marketing.

    MYTH: E-commerce entrepreneurs cannot create automated sequences.

    TRUTH: Even if you’re in e-commerce and have many new products frequently, as long as you have a few products that are always in stock and bestsellers, you can utilize automated emails.

    What isn't evergreen email content?

    By now you know that evergreen content is content you create once and can re-use again and again. But what isn’t evergreen content?

    Evergreen content is not…

    • Time-sensitive: avoid current events, information with a date or launches with a specific date or pop culture references that won’t be relevant within the next 2+ years
    • Useless information/stories: While you can include topical information and use your emails to link to topical articles or blog posts (at the call to action), ensure that the information you’re sharing AND linking to are both helpful, informative, and pertinent to your reader. Your content s should be value driven.
    • ONLY sales emails… nor is it ONLY nurture emails. Your automated emails, whether a welcome sequence or the year-long sequence we’re known for, should include both sale emails and nurture emails.

    Finally, choose content that is continually relevant, and relevant long past this year or next year.

    Evergreen Writing Do's and Don'ts

    What do your readers want? The biggest “do” for your evergreen content is to focus on that. Other do’s include:

    Dos:

    • Check your subject line using subjectline.com to help you write subject lines with a higher chance of being opened
    • Write intriguing, captivating attention grabbers at the beginning of your emails
    • Ask for responses at least once a month. Read each response and reply to it.
    • Include a footer in your email with resources (both paid and free) that might be helpful for your potential customers and customers.
    • Split test, split test, split test. Because these emails are automated, you have the opportunity to get a LOT of great data about your person and what they like to open an click from you.
    • Write a messy draft of the email first. Don’t try for perfection on the first go, it’ll never get done.
    • Get your evergreen emails done as quickly as possible so you’re not leaking money.

    Don’ts:

    • Avoid broad topics as this is usually something your reader can google online. Instead, choose topics that only you can answer with specific examples.
    • Avoid overly technical language that’s going to lose your reader
    • Don’t date the content with pop culture references or talk of dates.
    • Don’t talk down to your readers.

    How does evergreen email marketing differ from other kinds of email marketing?

    There are two main kinds of email marketing. The first is broadcast emails – these emails are usually written and sent the same day. They may contain time-sensitive information

    The other kind of email marketing is done by writing evergreen content.

    Evergreen content is the kind of content that can be written once and then used again and again. Evergreen content can start as a broadcast email if the broadcast email has all time-sensitive information removed. If you’re going to go this route, the best option is to put the broadcast email at the very end of the sequence so your readers don’t see it again for a long time.

    How to Search and Discover What Your Email List Wants to Hear from You

    There are a few ways to discover what your email list wants to hear from you. Below are a few tools I use on the daily.

    1. Answer the Public: this shows what people are searching for most frequently.
    2. Keyword search on Google and Pinterest: I use the predictive text to see what the keywords and phrases are searching for.
    3. Ubersuggest and the Google Chrome extension, Keywords Everywhere: This helps me identify common phrases and keywords my niche might be looking for
    4. And finally, I ask my readers what they want to hear from me. I look in comments of my lives, questions I get in my inbox, and replies I receive when I request them.

    What Other Formats Can be Evergreened?

    Common evergreen formats are emails, blog posts, Youtube videos, podcast episodes, and even social.

    1. An article on your website
    2. Other website content, like
    3. Your inbox: including a footer in your inbox that shares one of your most popular offers can help you make automated sales. You can even include one of your most popular offers in your out-of-office message.
    4. Those who have access to a paid account can also get evergreen offers if you include training or a guest expert in your course or program.
    5. A guest article you write for someone else where you include their affiliate link to your offer. If you’re going to do this, you can also write an evergreen email they can put in their sequence.
    6. Articles that come from podcast episodes
    7. Articles that come from Youtube videos
    8. Articles you create based on interviews you do with others
    9. Social media using the recur option on Social Bee. This is a way to get more visible and also get more, new visitors to your social and on your list.

