What if I told you there was a way to earn 440% on your marketing budget?
All while completely automated?
There is. And, it’s called email marketing.
It’s a fact that email marketing returns $40 for every $1 spent.
Not too shabby, right?
It’s a match made in heaven for any marketer looking to drive traffic, leads, and revenue.
But it’s not just the email sequence that matters. The sales copy is equally, if not more, critical.
Great email autoresponder copy will increase open rates, click-throughs, and conversions.
I’ve helped clients drive five figures in MRR with great email sequences. 💰
Want to learn how? This blog post will teach you the secrets of effective autoresponder copywriting.
What is an email autoresponder?
An email autoresponder is a sequence of automated emails sent to new subscribers or customers.
You’ve probably been on the receiving end of email autoresponders and didn’t even know it.
Any time you’ve purchased something or signed up for a newsletter and received a series of emails, that was an autoresponder.
An effective email autoresponder helps drive clicks back to sales pages on autopilot. That means you generate income without having to constantly advertise or prospect.
Autoresponders are also highly targeted to a single audience, making them more meaningful, impactful, and nurturing.
You can use any modern email marketing tool to create an autoresponder. They include built-in features to drip emails to specific subscribers based on behaviour.
I’ll be teaching you how to set up an email autoresponder in five minutes or less later in this article.
Email autoresponder copywriting
These are the strategies and components that make up effective email autoresponder copywriting.
The welcome message needs to provide immediate value
The first email of an autoresponder might be the most important.
This is because it sets the tone of the interaction.
I highly recommend that you get subscribers’ emails for autoresponders by offering a lead magnet.
This is a free resource that you offer in exchange for their contact information. They include:
- E-books
- Courses
- Templates
- Quizzes
- Reports
- Etc.
Doing so increases your conversion rate for subscribers and instantly builds authority.
Don’t get fancy, either.
These can be very simple in nature. Here’s an example from KopywritingKourse:
A small popup window appears on the website offering to make you a better writer by subscribing to a newsletter.
Next, let me show you how to set up an email autoresponder with the email marketing software SendFox.
Register for a free account.
Create a new list of contacts.
Then, select the “Automations” tab. Here is where you will create autoresponder sequences.
Click “Create Automation Series.”
Triggers are the action that adds a subscriber to the sequence which currently include:
- Being added to a specific list.
- Facebook Lead Ads.
- Landing page signups.
Click the email icon to create the first welcome message.
The goal here is to introduce yourself, explain the value they are going to receive, and present the lead magnet I spoke about earlier.
You can link to a download page or use the button feature to send them to a different URL.
Click “Save” when you are finished.
That brings me to my next point.
Don’t go overboard on sales
Someone gave you their personal information. Don’t exploit that.
People are very sensitive with their privacy and will quickly unsubscribe if they feel that you are too salesy with emails.
This is where Pareto’s principle comes into the picture.
80% of your emails should be value-focused.
…Sharing blog posts.
…Information and content.
…Providing news.
The remaining 20% can be for promoting products, services, affiliate links, and so on.
This also helps build trust with subscribers so when you do ask for the sale, conversions jump through the roof.
Test the hell out of subject lines
Most people open emails based on the subject line alone.
It makes sense.
The subject line is the first thing that people see. If it isn’t relevant or personal, they are less likely to engage it.
The opposite is true as well.
If the subject line is contextual and customized, it’s more appealing and intriguing.
Open rates of emails tend to be the highest when subject lines are six to ten words long.
That means you should keep it short and sweet. It shouldn’t be truncated because it’s too long.
But, what makes a good subject line exactly? Let me cover a few different strategies.
Use the recipient’s first name
Our name is our identity; our image and persona.
When someone calls you by your first name, you immediately feel more engaged.
It’s a calling to be alert. “Yes, what would you like?” your primal brain chimes.
I’ve personally tested subject lines across thousands of emails and the number one indicator of success was personalization.
Using the recipient’s first name, last name, and company name leads to much greater open rates and reply rates.
Kudos if you can add another hint of customization like a unique comment, question, or observation.
Create a sense of urgency
Nobody wants to miss out on a great deal of important information.
Using a sense of urgency in subject lines prompts people to take action before it’s too late.
