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Date:
February 11, 2019

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: 5 min.

“Funnel.” It’s uh, kinda a sexy word in marketing these days. Amen?

But … what if I told you there’s one sales funnel I’d tell you to put in place as you kick your creative business into gear? Or, one sales funnel that—even if you’ve already got it locked-and-loaded, you need to be taking a good look at at least quarterly, revisiting to assess what’s going on?

The most important funnel your business needs (besides your basic inquiry funnel, which I talk about a lot over here)? If you haven’t already guessed, your welcome sequence.

Clink! This is the champagne toast into your business. And that’s what I’m talking about today.

The Most Important Email Funnel Your Business Needs - Ashlyn Writes Copywriting

Now, okay, you hear me that it’s important, but if you don’t have one set up—or heck, even if you do, maybe it’s time to revisit it.

Learning about your business and subscribing is when your reader/follower/client/customer is most excited and “into” what you do. We love (or get nervous about!) email copywriting because it’s a bit more intimate than website copywriting … email is an invitation into our living rooms, our personal space.

And maybe that means that a few fears are creeping in.

So as we talk about this all-important funnel, let’s dig into the 3 fears I hear about welcome sequences. My goal is to combat those with truths + one action step to get you rolling.


After you tune into the video, don’t forget I have a whole shop item and template packet to help you out here—the AW Shop Welcome Sequence Prep School is a 5-part email copy swipe file template, plus video starter kit to get a welcome sequence set up in Convertkit. Click here to check it out … and either way, I hope today’s video and blog are a helpful resource for ya!

ConvertkitTrial_LeadGraphic


Welcome Sequence Funnel Fear No. 1: “I’m going to annoy people.”

Let’s talk about a real-life situation I experienced so you can see what I mean. I recently purchased a t-shirt from Live Action, a pro-life organization I wanted to donate to. I got my thank you email, and—drumroll—I was also put on their welcome sequence.

The past few days, I’ve gotten emails that answered the big question I was ultimately dealing with:

“How can I get info and ideas to help support this cause I believe in? What exactly do I do next?

The email sequence has done just that—loaded me up with insight and tangible tips I didn’t even realize I needed.

That’s what a good welcome sequence does.

You’ve had the same experience, right? You know how there’s email newsletter you’ve gotten that you didn’t mind because you SIGNED UP for those tips? That’s the magic.

If someone raises their hand to learn from you, it’s your job to show up and do that! Well-timed emails are the name of the game.

As far as length, it doesn’t matter length as long as the content is good. People are so afraid of sending too many emails, but as long as you’re helping, it’s ok—I’ve drafted 6-month “welcome” sequence funnels for clients, and 5-email sequences for clients. I think 5 is a great starter (and my Welcome Sequence Prep School will tell you what those 5 emails should be).

My client Desiree Hartsock—rose ceremony fans may recognize that name from ABC’s The Bachelorette—designs wedding gowns. See how her email helps provide the goods for her dream customers and followers? It’s not focused on how to “do what Des does”—so many creatives think to start with email marketing, you have to educate other creatives. NOT. If anything, there’s a gaping whole in B2C welcome sequences in the creative industry, but that’s a soapbox for another day, wink.

DesHartstock_WelcomeEmail

Action step:

Plot out your welcome sequence length. Again, lean on that AW Shop resource if you need more support or don’t know where to start, but don’t stop yourself at 5—build a longer nurture sequence if you’d like to!


Welcome Sequence Funnel Fear No. 2: “I don’t have anything to say—or I can’t commit to emailing regularly.”

When it comes to figuring out what to say, let’s hit this with two prongs: first of all, you have to commit. 😉 Watch the video for my story and suggestion there! Part 2? Data mining is essential—start with your audience.

My Copywriting for Creatives™ students know, but if you spend intensive time figuring out what your followers are following you for, I believe you’ll find yourself sitting on a mountain of ideas to talk about.

Emails that add more value. Talking to your customer, ideal clients, or followers decides everything for you.

Now, I’m trying to keep this more CUSTOMER focused, but realize here that the point of your welcome sequence is to inch readers further along in the conversion journey to becoming one of your clients or customers. It will also help you tee yourself up to send them more relevant content down the road, like launches, products, or offers that you’d like to offer—think all that through when picking what to write about.

Here’s another quick client example: when I was drafting SC Stockshop’s  welcome sequence, we piece in videos and blogs that would help coach a reader to use Shay’s stock imagery.

SCStockshop Welcome Email

Action step:

Add something interactive. You could add a video, link to a blog, or ask them to reply. This signals the email service provider that they want your emails to arrive in their inbox.


Welcome Sequence Funnel Fear No. 3: “The tech freaks me out!”

Heard. My go-to here is ConvertKit, which I explain a bit more in the video.

Testing is everything. There’s no one right answer when it comes to email marketing—what works for one business won’t work for another and that’s ok! Best practices are pooled ignorance at times: what works for me won’t work for you won’t work for her, so on and so forth.

What does that mean for you?

Test everything! Along the way, try different subject lines, different platforms, different call-to-actions (that interactive piece I talked about in fear number 2) to see what works.

Inside that Welcome Sequence Prep School, I give away all my cards and show you behind-the-scenes of setting up a welcome sequence in ConvertKit—that’s the tool I recommend for creatives between about 100 and 20K subscribers (again, explained a bit more in the YouTube!).

I promise the tech is easier than you think.

ConvertKit is my pick, because when I was first starting to transition from a world of Delta Air Lines email marketing campaigns to my OWN small business, I needed to learn the tech. Their chat support and help made it so simple.

Action Step:

Test with Glock Apps. I’m not an affiliate or anything for this website, but they offer a fab free testing service so you can ensure your fancy-pants emails aren’t getting stuck in email limbo (aka spam).


Voila! If you want to dig more into this, hop over to my shop where you can download my welcome sequence template—you don’t even need to figure out the copy here. I’ve done that for you, just plug and play with the 5-part welcome sequence.

You’re going to have to put your personality in it, and write it for YOUR specific reader: no one knows your offer, your story, your brand, your process, or your audience like you. If you can take this template as a creative blueprint to flesh out with your unique brand, tying in that time you planned corporate events for NASCAR (like one of my clients!) or that time you left your lens at home and had to race to grab it, go for it.

Reading Time: 6 Minutes Reading time: 5 min. “Funnel.” It’s uh, kinda a sexy word in marketing these days. Amen? But … what if I told you there’s one sales funnel I’d tell you to put in place as you kick your creative business into gear? Or, one sales funnel that—even if you’ve already got it locked-and-loaded, you need […]

2/11/19

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