    Evergreen articles are especially important because you can send your reader back to those again and again. Articles that are considered evergreen articles are those that might be written once but put in your sequence, can be referenced again and again.

    The great thing about evergreen emails is that the content remains fresh, even months after it’s been sent. This is because you can create different versions of the same email, and send them out at different times.

    So, for example, if you have an evergreen welcome email, you can send it out when someone subscribes to your list, and then send it again a few months later.

    Evergreen content is a great way to keep your blog or website fresh, and evergreen emails are a great way to keep your readers engaged. If you’re looking for a way to increase sales this year and for years to come, evergreen emails are a great option.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Your Evergreen Email Sequence

    1. How many emails is too many? If you haven’t sent an email out in a while, it’s time! But don’t go from zero to emailing every day. Start with one email every other week or every week then ask your potential customers and customers how often they want to hear from you.
    2. Can I put pictures in my emails? Should I? What about videos? You can put those in your emails and if you’re an e-commerce store opening, it’s a great idea to include images. The most important thing is that no matter what you try, you test it out to see what works and doesn’t work for your unique target market.
    3. What kind of message should I send my readers? You can send your subscribers welcome messages, inspirational messages, nurture emails, and even offer emails. Getting to the nitty gritty though, if you’re not sure what exactly to send them, you can use tools like Answer the Public to find out what your audience is already searching for.
    4. What do I do with new content? Where does that fit in? I always run new content as a broadcast email first, then I add it to the end of my evergreen sequence.
    5. Do you have any evergreen sequence examples or templates? I do – you can currently only buy the templates with the program, but soon the templates will be available on their own.
    6. Do you have any tips on where to start? Start with the abandoned cart sequence because that’s where you’ll see the fastest turnaround on a return on your investment.

     

    What's Your Next Step?

    Want to learn about the kinds of emails you need automated for more sales? Enter a valid email address and get our paid workshop, the Hidden Loot in Your Email List, for free as a thank you for reading this blog post.

    Need help creating your evergreen email sequence? I can help. Having a lasting evergreen piece is vital to any business you want to have a self-sustaining nature.

    Some marketers will tell you that it’s simply not possible to evergreen or even that you shouldn’t because it’s not authentic. The truth is, it’s not responsible to only be creating live content all the time.

    If your entire life revolves around your company and you want that to continue for the rest of your working life, then maybe it’s not important. But for anyone that wants to have a self-sustaining company (or even take some time off here and there) evergreening as much as possible is vital.

    You can automate your work and the way you help your readers. You can’t automate your relationships or your health.

    How to Get Help

    If you want to get our help with the best content marketing strategy (evergreen email marketing) needs, first click here to learn more about what we do.

    About the Author

    Brittany Long, also known as the Queen of Evergreen, is an Email Marketing Strategist and co-founder of Win with Systems, an email marketing training company with done-for-you, done-with-you, and do-it-yourself services. Brittany loves leading workshops, trainings, and providing tips for entrepreneurs who want the lifestyle they want AND the company they want too.

    Brittany and her husband and other co-founder, Zachary, live in rural Florida with their two dogs and baby. They enjoy hiking, family time, and taking Friday off to be with family. Brittany is a runner, writer, author, speaker, and presenter.

    Request to book Brittany for your next live or virtual event by setting up a short call to discuss your event or emailing Brittany@winwithsystems [dot] com.

    What is evergreen emails? That’s exactly what we set out to answer today. If you have any other questions please, reach out!

    This article was written for the Win with Systems blog.

    Let's Connect

    Continue Reading

  • Four Email Sequences: Your One-Stop Shop for Black Friday Success

    Black Friday is the most important day of the year for many businesses, and email marketing can be your one-stop shop to convert more customers. Today, I’m walking you through the four sequences that you can set up ahead of time so that they go out automatically on Black Friday… Not only will they be ready to send out to your audience ahead of time, but they will also generate an increase in sales.

