THE FOLLOW-UP SEQUENCE IDEA GENERATOR Even the best webinars leave some potential clients sitting on the fence. That s just the nature of the webinar experience. Your follow-up sequence is a strategic unfolding of information that will speak directly to those that still need more from you before they buy. They may need more details, more inspiration, more social proof or maybe just a bit more connection. The follow-up sequence will do just that... and more! (Ha - I could not help myself!) In addition, the follow-up sequence does double duty by reaching out to the people who registered for your webinar but didn t show up live. They might have missed your webinar, but the follow-up sequence can create just as strong a connection as if they had showed up live for your webinar. TO help you craft the perfect follow-up sequence, consider adding these 10 elements to your series: 1. THE WEBINAR REPLAY Your very first email to registrants should be the email that contains your replay. After the live webinar ends, the replay email allows you to pick up the conversation again and create a seamless transition into sales (just like you did on the live webinar). In your replay email, you ll want to give a series of clues about what you covered in Post Webinar Phase PAGE 1 AmyPorterfield.com
the webinar and why it was so beneficial to attendees. Make sure to include at least three hyperlinks to the replay--at the beginning, the middle, and the end. Finally, use your closing to hint at all the great info to come in the rest of your follow-up email sequence. In the snapshot above, you can take a peek how I set up my webinar replay email. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 2 AmyPorterfield.com
2. STRONG SUBJECT LINES By the second or third email in your sequence, your audience has probably picked up on the underlying theme--you have a great product to sell. And it doesn t matter how good your product is--people have a natural aversion to sales letters. (We can all relate.) Your subject lines are what keep these emails from getting ignored in inboxes. You want to use highly charged language in your subject lines--the kind that creates irresistible curiosity to know what s inside. The teaser to a great story, a movie reference, a startling statement, even an apology this is where you use shock value to your advantage. Bonus: A great subject line makes writing the body of the email a whole lot easier! In the snapshot above, check out one of my most opened up subject lines. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 3 AmyPorterfield.com
3. BONUSES Along with subject lines, nothing is surer to get your emails opened than the possibility that they contain a fabulous bonus! I start offering special bonuses as early as possible in my email sequence, to get my audience anticipating the next one in every new email I send. In addition to getting your emails opened, the bonuses add scarcity to your offer because they have to purchase your product by a certain date in order to get them. Your warm audience will not want to miss out on them. Bonuses can be as simple or as sophisticated as you want. Anything from new information that you didn t share in the webinar to downloadable freebies (cheat sheets, checklists, etc.) to a cross-promotion with someone else in your industry. In the snapshot above, take a look at how I teased an extra special, limited time bonus. This strategy brought in a flood of sales! Post Webinar Phase PAGE 4 AmyPorterfield.com
4. DETAILS ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT Every buyer likes an opportunity to kick the tires. It makes them feel respected and in control. This should be one of the longer emails in your sequence, because you want to give a very detailed description of your product s features and benefits. To be clear, a feature is something your product has. (How many modules in your course, what kind of workouts your training program includes, etc.) Meanwhile, a benefit is something your product does. (Helps you learn enough French to have a conversation over croissants in Paris, tones your abs in six weeks so you can rock this summer s bikini, etc.) The trick with this, of course, is not to give everything away. Like the replay email, you want to set out a trail of breadcrumbs that people will follow with greater and greater excitement, all the way to your sales page. In the snapshot above, you can see how detailed I get as I explain what s in each module. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 5 AmyPorterfield.com
5. RELATE TO WHAT THEY ARE FEELING Much of what holds your audience back from buying is the feeling of hopelessness. They want your product to work for them, but they ve tried things in the past that disappointed them. One of the strongest moves your follow-up sequence can make is to meet them in that hopeless place. Tell a story that shows you ve been there, too. Express the feelings they might be having. Lighten the mood by poking fun at yourself. (I ve gone as far as including embarrassing childhood photos in my follow-up emails.) While you don t want to end with a pity party, you also don t want to suddenly go into motivational speaker mode. Finish this email with the right flavor of reassurance for your audience. You re on their side, you re going to help them solve their pain point, and things are about to get better. Leave them with a taste of the new thoughts and feelings they will have, and let their imagination do the rest. The trick with this, of course, is not to give everything away. Like the replay email, you want to set out a trail of breadcrumbs that people will follow with greater and greater excitement, all the way to your sales page. In the snapshot above, here s a peek into how I relate to my audience s struggles. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 6 AmyPorterfield.com
