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Date:
August 27, 2021

Author:
Ashlyn Carter

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Hey! Ashlyn here, OG copywriter for creatives—reporting for duty. 

Let's get you a message so tight you can bounce a quarter off of it. Around here, we serve up science-based storytelling strategies the creative set.  Even while raking in more than 1.26M in agency work since I've been at it, I firmly believe working from a place of rest (not hustle) IS possible—and I want the same for you. Words matter. Best be sure they work (and oui, with math) ... and know how to party while they're at it. 

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Reading time: 8 min.

Have you recently ghosted your email list? This is a safe space, you can tell me. 😉 Listen, it happens—no need to panic! I’ve created a 3 part email sequence series to win back that click. I’m sharing email copywriting tips along with email newsletter content because we all know it can feel strange trying to slide back into our audience’s email… especially after we’ve ghosted them!

By the end of this post, you’ll have an email marketing & email copywriting strategy to build back trust with your audience and let them know why they signed up to be on your email list in the first place. It’s time to REVIVE your email list!

Let’s jump in!

⬇️While you’re here, don’t forget to click here of below for your freebie: 42 subject line party starter templates! ⬇️

email subject line swipe file-ashlyn writes


 

No. 1

3 Part Email Newsletter Sequence

I want you to use a clean and organized three-part email sequence funnel, which I’m gonna call these *really* silly descriptors—you’ll see why.

#1 The Not-Cousin-Eddie

#2 The Oprah

#3The Gatsby Email

Okay, here is my overall philosophy on emailing your list if it is been awhile—don’t make it weird. Picture “Christmas Vacation”. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know Cousin Eddie. He’s the weird comedic relief, uncle character in the movie. He barges in, a little bit tipsy, causes all sorts of ruckus, eyebrows raise. He leaves the family wondering, “Who is this guy? How are we related again?” I don’t want you to be that, zooming back into inboxes, making it weird, giving them the feeling of “when did I sign up for this person’s emails?”. So this is how we are going to make sure that doesn’t happen!

“The Not-Cousin-Eddie”—that’s a very quick “who I am again” email. We’re gonna give them some killer value and give them an out if they’re really not interested.

Battle Title GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

“The Oprah email”— We’re gonna give them your absolute best, things that you’re consuming lately, tools that you’re loving. It’s like inviting them to come and sit on the couch with you for a minute.

“The Gatsby”— We’re gonna toast to them. Give them a free invitation, a coupon code, free shipping, something to express your gratitude for them. They stuck with you.

Leonardo Dicaprio GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Okay, now you know the three emails that I want you to have in this sequence. My next tip is number two, I want you to keep your explanation short and sweet.

<< Related: Write Better Newsletters: 5 Ways to Get People to Read Your Emails >>

 

No. 2

Keep your Explanation Short and Sweet

So basically, we don’t wanna over-explain why you’ve been MIA, and I’m gonna give you an email copywriting swipe for this. The other week I was at my friend Amber’s event, the Blooming Grove Live, and I was leading a round table discussion. People are coming up to my table and asking all sorts of email copywriting questions, and this one came up a lot which is why I was excited to share about it. What I told them is in this campaign, in this email sequence, you don’t want to over-explain and apologize for why you’ve been MIA. We’ve got to flip things and help them understand what’s the value for them. That’s rule number one in copywriting is everybody’s reading things, thinking “Okay, but what’s in this for me?”

So like I said, I wanna give you a little copy swipe template that you can use.⬇️

email copy swipe file-ashlynwrites

This is about how long this should be. You’ll see it’s pretty short and sweet.

This is The Copy Party Starter. If you’re a service provider, a great way that you can frame this is, these are some of the tools and resources that you’ve created for your clients. You wanted to bring them to your subscribers as well. And so, *zhuszch*, change them a little bit because they’re not deliverables. But you can give them those kind of tools.

Maybe give them a VIP seat, let them understand what it would be like to be a client of yours. This can also subtly seed. People do pay you for what you do. In this email, our overall goal is not being weird and we just want to come in with lots of value and remind them why you’re there.

I also recommend letting them know you’re gonna offering up some kind of sweet deal or offer like extending a friendship bracelet to them in the coming days. And that would absolutely remind them what they signed up to hear from you about. So, you’re the “what” girl or guy for them.

The Parent Trap GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

You may also need to include a PS in this email that points them back to their original freebie or download or opt in that they use to get on this list if it’s been a while.

Overall here, keep that copy minimal because the goal is for them to actually use the resources and the tools that you’re sending along.