“Am I going to miss out?“
“Can I get this again?“
These are a couple of questions recipients are going to ask themselves subconsciously.
As a matter of fact, emails with a sense of urgency have a 59% higher transaction-to-click rate.
But, how do you create urgency?
Primarily by communicating that the person will miss out on some kind of value by not opening the email.
For example, you can use urgent power words like:
- Limited
- Only
- Today
- Never again
- Deadline
- Act now
- Soon
- Fast
- Quick
- Hurry
- Running out
Clearly communicate what they are going to miss out on too.
Is it a discount code or promotion?
A new piece of content?
Combine these two strategies to write subject lines like:
- “Don’t miss out on our digital marketing webinar”
- “One last chance for our 50% off clearance sale”
- “New Toyota Corollas in – Running out fast”
Be exact and precise to pique curiosity
People eat up numbers like hotcakes.
That’s why numbered lists tend to perform so well for content.
The same content applies to subject lines.
Why is this?
Simply because precise numbers make things seem more legitimate and pique curiosity.
Take this subject line for instance: “Learn how Mike made $2,311 dropshipping in 24 hours.”
Recipients might think “How did he make that much?” or “What did he sell in such a short period of time?”
This is much better than if the subject line was “Learn how to make money dropshipping” (Which still isn’t all that bad!)
Whether it’s dollar amounts, percentages, or otherwise, start including more numbers and statistics to make emails irresistible.
Make the offer compelling and clear
Let’s get something clear.
An offer and a product are two very different things.
The product consists of features, benefits, instructions, etc.
The offer, on the other hand, is what the product can do for the customer.
Will it help them generate more income?
Are they going to become more lean and healthy?
Is it going to get them a high-paying job?
What are the emotions and experiences that it will create?
That is the offer.
You must ensure that the offer is complete and clear.
“You might, kind of, sort of, make some money doing this thing” isn’t going to fly.
However, “You will learn how to make $4,000+/month re-selling used men’s designer shoes on eBay so you can quit your 9/5 and be your own boss” does.
Check out this email from Jim Rickards for a free book on wealth building:
The email immediately speaks about the offer: a book that every American needs to read for understanding the imminent dangers facing their wealth.
Every email needs a unique call to action
An email with a CTA is like steak without wine. They go together perfectly.
And in the case of autoresponder copywriting—frankly—it’s a necessity.
A call to action is a statement or word that instructs the recipient what to do.
Each email you send in an autoresponder needs at least one CTA for its main purpose.
This might be to drive sales, read a blog post, call a phone number, click a link, etc.
Make sure that it’s clear why they are clicking the link as well.
Are they navigating to a checkout page? A webinar registration form?
This will improve the click-through rate.
There are few ways to grab someone’s attention more than telling a story.
Almost every region of the brain is activated when reading a story, including:
- Language processing
- Comprehension
- Movement
- Emotions
- Memory
- Visuals
Stories help us relate. We see ourselves in them. They create relevant emotions.
Why do you think most of us love sitting around a campfire telling stories?
We’ve been using them for centuries as a way to communicate and entertain.
…Precisely why they need to be a part of your email autoresponder.
But, what stories should you tell?
The first is personal tales. Detail the triumphs and losses you’ve faced in your business or personal life that subscribers could relate to.
Explain the experience of a customer and the success they had leading up to using your product or service.
Thirdly, you can make up fictional stories to get points across.
Final thoughts on autoresponder copywriting
Email autoresponders are an incredible way for businesses to generate passive income, and leads, and nurture relationships with subscribers.
However, you need crisp sales copy for the best results.
Begin by cleaning up the welcome message. Introduce yourself, offer free value, and give an awesome first impression. This will increase the engagement of future emails.
Strike a balance between 80% value-based emails and 20% promotional. This respects subscribers’ inboxes, builds trust, and increases conversions.
Test subject lines non-stop. Small tweaks can result in massive jumps in open rates. If more people open the email, it’s that many more who might click links and buy something.
Whatever you offer in an autoresponder must be clear and concise. Don’t leave any information out. Resolve objections and questions ahead of time.
Place unique calls to action throughout the email depending on the message, such as buying a product, registering, etc.
Use personal or customer stories to draw people in emotionally and get them engaged before taking action.
Check out my online courses to get coaching and take your writing skills to the next level.
