4 Winning Email Sequences to Boost Your Marketing Strategy
Imagine having a marketing assistant who works for you 24/7—nurturing leads, making sales, and welcoming new clients—all without lifting a finger. Sounds like magic, right?
That’s the power of automated email sequences.
These pre-written, strategically timed emails ensure that subscribers hear from you at just the right time—without you manually hitting ‘send.’
In this post, I’ll cover the four email sequences every online business needs to connect with and sell to potential clients. Plus, I’ll share a few expert email tips to boost your marketing strategy!
Let’s get into it…
Why You Should Prioritize Email
According to Hubspot, email marketing has an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, making email one of the highest ROIs of any marketing channel.
If that weren’t enough, email is a more personal, reliable, and secure way to reach people who want to hear from you. Unlike social media, where only a small percentage of followers see your posts, emails have an average open rate of 20-30%.
Emails also convert better, are more personal, and, in my opinion, a lot more fun to write. I love reading the responses I get to my email newsletter and knowing the information I share is valued and appreciated.
What is an Email Sequence?
If you’re already sending out regular newsletters, you’re off to a great start. Newsletters can provide value and keep your subscribers engaged long-term. But here’s the thing about newsletters—you send them once, and then they’re gone.
By adding automated email sequences to your strategy, you ensure that every subscriber gets the information they need exactly when they need it (no matter when they join your list!). That’s the magic of automation.
Both newsletters and email sequences have an important place in your email marketing strategy:
Newsletters keep your audience engaged in real-time with fresh content, announcements, and promotions.
Automated sequences ensure that every subscriber receives essential emails that guide them on the next phase of their journey.
Here are four email sequences you can use to improve your email marketing strategy:
Email Sequence #1: A Welcome Sequence
Your email welcome sequence is the best opportunity you have to make a first impression. That’s why it’s the most important sequence you’ll ever write!
Unlike a one-off confirmation email, this series of automated emails is designed to introduce yourself, set expectations, and start building trust from day one. Without a welcome sequence, new subscribers can easily forget who you are and how you can help them.
What to Include:
Number of Emails: 3-5
Deliver your Freebie: If they signed up for your lead magnet, send it immediately to kick off the sequence (Pro tip: mention it in a follow-up email to make sure they received it).
Introduce Yourself: Share your story and why you do what you do.
Provide Value: Offer your best free resources to start building trust.
Set Expectations: Let them know how often you’ll be emailing and what kind of content they can expect.
Introduce your offers: Toward the end of the sequence, let people know how you can help them in a way that feels natural to you.
Email Sequence #2: A Sales Sequence
The goal of a sales sequence is pretty straightforward—encourage subscribers to buy what you’re selling. Instead of relying on one-off promotional emails, a sales sequence strategically delivers a series of emails that educate, overcome objections, and create urgency around your offer.
There are two types of sales sequences:
Live Launch Sequences: Used when you’re promoting a limited-time offer, such as a course launch or flash sale.
Evergreen Sales Sequences: Used for ongoing offers, such as services, memberships, or digital products that are always available.
The right sequence will depend on your business model and preference for how you like to sell.
What to Include:
Number of emails: 5-8
Value-Driven Education: Demonstrate the value of your offer by identifying the problem it solves and presenting it as the solution!
Overcome Objections: Address common concerns about price, time commitment, or how your offer gets results with FAQs, client success stories, or personal examples from your life.
Use Social Proof: Showcase testimonials from past customers or clients to build trust and credibility.
Urgency & Scarcity: If applicable, make sure to remind them of enrollment deadlines, limited spots, or special bonuses.
Email Sequence #3: A Re-Engagement Sequence
Not every subscriber stays engaged forever—and that’s normal. But instead of letting inactive subscribers slip away, a re-engagement sequence reminds them why they signed up (and gives them a reason to stay).
This sequence isn’t just for stale subscribers—it helps your email metrics, too.
An unengaged list hurts your deliverability and lowers the effectiveness of your marketing. By periodically re-engaging subscribers who aren’t opening your emails, you keep your list full of people who actually want to hear from you.
What to Include:
Number of Emails: 1-3 emails
“We Miss You” Email: Send to all subscribers who haven’t opened your emails for the past few months. Acknowledge their absence in a lighthearted way and invite them back with valuable, engaging content.
Exclusive Incentive (If Applicable): Consider offering a special discount or exclusive free download to reward action takers.
Final Opt-In or Opt-Out Option: If they remain inactive, give them one last chance to stay subscribed—or let them go. A simple “Click here to stay on the list” can help you remove subscribers who aren’t reading your emails.
You can also send a re-engagement sequence to your entire list if you’re the one who stopped sending emails (we’ve all been there!). I did this for my list last fall after ghosting them most of the year.
Aside from an average open rate of 42% (above average for me), 5% of readers downloaded my free resource, and I received a ton of great replies. It was 10/10 worth the effort!
Email Sequence #4: An Onboarding Sequence
This last sequence may not get as much attention as the first three, but it’s equally as important! That’s because it happens AFTER you make a sale.
An onboarding sequence is designed to welcome new clients and ensure they get the most out of your offer. This can help you proactively avoid confusion and improve your customer experience, retention, and referrals.
What to Include:
Number of emails: It varies!
Warm Welcome & Next Steps: Confirm their purchase, thank them, and outline what they should do next (like booking a call).
Login or Access Details: Provide clear instructions on how to access their account, course, or membership area (if applicable)
New Client Nurture Emails: Share tips, resources, or best practices to help them get the most out of working with you or using your product.
Support & FAQs: Address common questions, offer troubleshooting tips, and let them know how to reach you if needed.
Check-In & Request Feedback: Don’t forget to gather feedback to use as a testimonial, and help refine your process!
Quick Email Tips (From a Tech Nerd)
Automated email sequences are powerful, but to make them truly effective, you need a smart strategy behind them. Here are three expert tips to help you get the most out of your email sequences:
Segmentation:
Not every subscriber on your list is at the same stage in their journey. Segmenting your audience based on their behavior, interests, location, or purchase history allows you to send more targeted, relevant emails to the right people.
Personalization:
Most email marketing platforms allow you to personalize your emails using details like your subscribers' first names. This touch makes the emails feel more, well…personal!
Using personalization in your subject lines and body copy is a great way to grab your readers’ attention and make them feel like you’re speaking to them directly.
A/B Testing
A/B testing (or split testing) allows you to test different email formats and copy to see what resonates with your audience most. You can test subject lines to improve open rates or experiment with different CTAs to increase clicks.
Over time, this data-driven approach helps you refine your email sequences for higher conversions and better performance.
Email sequences are one of my favorite time-saving tools. By setting up these 4 strategic email sequences, you can automate a huge part of your marketing and let emails do the heavy lifting for you.
But setting up and automating everything can feel overwhelming. And that’s where BizMagic comes in!
My team and I specialize in setting up, automating, and optimizing email sequences so you can focus on what you do best—serving your clients and customers.
Click here to book a free consultation, and let’s get your next email sequence up and running…without the tech headache!