    Be sure you have an abandoned cart sequence for your Black Friday Sale.

    The first and probably most important sequence you need is an abandoned cart sequence. I’m sure you’ve heard me say this before, but up to 70% of carts get abandoned before potential buyers finish their purchase. There are a lot of reasons behind this, but most often, it’s because they have an objection or question about your offer. If that’s not the case, then they may have gotten distracted or side trakced and never finished what they started.

    An abandoned cart sequence will go out automatically to anyone that didn’t complete their purchase after adding items to their cart. Sometimes people just need the friendly reminder that they left something behind. Sending this sequence also gives your the chance to answer questions and bust objections. Both of these things can lead to the completion of sales that wouldn’t have happened without those emails.

    You want this sequence set up ahead of time so that it goes out on autopilot the second your Black Friday sale starts! Without a doubt, this one will be well worth your time!

    You need a sequence that goes out to people that didn't open your original Black Friday offer email.

    There is also great value in setting up a sequence that’ll go out to the people in your audience that didn’t open your initial offer email. This is a great way to get your offer out there. Sometimes people’s inboxes are flooded with messages. This will be especially true over the Black Friday shopping weekend. There are BILLIONS of emails sent during the five days around Thanksgiving (Campaign Monitor). 

    Maybe your first email got overlooked. Or maybe someone in your audience hasn’t checked their emails in a few days and the only ones they actually notice the next time they’re in their inbox are the ones from the last 24 hours.

    By sending out that follow-up sequence for unopened emails, you’re dramatically increasing your chances of being seen. You never know… That follow-up sequence could be offering someone exactly what they needed. They just didn’t know about it before.

    Upsells and downsells... They need a seqeunce for your Black Friday sale, too.

    The next sequence that yields huge results is an upsell sequence. By offering your audience something else in addition to your main offer can really benefit you and them. You’ll increase your cart value and overall sales by offering an upsell. Your customer will also get several products/services that solve more than one problem for them– for a great deal.

    Bonus tip– include a downsell sequence, too! This is a great option for you if you have something in your offer ladder that has a lower cost than your original offer. 

    Making a downsell is SO much better than not making a sale at all! 

    If you have a waitlist offer for Black Friday, it needs an email sequence, too.

    Finally, be sure you have an email sequence ready if you’re creating a waitlist offer. By setting up a sequence for this group, you are making sure they’re getting all the information they need leading up to the launch they are waiting for. You can also use it to send them special offers and insider tips. It’s a great way to really build relationships with a specific segment of your list.

    There is a lot on your plate during the Black Friday shopping weekend. Having email sequences written and set up to go out automatically will eliminate a ton of stress from your sale week. Plus, setting up these four sequences can make a huge impact on how much revenue you make during your sale. 

    Be sure you get these four sequences set up ahead of time to make this your best Black Friday yet. 

    Want some more fabulous tips and tricks to get that Black Friday sale planned and organized so your sale is SUPER successful and stress-free? Download my FREE Black Friday and Beyond checklist so you know exactly what you need to do to be ready for the big day!

    Click Here to Get Your Checklist!

    Continue Reading

  • Combine the Powers of Your Email Marketing and your Social Media Platforms for a Successful Black Friday Sale

    Social media and email marketing are two of the most powerful tools for any business. They can be used to promote your products, generate leads, and increase brand awareness. A lot of times, in the digital marketing space, the two tools are seen as fierce competitors.

    But in reality, they work best when used together. Today, I’m giving you my best tips for how you can use email marketing AND social media marketing to maximize your sales on Black Friday… and beyond.

    Why Joining These Forces Is SO Powerful

    By now you know that email marketing is the most reliable, consistent avenue for marketing your business. Emails are guaranteed to get in front of your audience. There will never be a time when algorithms mess with whether or not someone receives an email.

    Because your audience has signed up to be on your email list, your chances of having emails opened are significantly higher than if you’re just relying on social media algorithms to get your message out.

