Your Email List Is Worthless (Until You Do This)
"I have 2,000 email subscribers!"
Great. How much money have they made you?
"Well... I send a newsletter sometimes..."
So zero. Got it.
Here's the truth: An email list without a sequence is just a database of people ignoring you.
The Economics of Email Done Right
Average email marketing ROI: $36 for every $1 spent
That's 3,600% return. Nothing else comes close.
But here's the thing. That's the AVERAGE. Some people get $0. Some get $100 per dollar.
The difference? The sequence.
The 5-Email Welcome Sequence
When someone joins your list, they're at peak interest. You have about 48 hours before they forget you exist.
Here's exactly what to send:
Email 1: The Delivery (Immediately)
Subject: Here's your [thing they signed up for]
Content:
- Deliver what you promised (lead magnet, discount, whatever)
- Set expectations ("Over the next few days, I'll share...")
- One line about who you are
- CTA: Use/read what you sent
Length: Short. 100 words max.
Email 2: The Story (Day 1)
Subject: Why I started [your business]
Content:
- Your origin story (problem you faced)
- The transformation you experienced
- Why you do what you do now
- CTA: Reply and tell me about your situation
This email builds connection. People buy from people they relate to.
Email 3: The Value Bomb (Day 2)
Subject: The #1 mistake [audience] makes with [topic]
Content:
- The common mistake
- Why it's so damaging
- What to do instead
- Quick win they can implement today
- CTA: Quick tip or resource
This email proves you know your stuff.
Email 4: The Proof (Day 4)
Subject: How [Client] went from [bad state] to [good state]
Content:
- Client's starting situation
- What they tried before
- What you did together
- The results (specific numbers)
- CTA: See more case studies / Book a call
This email shows you get results.
Email 5: The Offer (Day 5)
Subject: Ready to [achieve desire]?
Content:
- Recap the problem and solution
- Present your offer clearly
- What's included
- What results to expect
- The price (with context on value)
- Strong CTA with deadline or scarcity
This email makes the sale.
The Psychology Behind Each Email
Email 1: Fulfill the promise. Build trust.
Email 2: Create emotional connection.
Email 3: Establish authority.
Email 4: Provide social proof.
Email 5: Convert interest to action.
Skip any step, and conversion drops dramatically.
The Numbers From Real Campaigns
Our client's sequence performance:
Email 1: 65% open rate, 45% click rate
Email 2: 52% open rate, 12% reply rate
Email 3: 48% open rate, 28% click rate
Email 4: 44% open rate, 18% click rate
Email 5: 42% open rate, 8% conversion rate
8% of list converts to paying customers.
With a $200 service, a 500-person list = $8,000 from one sequence.
That sequence runs forever. New subscriber? Same sequence. Automatic revenue.
The Subject Lines That Get Opens
Your sequence is worthless if nobody opens.
What works:
- Numbers: "The 3-step system..."
- Questions: "Are you making this mistake?"
- Curiosity: "This surprised me..."
- Specificity: "How Sarah added $4,200/month"
What doesn't:
- "Newsletter #47"
- "Monthly update"
- "Check this out"
- ALL CAPS ANYTHING
Your Implementation Plan
- Day 1: Write Email 1 (15 minutes)
- Day 2: Write Email 2 (30 minutes)
- Day 3: Write Email 3 (30 minutes)
- Day 4: Write Email 4 (30 minutes)
- Day 5: Write Email 5 (30 minutes)
- Day 6: Set up in your email tool
- Day 7: Test and launch
One week of work. Revenue forever.
Want us to build your email sequence? We'll write, design, and automate the whole thing.
