How to Set Up an Email Funnel

In the past, we’ve talked about the importance of collecting customer and prospect emails in order to implement an email marketing campaign, but we really didn’t get into the tricks of the trade.

The truth is, regardless of whether or not you are collecting email addresses, if you aren’t segmenting and setting up funnels, then you are setting your business up for failure. Why? Well, let’s break it down.

Segmenting

Having a one size fits all list sounds great because you won’t have to spend a lot of time setting it up, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that it’s a terrible idea.

Think about it…your customers already purchased from you, so they don’t want to have the same products pitched to them over and over again. Leads don’t care about product support if they haven’t purchased any products. Affiliates are on your side and don’t need to receive any communication unless it helps them sell more of your product.

AWeber makes it easy to transfer clients from a prospect list to a customer list, but you’ve got to make sure you set up each list first. Since previous customers make are the easiest to convert, having a list of customers for each product allows you to pitch other products without being redundant.

Creating an email list for affiliates and other marketing elements allows you to send out product and system specific information without giving it away to everyone else. The last thing you want is a situation in which you tell your customers that they could have saved 50% by signing up as an affiliate.

However, if you create a list for post-purchase affiliates, then you can offer money to your customers for bringing you leads.

Funnels

So you’ve got an email, what’s next? That’s where a lot of people go wrong. Rather than create a funnel, they rely on sporadic emails sent manually, which means that no one is ever on the same page. Although some emails need to be sent manually, you are far better off setting up funnels and systems for new leads, customers, and marketers.

This is especially important for prospects, so that you can warm them up by offering free content. Once they trust your information, whether it be text, audio, or video, then they will be much more likely to buy something.

If you have a new customer, then it might help to have an email series that educates them on how to use the product and who to contact if they need help.
For affiliates, you might want to create a 5 to 10 step training course that teaches them the best way to sell your products.

There isn’t any set rule when it comes to timing, but generally you don’t want to email every day. You’re best served by sending them every 3-5 days, unless you are trying to build hype for a product launch.

I like to set up 2-3 months of emails, usually about 20-30 in total, so that I can be assured that every new lead goes through the same process. Not only does this make your job easier, but it’s also necessary for analyzing metrics.

If you don’t have an email campaign, then you’ll need to educate yourself fast so that you can take advantage of that great blog or website and make it work as hard as it should be. If you need help, send us an email for a free consultation and we’ll talk about the best way to get you set up for success.

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