Creating Email Workflows That Nurture and Convert
Flodesk Partnership recapped, Part 2.
We like to say that email marketing is like dating.
In that…There’s nothing more annoying than giving someone your phone number and never getting a callback.
That circumstance is very similar to a poorly-crafted email marketing strategy for your leads and your business.
Don’t leave your subscribers hanging! Set the date. Bring chocolates and take them on a beautiful journey. In this piece, we show you how to do just that through a perfectly crafted email nurture sequence we call a workflow. 😉
Workflows help you deliver the right messages at the right time for your customers. But knowing how to build a truly impactful one makes all the difference.
During a recent email marketing educational series with our friends over at Flodesk, we covered some best practices behind effective email marketing workflows and automations that were guaranteed to build meaningful relationships with customers as you acquire them. If you need to get caught up, check out Part 1 here.
💡 Let’s explore FIVE key themes in building workflows that not only spark the right connection but also nurture trust and drive the best results.
01: 🖊️ The Napkin Workflow:
“Before you even touch technology, grab a pen and paper and map your customer’s journey on the nearest canvas. Even a napkin will suffice.”
Just start small, keep it simple, and capture the key points:
· What is the end goal?
· Who is this customer?
· After we deliver the lead magnet, how can we continue to build value?
What does this customer NEED from me at this point in their journey?
02:🚦Choose Your Trigger
To get any workflow churning, you need to know what will trigger the workflow based on your customer’s engagement data.
Here’s what this looks like in practice: Did they sign up to receive astrology basics from your newsletter? (Then send them down a basic educational/value-added workflow that helps them understand themselves better based on their astrology data they entered at the time they submitted the form). That means you’ll need to collect that information on the form!
Did they sign up and indicate that their favorite candle scent was warm flannel? Then take them on a cozy journey where they can visualize your candle in their home for the holidays with a special incentive to encourage them to take the next step.
Regardless how they get on your list, find a way to give the lead what they want it right away. If it’s a freebee, don’t forget to link that download in your welcome email.
FRIENDLY REMINDER: Trust converts faster than pressure.
03: 🤝 trust Converts
There’s no better way to establish trust than (you guessed it) that instant gratification of a freebie or acknowledgement. Now, our goal with the workflow is to nurture and grow that trust.
This can easily be done through a well-timed 2-3 email sequence that does the following:
💡Expands on the item they just received ⬇️
💡Tells a story (for case studies of a related product or customer testimonials) ⬇️
💡Invites engagement (click to ‘learn more’ or ‘answer our quick poll’) ⬇️
Once in the lead nurturing stage, guide them towards the first step of your core offer (paid membership, workshop, product, etc).
Workflow Pro Tip: Make sure you address any customer objections as EARLY and OFTEN as possible. Naturally, your leads will have questions before they’re ready to buy. Your primary job in the workflow is to:
Understand their main objectives and pre-emptively address them
Then, it’s to remove barriers to purchase (mitigating risk, offering a free trial, a consultation, etc). How you will do this will depend on your offer and your customer.
04: 💌 Segment for personalization:
Make every customer feel like you understand and really SEE them.
Create 2–3 workflows that speak to these specific segments (new subscribers, existing customers, inactive leads). Go beyond their first name and weave in the connective tissue based on what you know about them.
Here are some of my favorites:
🎂 Special Occasion workflows: schedule free gifts for birthdays, anniversaries or educational milestones.
💌 Re-engagement workflows: win ‘em back if you haven’t heard from them in six months or longer. But consider doing after the Holiday season to avoid the risk of damaging sender reputation. Keep in mind Google’s migration to an engagement-based inbox!
🛒 Abandoned Cart/Checkout recovery: critical for boosting conversations and getting those people back into your sequence.
➡️ Cross-Sell: Trigger a related product/service based on an initial purchase.
05: 🧪 Review & Refine
Don’t just “set it and forget it.” Watch your data like a HAWK.
Adjust your tags, timing of emails and messaging based on what the metrics tell you (open, click, engagement rates, conversion events, etc). Test and refine as you go. The smallest tweaks can make the biggest difference.
What This Means For…
Product Brands
Increasing Customer Lifetime Value
A boutique candle brand sets up a workflow that triggers when someone uses a coupon and buys their first candle. The next series of emails in a workflow share shipping and delivery information, styling inspiration or favorite places to put that scent, and finally — an upsell for a “Seasonal Set” (cross-sell) bundle that fit the original scent profile.
The goal is to increase customer lifetime value by offering them a logical next step in their purchase journey.
What This means For…
Service Brands
What’s Next?
A fitness coach creates an onboarding workflow for new clients — welcome email, prep checklist, motivational note, and a “What’s Next” session reminder. It feels personal, but it runs automatically.
Then, as part of that workflow, their new client is given specific tools or access to recipes as included in their engagement. It’s automated, valuable, and creates exceptional customer experiences.
Building great workflows can get overcomplicated when founders aren’t mapping the full journey from soup to nuts on pen and paper first. What it takes is to understand your customers’ motivations, objections, buying habits. What the workflow does is to confirm the right steps are in place, so they reach the end-result you want automatically.
Last tip: Think of one of your most popular customers, and create 2-3 different workflows on a whiteboard that fit their buying habits. Establish that end-goal first and moonwalk your way towards that ideal outcome!🕺
✌️ Until next time,
Jess, Co-founder of Her Brand & Co, Head of Learning at Full Tilt.
Click here to learn more about Her Brand & Co. and how founders can grow their business with easier, better marketing.
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