Looking to drive sign ups for your membership using email marketing?
Well that’s good because your email list can be a gold mine for bringing in new members!
That’s because when someone subscribes to your email list, they’re expressing an intent…
They want to learn more from you.
So this is the perfect time to strike while the iron is hot…
And send them an automated series of email follow ups.
These emails are specifically designed to let your subscribers get to know you and your brand better…
What you offer, how you can help them…
And begin sowing the seeds to nurture your relationship further with the aim of eventually converting subscribers to paying members…
Sounds good doesn’t it?
But what should these emails cover?
We’ve got the answer.
Here are five essential emails that every membership email series needs.
1. The welcome email
Let’s start from the beginning…
The welcome email is a simple first email to send when someone subscribes.
It thanks them for joining your list and welcomes them to whatever community or content you’re offering…
And sets the scene for the emails that will follow.
You welcoming your new email subscribers…
If the subscriber has joined to receive a freebie, or lead magnet…
Something like a PDF, workbook, or ebook…
Make sure you give them it at this point by including the link directly in the email….
Don’t make them wait…
Also don’t just leave it at that…
Your welcome email is a great place to start setting expectations…
Let your new subscribers know exactly what will be coming their way in the next few weeks or months….
Perhaps even suggest that they add your email address to a white list to ensure they receive emails from you.
Also, be sure to add three to four different ways for people to take action to get additional advice, tips and resources from you…
This could be to subscribe to your podcast, follow your blog or subscribe to your YouTube channel…
You could even include a link for them to join your free Facebook group…
And of course don’t forget to include the most important thing…
A link to sign up for your membership!
Let your subscribers know they can find help and advice here, there, and everywhere…
But the good stuff is in the membership itself.
This introduces your membership without being overly salesy.
2. The membership pitch
This is where you go all in on pitching your membership…
Putting forward your offer…
What is it, why they should join, the benefits for them, what they should expect and so on…
Essentially, this email is a condensed version of your sales page.
As you’ve already mentioned your membership in your welcome email, this is a good point to bring it up again.
You could say something like:
“Hey, a few days ago, I mentioned some of the various ways I can help, and one of those is via our paid membership. Since then, I’ve had all sorts of questions about what the membership actually is and why it’s worth joining. So I thought it was worth sending a little bit more information over.”
Start off simple like this and then lead into your pitch about why your membership is amazing…
And clearly a no brainer for them to join.
3. A case study email
Next on the list is a natural follow-up to your pitch email…
It’s the case study email.
This is where you choose a single success story from your membership and write a case study to demonstrate how it’s helped them…
In other words, you tap into your existing member base to create social proof.
This should be a relatable and inspiring story or stories that shows the new subscriber what’s possible when they become a member.
Sharing your member success stories
In a case study, you’ll want to:
- Share how the person found your membership
- Present the problem the member was having
- Detail how the membership helped them overcome that problem, and
- Explain what the end result was
With a case study, you want the prospective member to imagine themselves in the same shoes as the person you’re featuring in your email.
If you want to go one step further…
You could look at stories that address common objections or concerns that potential members might have.
For example, if potential members worry that they’re not ready or they don’t know enough to get started, select a member who started from square one.
It should go without saying…
But make sure these are real stories.
Don’t just make stuff up!
Whether you decide to focus on one key case study or highlight a few stories within this email, it can add a whole new dimension to the promotion of your membership…
The human element…
Which shows people what’s possible and demonstrates that your membership genuinely delivers results.
4. Behind the scenes email
Taking potential members behind the scenes can make a huge difference…
Because memberships are pretty abstract products to sell.
They’re made up of so many different elements, so it can be tough to concisely describe what it offers…
So why not show them?
You can give this behind the scenes tour in a few different ways…
One way is to embed or link to a behind the scenes video tour where you record your screen and do a little narration along with it.
You can show off your dashboard, course library, resources, and community to give them a little taster of what to expect.
This gives a potential member a little more to go off than simple screenshots…
And it makes your membership real for them…
Giving them a taste of the member experience they could have…
While also clearing up any confusion or doubts about what’s behind the paywall.
In our experience, this email works incredibly well and is without a doubt one you should include in your membership sales series.
5. The value-add email
If you’re worried that four emails in a row promoting membership feels a bit too salesy…
Then this final email in the series is one for you…
The value-add email.
The sole purpose of this is to deliver nothing but pure value to the recipient.
There’s no pitch, no agenda – just value.
In this email, you can give a whole bunch of information, a great tip, some handy advice…
Maybe a list of articles to help them…
Or even a bonus freebie!
Subscribers will love your bonus freebie…
Many of your recipients will have joined for a freebie, so this is a great way to over-deliver and add extra value…
And the only thing better than a freebie is another surprise freebie.
This demonstrates that your recipient won’t be bombarded with sales emails over and over again.
And even if they’re not ready to join your membership right now, there’s still a good incentive to open your emails because they’re getting value from you…
It keeps the conversation going…
And it helps to build trust and demonstrate your expertise…
Which will make the prospect of joining your membership more compelling over time.
So try to weave a few of these emails in every so often to keep nurturing the relationships with your subscribers.
Mix it up…
Of course, you don’t have to send these emails in this exact order…
Except the welcome email…
That should always come first…
But you could throw in a couple of extra sales emails…
Or break it up with extra value-add emails, so it doesn’t feel too heavily sales-focused.
As you get to know your audience, you’ll get a better feel for what works best for them.
If you’re in Membership Academy, we have an example of this type of sales campaign in our content library for you to copy and paste directly into your email marketing software…
In fact, we have fully mapped out series, subject lines and content in our Essential Membership Email Templates, that you can use for just about any occasion…
From launching and onboarding to cancellation and special offer promotions…
These templates will save you so much time creating your own sequences, so be sure to check those out if you’re a member.
If you’re not a member and struggle with what to include in your email series, you can join here.