    Email marketing is non-negotiable. It works. You need to have emails going out to your audience on a regular basis.

    But, there’s something really magical that happens if you combine the powers of social media with your email. (Read about some of those benefits here.)

    Social media has become a front-runner in the marketing game, and it needs to be utilized for getting your business seen, too. Social media makes it even easier to get you in front of a large audience.

    By combining social media and email marketing, you can build brand awareness and credibility. People are going to see you everywhere they look… from their email inbox to their Instagram stories, they know who you are. They also know what you stand for and that you are a reliable, genuine connection in your field.

    Use Your Social Media Platforms to Grow Your Email Subscription List

    One way to use your social media effectively to market your Black Friday sale is to get your audience to a lead magnet. The next time you go live, make a post, or share a video on social media, send people to a freebie that will solve problem for them.

    By doing this, you get them on your email list, making you visible to them on multiple platforms. And they will start getting all of your emails– from your Black Friday sequences to you evergreen sequence.

    The bonus benefit– when you get your lead magnet visible on social media, people following you can share about it. Which means your content is being seen by others that wouldn’t typically know about you and what you do. Which means you get new followers.  It also drives those new people to your email list.

    Getting people to share your freebie or details about your Black Friday sale is a great way to get new eyes on your business!

    Now you’ve grown your email list just in time for your Black Friday sale!

    Make Sure Your Audience Knows WHY They Need To Be On Your Email List

    But don’t stop with growing your list… Make sure your audience knows the value of being on your email list.

    Share about the exclusive deals and access people on your email list receive by talking about them on your social media platforms.

    For example, this week, in my episode of Evergreen Emails Explained, I highlighted what my email subscribers get that my social media audience doesn’t have access to.

    Now every person that watches that video across various social media platforms will know WHY they should be on my email list.

    They know that they will get exclusive access to workshops and resources that I don’t promote anywhere else.

    I saw this in action this week with a SUPER popular influencer this week, too.

    She launched a new product.

    But she didn’t offer a discount to her social media followers.

    The ONLY discount available for her launch was through email.

    Let that sink in for a minute.

    A HUGE name in the Instagram influencing space was using SOLELY email marketing to give her audience a discount.

    Why?

    Because now she has thousands of people on her email list… So every time she has a launch, a new offer, or an event, it’s guaranteed that ALL of those people will know about it.

    She promoted the email discount on social media. Which got people to sign up for the list.

    Her new product sold out in 4 HOURS!

    This is the magic I’m talking about. When you use your social media platforms and email marketing in conjunction you can yield HUGE results!

    But it doesn’t end there.

    Save time… Repurpose that Content!

    When you join the two forces, it gives you the opportunity to repurpose that content you’re generating.

    So, if you feel like writing emails takes up a ton of time, and you just can’t seem to justify the benefits with the amount of time it takes you, consider this.

    If you send out one email a week, you could repurpose that email into multiple social media posts.

    Here’s how:

    • Did you include a statistic in your email? Feature it in a social media graphic.
    • Did you give three tips to help your audience? Great, post them on Instagram and Facebook.
    • Can you use the content from the video to make a quick 3-5 minute video about the topic?
    • Pull out quotes from the email and create several social media posts.

    Now you’ve taken that email and turned it into 5 different pieces of content.

    I know you’re busy. And when you’re preparing for a huge launch or sale, like Black Friday, any time-saving strategies will be super helpful.

    Use these tips to combine your social media marketing with your email marketing this Black Friday. You’ll grow your email list, make your company more visible, save time, and generate huge sales.

    You could be like the influencer this week– and sell out on Black Friday in a matter of hours.

    Want some more fabulous tips and tricks to get that Black Friday sale planned and organized so your sale is SUPER successful and stress-free? Download my FREE Black Friday and Beyond checklist so you know exactly what you need to do to be ready for the big day!