6. OPPORTUNITY TO BUY NOW This is a vital element that should be included in most of your emails, and should be front-and-center in at least one or two. All the excitement, knowledge and anticipation you build around your product is nothing without holding out your hand and saying Do you want this right now? One of the best ways to present opportunity is with early bird pricing. I usually talk about this opportunity (and the fact that it s going away soon) in most of my emails. It s a good idea to combine it with testimonials and compelling social proof -- it will be much easier for your audience to make a buying decision when they see that other people just like them have tried your product and loved it! Remember, though, that if you introduce time-sensitive opportunities, you have to be firm about them. If you say the early bird pricing ends at 11.59pm tonight, failing to bring the price up at 12:00am will only devalue your product in your audience s eyes. In the snapshot above, you can see how I talk about the scarcity atound the early bird pricing discount. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 7 AmyPorterfield.com
7. WHO IS A GOOD FIT FOR YOUR PRODUCT? One element that should always be in your follow-up sequence is a description of who the product is for. (If you you want to go a little deeper, you could also go over who it s not for.) Take your time to specifically describe who is the best fit for a product like yours. This is about more than just concepts and feelings--for example, you don t want to say This is only for people who are ready to really commit. Get more specific than that. When you do, you will see a spike in your sales! Specify how much time they need to block out each week, what kind of tools and resources they need to have, what level of ability or education they need for it, etc. (The last thing you want is to have people complaining that they bought your weight-loss program and couldn t get the full value you promised because they didn t know they needed running shoes!) When you do this, you ensure that you attract the ideal audience AND decrease refunds, because people who are not right for your product will not buy. In the snapshot above, take a look at how I explain who is a good fit for the program. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 8 AmyPorterfield.com
8. INSPIRATION Even the best-written email will fall flat without this key element. That s why I work hard to infuse inspiration into every follow-up email I write. It s the secret sauce that transforms helpful, important facts into real, actionable emotions. Inspiration can take many forms. It can be a rah rah motivational speech, a few practical hints, a story about how you overcame an obstacle, or an astounding new set of facts that change your audience s perspective. Infusing inspiration into your emails does two things: it reasserts your expertise in your niche (you have to know something in order to present something new), and it re-emphasizes for your audience that you are truly trustworthy. It strengthens the bond you re trying to build with them--that you are a trusted expert who is on their side, willing and able to help them achieve their goals. In the snapshot above, you can see how I weave in a story that inspires and excites! Post Webinar Phase PAGE 9 AmyPorterfield.com
9. YOUR STORY The more your audience gets to know you, the more likely they are to pull the trigger and buy your product. Why? Because the reward has become tangible. The promise of your product is still in imagination stage, but their relationship with you is a real thing. Buying your product allows them to draw on your expertise and feel like they have a friend/coach/mentor all rolled into one. That s why there s no email more powerful in your follow-up sequence than the one where you tell your story in detail: the story of how you used to be just like them, wondering how to solve the problem that they re struggling with. From there, you tell them exactly how you discovered that what you really needed was a certain kind of product (or service, or program)...but then you were disappointed again to find that no such product existed. And that s when you decided to create that product yourself! List the trials you went through, the times when you felt that maybe nothing could change your life, and the growing sense of hope and excitement that finally culminated in your victorious solution! (If you have chills after writing this, you can bet that your audience will, too.) No big pitch is needed at the closing of this email. The emotion speaks for itself. Simply add your sales page link, and drop the mic. In the snapshot above, you can see how I weave in a story that inspires and excites! Post Webinar Phase PAGE 10 AmyPorterfield.com
10. SCARCITY This is where it all comes down to the wire. The final emails in your follow-up sequence need to leave stronger and stronger hints that the window of opportunity is closing. In particular, the Cart Closing email should once again list the features and benefits of your product, with special emphasis on numbers (how many days until they reach success, how many dollars they will make/save, how many pounds they will lose, etc.) You ll also repeat the short-version summary of who is right for it, another testimonial/social proof, and an infusion of your most inspiring, personal wishes for their success. In the snapshot above, I give my audience one final chance to join my program before the cart closes. I like to record a final audio (or video) wrapping things up. It gives me a better opportunity to connect with those that are most interested in joining, but may still be on the fence. Post Webinar Phase PAGE 11 AmyPorterfield.com