5 Must-Have Email Sequences for Course Creators and Coaches

marketing tips Jul 25, 2022

Email marketing is a great way to connect with your ideal clients. It is still one of the most effective ways to find qualified leads and sell your offers, AND it can be completely automated.

You can build email campaigns that move your email subscribers through your sales funnel - and grow your online coaching business.

Why is email marketing so effective for online Course Creators and Coaches?

Email marketing is uniquely effective for course creators and coaches for several reasons.

Email marketing is more personalized than other forms of marketing. It allows you to build connections through brand storytelling - which is much more difficult on borrowed platforms like social media. You can create email campaigns that speak directly to your engaged audience and control the flow of content.

Email marketing allows you to share more value. It gives you the opportunity to show your target audience how they will benefit from working with you. You can share client success stories, give sneak peeks into your process, and share free resources. Adding more value to the conversation helps your potential clients take the next step.

Email marketing helps you connect with qualified leads. Anyone who signs up for your email list is already in your warm audience - they’ve already found something valuable and they’re hoping to find more. Email marketing lets you nurture that connection with email campaigns that move your email subscribers through your sales funnel.

Email marketing gives you an opportunity to connect with potential clients and sell your online course or coaching program. And your email marketing strategy can help grow your online coaching business - all you need is a high-value lead magnet and a few email sequences.

What are email sequences?

An email sequence is a coordinated series of emails that are written to convert clicks into clients. Each email in the sequence should contain valuable information, resources, or offers that make your email subscribers excited to read more. The purpose of email sequencing is to move your readers further down your sales funnel - and you do that by sharing value and creating urgency through a strategically planned email sequence.

How to write an email sequence:

Start by determining the purpose of the email sequence: retargeting a warm audience, nurturing connections through a lead magnet, promoting a special offer… Then you can start writing emails and string them together in a way that makes sense.

For example, if you want to build a connection with email subscribers you captured using a lead magnet, then you would share valuable information relevant to your lead magnet. A lead magnet email sequence is a great way to tie your lead magnet to your flagship offer and show your reader why they need to sign up for your online course or coaching program.

Just remember that email marketing is about building connections with potential clients. Not every email should be about making a sale, but every email should sell your brand story.

How long should an email sequence be?

This is a great question and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The length of your email sequence depends on the goal you’re trying to achieve. For example, a promotional email sequence would probably be much shorter than a retargeting or lead magnet email sequence. The best practice for email marketing is to prioritize building connections and structure your email sequences based on that goal.

Start by outlining the information you want to share. Then package that information into bite-sized emails. You can rearrange, add, or delete emails to create a sequence your audience needs to read.

What are the must-have email sequences for course creators and coaches?

There are a few email sequences every online coach and course creator needs to build an effective email marketing strategy. These sequences will help you build connections, nurture your audience, and convert clicks into clients.

Welcome Email Sequence - Welcome sequences are ideal for building a connection at the top of your sales funnel. A welcome email sequence should give new subscribers an inside look at what you do and who you serve. It doesn’t need to be long but it does need to share at least three bits of information - what you do, who you serve, how to find information about your services (your website, social media, blog…). Get our free welcome email sequence with copywriting prompts to help you get started!

Lead Magnet Email Sequence - Lead magnet sequences help you connect with subscribers who are already in your warm audience. Your lead magnet sequence should give subscribers more value (like sharing insider tips or free resources). This will help you find people who really need your help - and weed out the ones who will never convert. If you need help creating a high value lead magnet, Canva ebooks are a great idea. You can create one with a free Canva account using a free template, or purchase a professionally designed one like one of our Canva lead magnet templates.

Retargeting Email Sequence - Retargeting email sequences help you reconnect with a warm audience that’s no longer engaged. Your retargeting sequence should remind your subscribers of the benefits they can get from working with you. Remember, a retargeted audience should already know who you are and what you do, so this sequence is all about rekindling a connection you’ve already established. You can share free resources or even a secondary lead magnet to help your subscribers remember why they joined your email list to begin with.

Upsell Email Sequence - Upsell email sequences are ideal for targeting clients who purchased a mini course, access to a webinar, or one of your digital downloads. Your upsell sequence should show your clients how they can get even more benefits by joining your flagship coaching program or online course. It should build on the progress they’ve already made and create a desire to achieve more goals. You can share client success stories, insider looks at the benefits, and progress reports in your email sequence to upsell your offers.

Promotional Email Sequence - Promotional email sequences are perfect for sharing special offers and holiday sales with your subscribers. Your promotional sequences should create urgency and excitement about your offers. It should very clearly show how amazing the special offer is (how much money they’re saving) and how long the offer will last. You can add countdown timers and include graphics that stand out for the visual learners. Make sure to include at least two final notice emails in this sequence - one for the final two days and one for the last day.

Another really important part of email marketing is keeping your list clean. The purpose of email marketing is to build connections with potential clients and, unfortunately, not everyone who subscribes to your email list will become a client (even with a really good lead magnet). But, you can keep your email list clean by running an offboarding email sequence periodically. You just need 1-2 emails that simply ask your subscribers if they’re interested in staying on your list. It’s a win-win.

Email Marketing Templates

Email marketing templates are the perfect tool for busy entrepreneurs. Our email marketing template collections are strategically designed for online coaches and course creators. Each email marketing collection includes email sequences designed to move your audience through your sales funnel.

Each email template includes copywriting prompts to help you write emails that resonate with your target audience. Visit The Empowering Collective Shop to learn more about our email marketing templates.

Learn more about email marketing!

Check out these blogs to learn more about email marketing and how it can help you grow your online coaching business.

You can also get more email marketing tips by following us on Instagram and Pinterest!

Resources for entrepreneurs:

Try Canva Pro for free for 30 days when you sign up with our affiliate link (the standard is only 14 days)
Try Kajabi for free for 30 days to see why online coaches rave about the coaching platform
Free brand board template, free email templates, free Canva printable, and free marketing checklist

5 Must-Have Email Sequences for Course Creators and Coaches

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