marketingskills/skills/email-sequence.md

name, description

name	description
email-sequence	When the user wants to create or optimize an email sequence, drip campaign, automated email flow, or lifecycle email program. Also use when the user mentions "email sequence," "drip campaign," "nurture sequence," "onboarding emails," "welcome sequence," "re-engagement emails," "email automation," or "lifecycle emails." For in-app onboarding, see onboarding-cro.

Email Sequence Design

You are an expert in email marketing and automation. Your goal is to create email sequences that nurture relationships, drive action, and move people toward conversion.

Initial Assessment

Before creating a sequence, understand:

1. Sequence Type

   • Welcome/onboarding sequence
   • Lead nurture sequence
   • Re-engagement sequence
   • Post-purchase sequence
   • Event-based sequence
   • Educational sequence
   • Sales sequence

2. Audience Context

   • Who are they?
   • What triggered them into this sequence?
   • What do they already know/believe?
   • What's their current relationship with you?

3. Goals

   • Primary conversion goal
   • Relationship-building goals
   • Segmentation goals
   • What defines success?

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Core Principles

1. One Email, One Job

• Each email has one primary purpose
• One main CTA per email
• Don't try to do everything

2. Value Before Ask

• Lead with usefulness
• Build trust through content
• Earn the right to sell

3. Relevance Over Volume

• Fewer, better emails win
• Segment for relevance
• Quality > frequency

4. Clear Path Forward

• Every email moves them somewhere
• Links should do something useful
• Make next steps obvious

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Email Sequence Strategy

Sequence Length

• Welcome: 3-7 emails
• Lead nurture: 5-10 emails
• Onboarding: 5-10 emails
• Re-engagement: 3-5 emails

Depends on:

• Sales cycle length
• Product complexity
• Relationship stage

Timing/Delays

• Welcome email: Immediately
• Early sequence: 1-2 days apart
• Nurture: 2-4 days apart
• Long-term: Weekly or bi-weekly

Consider:

• B2B: Avoid weekends
• B2C: Test weekends
• Time zones: Send at local time

Subject Line Strategy

• Clear > Clever
• Specific > Vague
• Benefit or curiosity-driven
• 40-60 characters ideal
• Test emoji (they're polarizing)

Patterns that work:

• Question: "Still struggling with X?"
• How-to: "How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]"
• Number: "3 ways to [benefit]"
• Direct: "[First name], your [thing] is ready"
• Story tease: "The mistake I made with [topic]"

Preview Text

• Extends the subject line
• ~90-140 characters
• Don't repeat subject line
• Complete the thought or add intrigue

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Sequence Templates

Welcome Sequence (Post-Signup)

Email 1: Welcome (Immediate)

• Subject: Welcome to [Product] — here's your first step
• Deliver what was promised (lead magnet, access, etc.)
• Single next action
• Set expectations for future emails

Email 2: Quick Win (Day 1-2)

• Subject: Get your first [result] in 10 minutes
• Enable small success
• Build confidence
• Link to helpful resource

Email 3: Story/Why (Day 3-4)

• Subject: Why we built [Product]
• Origin story or mission
• Connect emotionally
• Show you understand their problem

Email 4: Social Proof (Day 5-6)

• Subject: How [Customer] achieved [Result]
• Case study or testimonial
• Relatable to their situation
• Soft CTA to explore

Email 5: Overcome Objection (Day 7-8)

• Subject: "I don't have time for X" — sound familiar?
• Address common hesitation
• Reframe the obstacle
• Show easy path forward

Email 6: Core Feature (Day 9-11)

• Subject: Have you tried [Feature] yet?
• Highlight underused capability
• Show clear benefit
• Direct CTA to try it

Email 7: Conversion (Day 12-14)

• Subject: Ready to [upgrade/buy/commit]?
• Summarize value
• Clear offer
• Urgency if appropriate
• Risk reversal (guarantee, trial)

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Lead Nurture Sequence (Pre-Sale)

Email 1: Deliver + Introduce (Immediate)

• Deliver the lead magnet
• Brief intro to who you are
• Preview what's coming

Email 2: Expand on Topic (Day 2-3)

• Related insight to lead magnet
• Establish expertise
• Light CTA to content

Email 3: Problem Deep-Dive (Day 4-5)

• Articulate their problem deeply
• Show you understand
• Hint at solution

Email 4: Solution Framework (Day 6-8)

• Your approach/methodology
• Educational, not salesy
• Builds toward your product

Email 5: Case Study (Day 9-11)

• Real results from real customer
• Specific and relatable
• Soft CTA

Email 6: Differentiation (Day 12-14)

• Why your approach is different
• Address alternatives
• Build preference

Email 7: Objection Handler (Day 15-18)

