Get Your Welcome Sequence Done Today
Ready to get your gorgeous artwork into the hands of dreamy collectors but not sure how to get started nurturing Instagram followers and casual website visitors into paying customers?
I’ve got the answer for ya! It’s email!
Making your newsletter irresistible for your ideal customers and then nurturing them into adoring fans is not as difficult as you think. But instead of simply cold-turkey adding them into your regular newsletter, take a little time to give them a red-carpet welcome into your world.
Here’s how you can get your Email Welcome Sequence done today.
(Quick! Before Instagram goes down… yet again!)
Benefits of a welcome sequence.
Glitches happen and people get sent to Facebook/Instagram jail for no reason all the time. You want to make sure that if social media is down for you, you’re not gonna sweat it. I’ve talked about this before over here.
Engaged email subscribers are next-level invested in your brand. When done right, they’re the ones who will be taking action when you ask them to.
You can reach a deeper level of connection with people who really care to hear what you have to say! They’ve opted in to hear from you. They’ve given you access to their inbox. They deserve to be cared for and nurtured.
With enough time, when you’re ready to launch a new collection, service, or product, a well-nurtured email list will help you make more money.
No nasty algorithm to crack! No throwing money away boosting social media posts! You won’t have to scramble next time Instagram decides to switch things up on you! And if you want to see the fastest way to make $20 disappear into thin air (while at the same time tanking your reach), try paying to boost a post. Facepalm. I’ve done it. It’s not cute.
Characteristics of a Welcome Sequence.
It’s evergreen. That means, it’s good year-round and doesn’t contain any seasonality to it. Unless you’re in launch mode, then you’ll replace your welcome sequence with launch emails… but that’s a whole other story.
The rule of one: one goal. One person. One email.
Offer value always.
Written in your brand voice as if you’re writing to a friend.
There’s not a specific length that works for everyone. Make them as long as they need to be to convey the message and nurture the desired outcome.
Usually, 5 emails make a well-rounded welcome sequence. But if you’re new, 1-2 are ok.
Welcome emails are usually spaced out 1-3 days. Some even suggest following the Fibonacci sequence, but I’m not sure why. Make sure you send the first one right after they join your newsletter.
Before you even get started, there are a few things you need to nail down.
Realize that your work is not for everyone and start speaking to one person: your ideal customer. These are people for who your work is ideal... The ones who are primed to jump onboard and will become adoring collectors with a little nurturing.
Know your audience as well as you know yourself. Who are they? What are they looking for with regards to your business? Why are YOU the perfect investment for them?
Get clear on the journey you want to curate for them. What emotions do you want to nurture? What is the promise you can make to them?
What can you offer them that’s of absolute value to them and gets them hooked on you? Once you know the needs and desires of your ideal customer, think of what freebie you can make for them in exchange for access to their inbox. Make this freebie irresistible, value-packed, and worth the while. A free shipping code? A printable? A screen wallpaper? Start thinking about something that helps them link your work/brand to their lives.
Brainstorm a bunch of stories you can tell… usually, educational, entertaining, informational, or inspirational stories are great! Read them aloud and ask yourself if you’d like to receive and read an email like the one you just wrote. Better yet, ask a friend!
Now that you have your irresistible offer nailed down, and have quite a few insights into the minds and hearts of your ideal customer, let’s tackle that welcome sequence once and for all.
Here are 6 email ideas for your welcome sequence
Deliver your freebie. Make this email short and sweet and to-the-point. Send them the goodie you promised… usually via a link.
Take a stand, express your unique approach, or make them a promise… but in a way that’s super relevant to them.
Ask them to self-segment, which means, asking them to click a link that will put them in a certain segment based on what they’re interested in. This is especially important for those who have more than one audience, for example: collectors and art students.
Give a little taste of your story. Bonus points if you’ve been featured somewhere or have some sort of trust-building muscle to flex: ex: A podcast or magazine feature or list of famous collectors. Or just ask them to follow you on social media. Or to hit reply and answer a question.
Offer more value. Is there anything else you can offer them that they’ll love? Perhaps you’ve got a list of popular blog posts you’ve written, or more freebies? They’re your people, love on them and serve up the good stuff.
Remind your subscribers that you’ve got something for sale. Whether its a collection of prints or original artwork, or commissions. Choose something you’d like to “pitch” them after 3-4 emails… near the end of your welcome sequence.
But before you go work on your welcome sequence, do a quick vibe check on your current email marketing software. Is it beautiful? Easy to use? And functional? If not, consider switching to an email marketing platform that’s easy to use and not intimidating. I recommend Flodesk to my clients all the time.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small kickback (for my art supply fund) at no extra cost to you. I only share about companies that I pay for or truly believe in.
And if you’re really stuck on your welcome sequence, make sure you check out my VIP Day offer.
You. Me. And your digital to-do’s for one day.