    Get Your Black Friday and Beyond Planning Checklist HERE!

    Continue Reading

  • 3 Ways to Avoid Abandoned Carts for Black Friday Sales

    In the world of online shopping, 60% of all shoppers will abandon their cart. That number is utterly shocking. 

    A lot of times customers abandon carts because of unexpected charges on their order. Anything from upsells to bonuses, taxes, fees, or shipping costs can change their mind. If it’s beyond your advertised price for your product,customers could abandon their cart. 

    Some customers get frustrated with lengthy checkout processes or having to set up an account on your platform to complete their purchase. 

    When you’re selling a physical product, sometimes they are looking for specific shipping options you may not have. 

    If 60% of your potential customers abandon their cart, you are leaving a TON of potential revenue on the table… Especially if it’s Black Friday and you’ve got high expectations for your day. 

    Luckily, there are ways to capitalize on (and avoid) abandoned carts. Having a solid plan in place for when  your shoppers leave before completing their purchase will have a huge return on investment for you!

    Prepare an Abandoned Cart Sequence Specific for Your Black Friday Sale

    First, you should have an abandoned cart email sequence ready to send out to any customer that doesn’t complete a sale. 

    An abandoned cart email will automatically follow up with that customer and remind them (and sometimes incentivize them) to complete their purchase.  

    It’s a great way to remind them of the benefits your products and services can give them. There’s a reason they started the process after all. 

    Sometimes your customers just need a question answered or clarification on something.  An abandoned cart sequence will provide them with the information they need to finalize their purchase. 

    Research shows that the conversion rate of those abandoned cart emails is 59% on Black Friday and 49.2% on Cyber Monday (omnisend.com).

    With conversion rates like that, you can’t afford to not send abandoned cart emails. You can recover a huge portion of your sales just through this strategy alone. 

    Warm Your Audience Up for Any Upsells or Add-on Offers You’re Planning

    Second, warm your Black Friday shoppers up for any upsells or add-ons you plan to offer. While you are sending out emails leading up to your Black Friday sale, be sure you highlight any bonus deals you’re including. That way they know exactly what to expect when they click “add to cart”.

    When you are offering products or services at a discounted rate, and you let your audience know about ALL of them ahead of time, you’ll have much more positive results.

    If your customers don’t know about your “bonus” offer ahead of time, it can have the opposite effect you want it to. 

    You think you’re giving them a great deal and a FABULOUS product. But sometimes all they see is you pushing more sales. 

    If a potential customer is turned off or frustrated by your upsell, they aren’t going to purchase from you at all. 

    Be sure that you’re transparent about your offers before they get to their shopping cart. 

    You don’t want to give them any extra reason to abandon their cart. 

    Add an Exit Intent Pop Up to Your Black Friday Checkout

    One last tip: Add an exit intent pop-up when potential customers are near the end of the checkout process. 

    This will let you know exactly who is considering making a purchase versus those who aren’t interested anymore.

    Exit intents can feel weird, but it really is making the best of the situation. 

    It gives potential buyers one last chance to purchase before they leave your site. You never know who might just need that last little nudge or incentive to complete their sale. 

    And on the other hand, if the shopper is leaving anyway, having an exit intent will give you the opportunity to get their email address/contact information. 

    Then it could possibly turn into a connection that will last much longer than Black Friday. 

    There are a lot of Black Friday shoppers out there– which means there are going to be a lot of abandoned carts… Don’t let those interested customers slip away.

    Check out my full-length YouTube video to get more details on exactly how to make the most out of the abandoned carts this holiday shopping season.

    YouTube video

    Continue Reading

  • How to Get the Most Out of Your Black Friday Sale: Pre-Sales Steps

    Three Easy Steps to Making the Most Out of Your Black Friday Sale

    • Decide what your Black Friday Sale Offer Will Be
    • Plan Your Black Friday Open and Close Cart Dates
    • Plan Your Black Friday Email Sequence

    It is that time of year again!