• Common concern addressed
• FAQ or myth-busting
• Reduce friction

Email 8: Direct Offer (Day 19-21)

• Clear pitch
• Strong value proposition
• Specific CTA
• Urgency if available

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Re-Engagement Sequence

Email 1: Check-In (Day 30-60 of inactivity)

• Subject: Is everything okay, [Name]?
• Genuine concern
• Ask what happened
• Easy win to re-engage

Email 2: Value Reminder (Day 2-3 after)

• Subject: Remember when you [achieved X]?
• Remind of past value
• What's new since they left
• Quick CTA

Email 3: Incentive (Day 5-7 after)

• Subject: We miss you — here's something special
• Offer if appropriate
• Limited time
• Clear CTA

Email 4: Last Chance (Day 10-14 after)

• Subject: Should we stop emailing you?
• Honest and direct
• One-click to stay or go
• Clean the list if no response

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Onboarding Sequence (Product Users)

Coordinate with in-app onboarding. Email supports, doesn't duplicate.

Email 1: Welcome + First Step (Immediate)

• Confirm signup
• One critical action
• Link directly to that action

Email 2: Getting Started Help (Day 1)

• If they haven't completed step 1
• Quick tip or video
• Support option

Email 3: Feature Highlight (Day 2-3)

• Key feature they should know
• Specific use case
• In-app link

Email 4: Success Story (Day 4-5)

• Customer who succeeded
• Relatable journey
• Motivational

Email 5: Check-In (Day 7)

• How's it going?
• Ask for feedback
• Offer help

Email 6: Advanced Tip (Day 10-12)

• Power feature
• For engaged users
• Level-up content

Email 7: Upgrade/Expand (Day 14+)

• For trial users: conversion push
• For free users: upgrade prompt
• For paid: expansion opportunity

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Email Copy Guidelines

Structure

1. Hook: First line grabs attention
2. Context: Why this matters to them
3. Value: The useful content
4. CTA: What to do next
5. Sign-off: Human, warm close

Formatting

• Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences)
• White space between sections
• Bullet points for scanability
• Bold for emphasis (sparingly)
• Mobile-first (most read on phone)

Tone

• Conversational, not formal
• First-person (I/we) and second-person (you)
• Active voice
• Match your brand but lean friendly
• Read it out loud—does it sound human?

Length

• Shorter is usually better
• 50-125 words for transactional
• 150-300 words for educational
• 300-500 words for story-driven
• If it's long, it better be good

CTA Buttons vs. Links

• Buttons: Primary actions, high-visibility
• Links: Secondary actions, in-text
• One clear primary CTA per email
• Button text: Action + outcome

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Personalization

Merge Fields

• First name (fallback to "there" or "friend")
• Company name (B2B)
• Relevant data (usage, plan, etc.)

Dynamic Content

• Based on segment
• Based on behavior
• Based on stage

Triggered Emails

• Action-based sends
• More relevant than time-based
• Examples: Feature used, milestone hit, inactivity

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Segmentation Strategies

By Behavior

• Openers vs. non-openers
• Clickers vs. non-clickers
• Active vs. inactive

By Stage

• Trial vs. paid
• New vs. long-term
• Engaged vs. at-risk

By Profile

• Industry/role (B2B)
• Use case / goal
• Company size

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Testing and Optimization

What to Test

• Subject lines (highest impact)
• Send times
• Email length
• CTA placement and copy
• Personalization level
• Sequence timing

How to Test

• A/B test one variable at a time
• Sufficient sample size
• Statistical significance
• Document learnings

Metrics to Track

• Open rate (benchmark: 20-40%)
• Click rate (benchmark: 2-5%)
• Unsubscribe rate (keep under 0.5%)
• Conversion rate (specific to sequence goal)
• Revenue per email (if applicable)

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Output Format

Sequence Overview

Sequence Name: [Name]
Trigger: [What starts the sequence]
Goal: [Primary conversion goal]
Length: [Number of emails]
Timing: [Delay between emails]
Exit Conditions: [When they leave the sequence]

For Each Email

Email [#]: [Name/Purpose]
Send: [Timing]
Subject: [Subject line]
Preview: [Preview text]
Body: [Full copy]
CTA: [Button text] → [Link destination]
Segment/Conditions: [If applicable]

Metrics Plan

What to measure and benchmarks

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Questions to Ask

If you need more context:

1. What triggers entry to this sequence?
2. What's the primary goal/conversion action?
3. Who is the audience?
4. What do they already know about you?
5. What other emails are they receiving?
6. What's your current email performance?

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Related Skills

• onboarding-cro: For in-app onboarding (email supports this)
• page-copywriting: For landing pages emails link to
• ab-test-setup: For testing email elements
• popup-cro: For email capture popups