3 Steps to Planning Your Emails

When clients come to me for help with email marketing, there are a few common phrases I hear. “I haven’t emailed my list in forever”, “I have too much on my plate”, or “I have no idea what I’m supposed to say in my emails”. So, what do you do? You could skip emailing your list, but that means you just missed an opportunity to warm and sell. Or you could write a random email just to put something out there, but it likely won’t return any results.

What I recommend is using a better system for planning. With the right planning strategy, you can have 30+ days of email content laid out, knowing that you’ll be showing up with purpose, making sales, and connecting with your audience. Let’s talk about the three steps to planning your emails.

#1 Look at the Big Picture

Whether you are mapping out a month or a quarter, you want to start with your goals and data. Think about what you want to achieve in your business. For example, you may have a certain revenue goal in mind, or you plan to launch a new service. You should also note any holidays or sales you want to participate in. In Q4, for example, you’d need to think about Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In Q2, you might think about the transition into summer.

Then, look at your data. What sells well this type of year? What email content performed well last year? Where is your email engagement currently? What messaging resonates this time of year? Instead of guessing what people want to hear or what you should talk about, let the data guide you.

#2 Create a Road Map for Your Emails

Now that you have your goals in mind, it’s time to map things out. I recommend sending at least one email a week. If you need to do less, okay. But that should be the goal you aim for to stay top of mind and consistently make sales.

Get out your calendar and note which days you’ll send emails on. Then, identify whether the email would be a nurture email, build email, or income-generating. The CTA and intention behind the email change as the type of email changes.

🤝 Nurture email - The main CTA is typically to some type of long-form content. And the intention is to create a connection, share a relevant story, build on your expertise, etc. Essentially, you’re building trust and connection. You can, and often will, sell in these emails. But it’s not your main CTA.

🏗️ Build email - The CTA of this email looks a lot like the nurture email. It’s usually going to a type of long-form content, or it may be to a webinar or waitlist. The intention behind it is very specific, though. You are building toward an income-generating event, such as a launch. You’re getting your audience aware, prepped, and ready.

💸 Income-generating - The CTA of this email is to purchase something, whether that be your course or a low-ticket digital product. Launches, sales, and promotions are also income-generating. The intention with these emails is to make money.

#3 Get Specific on Your Emails

Lastly, you want to get specific. So far we’ve charted when we will send emails, what kind of emails we’ll send, and how frequently, but now we need to determine what these emails will actually talk about. Here is where your goals for the month / quarter come into play.

I like to start with any launches, promotions, or sales. I map out those emails (ie., introduction, objection busters, FAQs, etc.), then I plan emails backward. What does my audience need to know before we get to this launch or sale? What will prepare them for a purchase?

If you don’t have a launch or promotion coming, then it’s time to look at your data. What best-sellers do you need to talk about? What messaging or topics perform well this time of year? You’ll come back to the same products or offers again and again throughout your 30 or 90 day plan for multiple touchpoints.

If this feels overwhelming to do on your own, book an Email Strategy Session! We’ll sit down for a 60 minute 1:1 call to disucss your goals and map out your content. You’ll walk away with a full content calendar, so you know excactly what to say in your emails to maixmize conversions and engagement!

Hey, I’m Branda! I’m an email marketing and funnel strategist for digital sellers and course creators who want to build lists that actually buy. Let’s warm your subscribers and turn your email list into your #1 sales tool.

Want to work together?

I’m currently accepting new clients for funnel builds, strategy sessions, and email retainers.