    The leaves are changing, the temperatures are dropping… and people are starting to think about the holidays… Which means they’re gearing up for Black Friday.

    Holiday sale season can be a great opportunity to increase your revenue… but you need to put in some work before the sale kicks off. In this blog post we will cover 3 important pre-sales steps that you should take before launching into your Black Friday sale.

    Planning early is a critical step to a successful sale. Black Friday and the Cyber 5 Weekend can be one of the most profitable times for your business.

    But, if you don’t take a strategic approach and plan in advance, you’ll end up stressed and frazzled in the days leading up to your launch… When you should be baking pies and spending time with your loved ones.

    Plan Exactly What Your Black Friday Sale Offer is Going to Be

    Are you offering a percentage off of all products?

    Are there offers, products, and services that you aren’t going to include in your sale?

    If you are selling products, what’s your plan for shipping costs? Will they also be discounted with this sale or not included at all?

    Have you thought about disappearing bonuses or how your customers can give your products/services as gifts?

    Depending on where you are in your business development, these questions can vary wildly, and it may take some time for you to figure out exactly how much savings customers should expect during your Black Friday Sale.

    However, you need to have a clear idea of what your Black Friday offers will look like before you start telling your audience that you’re having a sale.

    Strategy before marketing, friends.

    When you have a solid plan in place, it ensures that everyone (you, your team, and your customers) knows exactly what to expect when they shop with you over the holidays.

    You Need to Plan Your Open and Close Cart Dates for Your Black Friday Sale

    It’s SUPER important that you lay out the specifics of when your sale is happening. I’m talking nitty-gritty details here… You need to think about pre-sales, waitlists, open cart dates, time zones, close cart dates, bonus time extensions, and more 🤯…

    There’s a lot to consider and plan for– which is why you need to start planning so early.

     

    Questions to Consider When You are Planning Your Black Friday Open and Close Dates

    ❓  Are you going to offer exclusive early access to select groups of people?

    ❓  Are you planning on having a pre-sale? If so, when are the pre-sales going to start?

    ❓  Once your sale is live, how long is it running for?

    ❓  What is your closed cart date and time?

    *Pro Tip: The time element here is SUPER important… I would recommend closing a cart at 11:59 PM on whatever date you decide. Setting a close cart time of “midnight” can get REALLY confusing.

    ❓  Will you have an extended time option (for people in different time zones or just to be really nice 😉)?

    Having an understanding of how everything works together will help you have a strong handle on your sale offerings.

    Plus, once you start marketing, your audience will be completely clear on what your sale is and when it’s happening. 

    The last thing you want is frustrated customers because someone missed something important about your big holiday sale.

    All this planning ahead of time also gives you the chance to target your audience. Then you will have the time to send exclusive pre-sale offers to your VIPs.

    Get Your Black Friday Email Sequence Planned and Written Now!

    Everyone’s life gets chaotic during the holiday season.

    Your customers are busy, and they are being bombarded with emails from early November through the new year.

    So, the last thing you want to do is send out less than stellar emails to your audience–  all because you got busy (hello, holiday season 👋) and now you don’t have the time to devote to putting together those super catchy emails… Let alone a whole sequence that will dramatically increase your revenue. 

    You have to be ahead of the game… Your emails have to be planned, written ahead of time, and optimized to stand out among a sea of millions of emails that will be sent out.

    You know by now that email is your best weapon in the marketing game– and that only increases over the holidays.

    When consumers access sales through an email, they are likely to spend 138% more than people who don’t receive email offers (Campaign Monitor).

    You have to capitalize on that!

    Sending out a few promo emails that you threw together while you were on the road to grandma’s house isn’t going to do it.

    Your Black Friday Email Sequence Needs To...

    You need to warm up your audience… Then really turn up the hype in the final stretch leading up to the sale.

    Sending recurring reminders, abandoned cart emails, upsell emails, and delivery fulfillment emails will only make your Black Friday bottom line stronger.