<< Related: How to Write Better Emails: My PROVEN Email Newsletter Formula >


No. 3

Make Unsubscribing Super Obvious

Tip number three, make unsubscribing super-duper obvious. If unsubscribing is hard to find, that will just tick people off—you will not be making any friends that way. It definitely needs to be in the footer copy of any email that you send out to adhere to CAN-SPAM law.

I’ve found in an email sequence like this, when it’s been a minute, it can even be that much more of an olive branch extension if you put it right there in the body copy of the email saying “if you don’t want to hear it from me anymore, click here to unsubscribe”. Same link as the one in the footer.

Okay, quick recap so far:

☑️ You know your three-part email sequence

☑️ You have that first email short and sweet with a roundup of useful tools or content that you’ve created.

☑️ You’ve made that unsubscribe link very clear for them.

Next up: Reinforce your value.


No. 4

Last Email: Reinforce You are Valuable

We’re talking about emails two and three in this series. More gifts, more presents. Like Oprah invites people to come sit on her couch or like she did when the TV show is on, that’s what we’re doing in email, too—it’s more intimate. 

Make sure in this email, they’ve definitely connected the dots and understand that this point who you are and why they first started subscribing to you. The rest of the email, just share really valuable tools, resources you’ve enjoyed lately, or tools or things that are on your desk right now. You can mix your stuff in there, but let’s think about it. >>>

That first email, you are shilling your links and content that you’ve created. And then the last email of this series, we’re gonna be doing that, too. So here is your break to talk up other businesses or tools on your desk. Yes, you can throw in some links to things that you have done, but we want to help reinforce the idea that you just share killer content—you don’t care where it comes from. You’re gonna be valuable in their inbox no. matter. what.

<< Related:9 Strategic Ways to Send Better Emails to Your List >>

There is a section in Anne Handley’s weekly fortnight email that I love. She just shares stuff she’s enjoying, and it is always helpful for me. She’s a writer, I’m a writer. That’s why I’m on her list. But that’s what I mean. I’m gonna put up a little example of a recent email from her, but this is the kind of content I’m talking about. So valuable.

Then for the final email, like I said, you’re gonna get back in the saddle of selling your own stuff or reminding them that you do what you do for a price. I’m calling it The Gatsby though ’cause we’re essentially channeling this GIF >>

Leonardo Dicaprio GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

I want you to just serve it up complimentary. 

Maybe you wanna do that with a coupon code or free shipping. You wanna invite them to a masterclass or something completely on the house or give them a massive discount to one of your products. Really trying to soften the blow of completely ghosting them for a while. Now we’re trying to slide back in with regular content, and there you go.

Those three emails have reminded them of what you do and what your value is. And now you can add them back onto your regular weekly or bi-weekly or monthly newsletter campaign.

**But, here is the kicker. You can’t forget again. You’ve already forgotten once. Sooooo, don’t do it twice. They will lose trust with you.**


No. 5

Don’t worry about unsubscribes

Tip number five, don’t worry about unsubscribes. You are gonna get unsubscribes on a campaign like this. If you get weird about that number, then reframe it in your head. No, it doesn’t always mean people hate you. It may just mean they’re in a different stage in their customer or client life cycle than they were when they first signed up for emails from you.

Maybe they needed your content at that time in their life, and they are just not there anymore. They’re in a different phase and they don’t need this type of value and content in their lives. That’s okay.

<< Related:6 Steps to Clean Up Your Email List Subscribers >>

I talk about cleaning up your list a lot. Otherwise, it’s just dead weight. So, it’s okay. I meant it when I said you actually need to keep showing up though if you do this once because we want them to now trust you that you said you’re gonna show up, and you’re gonna show up. So be sure to watch this video that I have right here, I’m taking you through an entire year’s worth of email marketing ideas you can use. 


Okay, there you go. Put on your best pump-up jam, crank out this series, or just swipe from The Copy Bar shop our template for this. You can for your own business and *zhuszch* for  your own brand voice. Bottom line, don’t worry if it’s been a hot minute since you’ve sent out an email newsletter to your email list. Follow this tips and strategies I talked through in today’s video to win back that click from your audience. Comment below with any questions that you may have as well. If you need help analyzing your email metrics after you get this campaign out, be sure to watch this video I’ve got teed up for you next!


email subject iine swipe file-ashlynwrites

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Reading Time: 7 Minutes Reading time: 8 min. Have you recently ghosted your email list? This is a safe space, you can tell me. 😉 Listen, it happens—no need to panic! I’ve created a 3 part email sequence series to win back that click. I’m sharing email copywriting tips along with email newsletter content because we all know it […]

8/27/21

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