4 Different Types Of Marketing Email messages that every course creator needs To Be Educated
The webinar on email marketing in conjunction with ConvertKit a few weeks ago was so well-loved that we asked them to return to create more content for you. This article Val Gleiser shows us 4 types of emails that every online course designer should know about to convert subscribers into customers. Take it away, Val!
In this post, you will find not merely a summary of the four types of marketing emails, but a detailed plan of how to get it done. At the end of this article, you'll be armed and ready to tackle your next launch sequence, and see your marketing strategies change from boring to glamorous quickly.
Trust & Desire
What was the last time you purchased anything from a person whom you didn't feel safe? Probably never (or at least incredibly rarely). The trust factor is an essential component of every relationship, and your relationship with your prospective customers isn't any more or less. Before you can sell anything, it's time to build trust.
Trust building may be a slightly longer game therefore it's time to think in advance. If you run in guns blazing with a "YOU are totally safe with me because I'm telling you I'm TRUSTWORTHY OKAY SO BUY MY course, PLEEEEEAAASEEEEE" This is, um no way to go. The length of your campaign and the sales strategy, it could be anywhere between 3-5 (or maybe more) emails of trust building in your launch sequence.
We'll use Nathan Barry's work Authority to illustrate. Authority, if you aren't aware, is a guide on how to self-publish an ebook. It's a fantastic instance because Nathan isn't only selling an ebook through Authority but he also has the entire set of services, including videos, tutorials, and even interviews. Do you recognize the name? Yes, Nathan's "ebook" is actually a full-fledged course. However, let's get started by reading the text.
If you're in the market for Authority, Nathan offers a FREE chapter download on the sale page.
In that signup, there's an option to check a box that will give you the free 30 day email sequence for writing and earning money of a self-published novel. The likelihood is high that if you're intrigued enough by Authority to download the free chapter, you also want to be part of the sequence.
Let me tell you the most important thing I'm going to let you in on right now: inside that 30 day sequence, you will see the complete sale process for Authority. Ready to see how Nathan can make it happen? Let's take a look:
Are you more likely purchase from a person who is willing to share their hard-earned knowledge for free?
Pitch Pitch
As you're creating your email sequence to sell the course that you've been working for, it only makes sense to actually pitch it. If you aren't marketing your course, it's an enjoyable pastime. To make a money from your courses, you'll want to sell to your mailing list, and this part of your sequence is the place it happens.
The trick here is to not make it what I call a "ShamWOW selling pitch". What I mean by that is it's your job in this email to talk about your program, describe the contents of your course, and most importantly, tell them what it is that matters to them. It's possible to do this in a number of ways using this message - Nathan offers a peek at the insides of his course by including the link to an interview with a guest within his email sequence. Trust and desire? Check. Direct pitch? Yep. This is how he wraps up the email:
Educational
At this point in your mail sequence for launching your course, you want to go back to providing an educational and valuable service. After all, if someone wants you to buy some thing from them, and you decide not to buy immediately, do you wish they never speak to you in the future? Let me use my reasoning skills in deductive ways here and assume that answer is no. The same is true for your target audience. Continue to educate and establish trust and build a desire for your audience after your hard-pitch.
Downsell
A story to begin:
About 10 minutes from my house is a swathe of retail stores located in an extremely walkable and friendly area of town. There are coffee shops, eateries, bars and condominiums. In addition to the beverages and food is several high(er) high-end boutiques. I recently visited one of my favourite of these stores just to see what was available. I was sure I would love their store and knew there was sure to be items that inspired me.
After chatting with me for about my home and personal fashion preferences, the shop's owner suggested a Mid-Century Modern Queen bed frame I didn't know I had to get. I was immediately in love and emailed images to my husband all while planning how to put it inside my Honda CR-V and get it into my own home. After having said "let me think about it" after jogging in the shop for a while before leaving, I decided to go get an iced coffee and walk through the streets a bit.
When I came back to the shop, indecisive about what I wanted to buy The owner snatched the elephant-shaped bookends. He walked over to me. "I just unpacked these and I thought you'd be thrilled with the look of them. Whatever you choose to do with your bed they will look great at home any time. And, these sheets in a bamboo-like design will be a great addition to your room, especially if you have those bookends that you have in your bedroom."
It was his right of course but I was able to have my choice made by him. I'd take the bed frame off (since I owned a very good bed in my home) then remove the elephants as well as sheets (which clearly fit quite well inside my CR-V).
So what does that in-person encounter have to do with your course sales? It was a down sell in this moment in the store proprietor, and you can do the same thing for potential buyers of your course.
If you're using a powerful marketing system for email (like ConvertKit) You'll be able to tag your customers when they go through your email sequence. You might have some people decide to purchase your program after receiving the first email, while others may make it to #6 or 7 and be wondering what they should do. Now's your chance to swoop into the sales pitch with your own unique variant of bookends and sheets.
After your launch ends you can send a discount invitation to anyone who expressed enthusiasm for your course however didn't purchase (those specifics will be displayed in tags generated via clicks within the prior emails, and after purchasing the course). You could offer a lite version of your course with more ways to pay, or an economized version of your full course.
Giving a discount could add hundreds, if not thousands, in your profit margins. Additionally, you've now built a customer out of an individual who would not have been one. In sales, the old saying is applicable: It's more effective to retain a customer than to try to create a new one.
It's safe to say that I've been an avid customer of the shop with the bamboo bookends, a ceramic elephant and printing sheets.
This is Your Time
Putting an email sequence together for your next course launch is simple right now. The outline is in place and an example. But more important, you understand the reason why it is important. With the four key elements in place - confidence and desire, pitch, education, and even downselling - your email marketing for the next class will get off to a great start. And when you see your profits rising because of your email marketing strategies, you could choose to place email at the list of favorite things for each course you start starting from this point onwards.
Val Geisler is a yogi, mom, military wife as well as a devoted podcast listener. Val is obsessed with sharing and creating content that actually makes a difference in the world by connecting with friends on the blog, and doing more with less effort.