    Having a good understanding of what to expect during Black Friday is important in making sure that you get the most out of this year’s sales!

    By taking these three steps to prep your sale, your life will be SO much easier during your sale. You can feel confident that you’re giving your audience the amazing deals (and service) they are looking for from their favorite eCommerce businesses.

    And, when you consider the fact that this is one of your best opportunities to turn a profit during the hectic holiday shopping season…

    You will understand why planning ahead really makes sense.

    Now get out there and start planning 😉!

    Continue Reading

  • How to Add Your Unique Voice and Personality to Your Evergreen Email Sequence​

    Email Image

    How to Add Your Unique Voice and Personality to Your Evergreen Email Sequence​

    What is holding you back from finally putting together your evergreen email sequence?

    One of the reasons I hear about often from my clients is that they don’t know how to write emails that are interesting and engaging. A lot of times, they feel like their writing is boring and monotonous. 

    If you are feeling the same way, you have come to the right place!

    There are some easy-to-implement strategies you can use to sprinkle some of your amazing charm into the emails you are sending to your audience. 

    The overall goal when you sit down to write an email is that you want it to sound like you. Your emails should have your voice in them. They should almost sound like you are having a conversation with a good friend. 

    Use Your Common Words and Phrases in Your Evergreen Emails

    When you are writing your emails, you want to find vocabulary that makes you sound like you. Believe it or not, when you talk or write, you have words or phrases that you use often. You may not even realize you have them. So it’s really important that you make a list of them and have them handy when you sit down to write.

    How do you figure out your common words and phrases? I’m glad you asked!

    1. Rewatch Videos You’ve Made

    Go back through any videos you’ve made. If you are publishing things on social media or if you have recorded Zoom meetings, watch them. See if you can pick up on things you say frequently or that are your “signature sayings”.

    2. Reread Old Writing Pieces

    You should reread blog posts or emails you’ve written. You may be surprised at the patterns you find. There could be a lot of your own unique touches you find that you have already been using in your writing. Those are definitely ones you want to add to your list!

    3. Check Out Your Informal Conversations

    Another great place to find the informal language you use is to read text messages you send to friends and family. This is the writing where you are probably most authentically yourself. This will be the perfect resource for finding the words and phrases you use in your everyday conversations. 

    Copy of Blog Inset Images

    Find Common Themes in Other Writing Pieces to Add to Your Evergreen Emails​

    Remember how I told you to go back through things you’ve written before to find common words and phrases? Keep them handy… You need them again. 

    See if you can pull out a few writing pieces that you are really proud of. Maybe you have a blog post series that you LOVE. Or a few social media posts that you felt really good about. 

    What are the common themes in those pieces that make you feel warm and fuzzy? 

    • Are they well organized? 
    • Written about a specific topic? 
    • Sometimes it is all about the tone or style to your writing. 
    • Are you really proud of writing pieces that give you authority in your field? 
    • Or do you love the ones where you are bantering with your readers and using humor?

     

    Those common threads you find in your most-loved writing pieces are also great ways to add personality to your emails. Finding ways to infuse those themes into your writing will be amazing! 

    Bonus Tip!

    Maybe making a video sounds WAY better to you than writing lengthy emails. You can totally send out shorter emails that link to a video you’ve made about the topic (or you can embed the video into the email). 

    Having an evergreen email sequence is really important for nurturing your audience and bringing in consistent sales. When you authentically engaging with your subscribers in those emails, it is going to make the rest happen naturally. 

    Finding ways to add your personality into your emails is the most authentic way to communicate your message. 

    Start with these tips. You will be amazed at how much you can change the tone of your emails with just these few changes. Your emails will be sounding more like you in no time!

    Looking for more great support to make sure your emails sound authentically like you? Check out my Ease Into Evergreen Training where you will learn all of the fundamental skills needed to build your Evergreen Sequence– including adding personality and intrigue to your emails!

    Continue Reading