convertkit email automation

Steal my Systems Part 2

Disclaimer: This post includes an affiliate link to ConvertKit but please know I only recommend products I use and love myself.  If you haven’t heard one of the previous 1000 times I have said it, I’ll say it again…. Email is crucial to your online marketing efforts. For a few key reasons: 1. You own your list (no social media platform can take it from you) 2. You can guarantee that a good proportion of the time that your subscribers will have the option to actually read what you send (no nasty algorithm’s 3. Your messages are waiting in their inbox when they access it next (and not miss out if they don’t happen to check social media that day) But, let’s face it, email is getting a bad reputation these days. Our inboxes are flooded more than ever before.  And many of those emails are just flat out smarmy. So how do we use this key strategy without just adding another loud, shouty voice in the mix and feel like we are selling our soul in the process? In this post, I’m going to share some of the practical ways I use ConvertKit email automation to make email that little bit more personal. By using their tagging features, you can do some powerful things without too much thinking after it is set up. ConvertKit is my email provider of choice due to this feature set. But if you use another email provider, please still read on as you should be able to apply some of the ConvertKit email automation principles taught here.

But first, the most important thing is…. Value

Providing value is what will get people to open your emails and avoid that unsubscribe button (if they are the right audience for you). Value doesn’t just mean monetary offers. In fact, it should not mean this the majority of the time. Value means providing something that informs, inspires or entertains your subscribers. Something that makes them interested in seeing what you are saying next. You are either helping them solve a problem, putting a smile on their face or connecting with them on a real level. The great thing about email is that you can be much more personal. Some things you might not feel quite as comfortable sharing on a public forum like your blog or your social media accounts might find it’s place in email as it can help establish real connection. So remember through all of this, think Value first.

Getting Email Addresses

The most effective way to do this is to create an “opt-in incentive”. Something like a pdf checklist or workbook or webinar that you give in exchange for their email address. In ConvertKit, it is simple to create as many different forms and opt-in’s as you like. Unlike something like MailChimp, you don’t have to create a separate list of subscribers for every single freebie you have. Instead, they all go to one common list (and therefore you only pay for them once). When you set up the form, it is good practice to ensure the double opt-in is turned on. This ensures that any dodgy or misspelled emails are excluded and that only people who want to be on your email list give their permission. In Australia, it is actually a requirement to have a double opt-in under spam laws. But the great thing about ConvertKit is that you can set it up in a way so that that confirmation email can also double up as the download email too – so they don’t need to wait for a second email to hit their inbox before they get their freebie. Simply change the text on the button to “confirm & download” and upload the file to be downloaded directly from here when they do.

Sending a Welcome Sequence

Once someone has signed up to a particular form you can subscribe them to a welcome sequence of emails. This is where you can give an introduction to your business, why you do what you do and how you can serve them. You can also include emails that give them extra surprise value in the form of additional content or downloads. This welcome sequence serves the purpose of introducing yourself and your business to them. It is where you can let them know the essential, basic information. This can be why what you provide is really important. Or it can be teaching them the very foundations that they need to know to get the best understanding out of the rest of the content you provide. Yes, at some point you do mention what you offer – after all how will they buy from you if they don’t even know what they can get. But it doesn’t have to be a 20 part sales funnel sequence. In ConvertKit email automation, you can link multiple forms to the one welcome sequence. This means that if someone requests multiple freebies they will only go through this sequence once.  

The Power of Tagging

Tagging is where ConvertKit email automation truly shines as you can easily segment your audience by adding tags to them based on the specific actions that audience member takes. 1. You can tag them based on which downloads they have requested access to. This means you can see which topics they are most interested in and therefore you can send emails for a promotion just to people who are interested in a certain topic rather than everyone on your list. It also means you can easily see what the more popular topics are. 2. You can tag those who click certain links so you know who is actually interested in a certain service, product or offer so you can either follow up with a personal email or with another automated promotional sequence.One way I have used this before in the past is that in their first welcome email I have asked a question about what they are interested in knowing more about. Each answer links to a different thank you page on my website. Once they click it, they automatically get sent extra value and information tailored to their specific request, in addition to providing me with valuable data. It’s the “choose your own adventure” of email 3. You can tag those who purchase a particular product or service from you. This means you can then provide some amazing customer service with a custom follow up sequence – either with helpful tips on how to use their purchase, requests for testimonials, feedback & user generated content, an upsell or a reminder the next time they should be ready to buy. All totally automatically.In addition, this tag can also trigger an “unsubscribe” from any further promotional emails for that item you can tag those who haven’t opened an email of yours in 90 days so you can stop sending emails to people who just aren’t interested. 4. You can tag those who haven’t opened an email of yours in 90 days so you can stop sending emails to people who just aren’t interested. The list goes on. In the end, it is all about only sending emails to the portion of your email list that is most likely interested in that topic or promotion – not everyone on your list because you only have a choice between all or nothing!

Regular Emails

Running in the background, it is also important to send regular email updates – usually called newsletters but that term is a massive turn off. These can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly but the important part is that you send them. This is essential as if the only time you ever email your list is when they first sign up or when you have a promotion, then they will get pretty annoyed and unsubscribe (or worse, stay subscribed but never read anything). Email is about nurturing them. It is about building a relationship with them. It helps deliver your content regularly so that you build that all important know, like and trust factor. Plus, if you are providing extra value, insights or stories people will actually want to read your emails so that when you do send a promotion they will open those too. And, if you are really excited, you can create different broadcasts for different tags! If you want more email marketing tips, including a larger comparison of ConvertKit email automation and MailChimp email automation, you can read a range of blog posts on the topic here.