Creating A Profitable Automated Email Sequence (With Template) [Podcast Episode 18]

Updated on March 24, 2024

Are you in need of an automated email sequence template for your subscriber onboarding?

If you want help creating this email series — also known as a lead nurturing funnel, onboarding email sequence, or automated lead funnel — then you’re in the right place, as that’s exactly what we’ll be covering in this episode of The Profitable Travel Blogger Podcast.

Specifically, in this episode you’ll learn:

An automated email sequence template that can help you welcome new subscribers into your community and warm them up for future newsletters and promotions
Onboarding email best practices
Specific examples of lead nurturing emails, including how to write a powerful onboarding welcome email — a valuable email that tends to have a high open-rate
How to get access to a free helpful tool for crafting your email nurture campaign
How to monetize your email list through your onboarding email sequence and actually make money on your incredible travel content ideas
And more!

Having an automated nurture sequence can help you grow your blog on autopilot, making it a really worthwhile strategy!

Table of Contents

A Profitable Automated Email Sequence Template – Podcast Episode Audio

Listen to the full episode using this embedded player…

…or click the links below to tune in on your preferred audio platform:

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Free Travel Blogger Resource Library

To help you really jumpstart your blogging success, I’ve added 55+ blogging resources like printables, video tutorials and workbooks into a FREE resource library for travel bloggers.

One resource in particular that will really help you create your automated email sequence is the “Using Freebies To Grow & Monetize Your Email List” Workbook.

This workbook will help you flesh out your entire email marketing strategy, with a section on automated funnels beginning on Page #8. The workbook has plenty of examples, too, to really help inspire your own email creations.

automated email sequence template freebie — Click here to snag instant access!

Tools & Resources Mentioned In The Episode

Here are quick links to the tools and resources mentioned in this episode on creating a profitable automated email sequence — with onboarding email template — include:

Email Marketing Membership from Liz Wilcox. For just $9 per month, you’ll snag access to weekly newsletter templates and swipe examples (with video trainings on how to use them), email marketing workshops, monthly guest expert Q&As, and more. Best of all, while her emails can help you increase sales, you *don’t* need to sell a product to utilize her workshops and templates!

A Proven Step-By-Step Strategy For Growing Your Email List For Free (podcast episode). If you’re new to email marketing and growing a subscriber list, this episode is a great place to start learning.

8 Profitable Emails To Send To Your Email List (video). If you’re curious how to monetize your email list as a blogger or entrepreneur, this video will help you create a strategy by providing profitable email types — with actual example emails that you can copy.

9 Clever Ways To Increase Traffic & Get Blog Followers (podcast episode). More people to your website can lead to more subscribers on your email list.

ConvertKit. Click my affiliate link to try their free plan.

Teachable. I’ve been an affiliate and user of Teachable for years, and highly recommend their platform if you’re looking to monetize your email list through an online course. My link gets you a two-week free trial, no credit card required!

AUTOMATED EMAIL SEQUENCE TEMPLATE — Click here for the paired workbook!

Creating A Profitable Automated Email Sequence (With Template) – Episode 18 Transcript

In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to growing your email list is growing the list, without actually nurturing it.

I know even personally I’ve joined a number of email lists where I loved the blogger’s content, or their opt-in freebie was super helpful, but then I didn’t hear from them again for a while. And what happens is even if a subscriber loved what you were creating when they joined your list, they may forget you once so much time passes.

Luckily, there is a way to get blog followers, turn them into subscribers, and then begin cultivating a strong relationship with them right away. And it doesn’t involve needing to manually send an email every time someone subscribes.

In this episode, I’m sharing what I consider to be the best email marketing sequence out there, or at least one of the best.

You can use it to create your own automated email sequence — sometimes also called a lead nurturing funnel, onboarding email sequence, or automated lead funnel — that new subscribers are automatically placed into when they join your email list.

Creating Your Automated Nurture Sequence

This blogging strategy typically begins with having some kind of opt-in freebie (like a free resource library or a free challenge) that’s relevant to your blogging mission and how you help people. Here are some opt-in offer ideas to get you started.

If you don’t have this set up yet, I recommend pausing this episode and first listening to the one called “A Proven Step-By-Step Strategy For Growing Your Email List (For Free),” which will help you actually start getting people onto your list.

Additionally, the episode titled “9 Clever Ways To Increase Blog Traffic (Beyond SEO)” can also help increase your blog’s visibility, which can in turn help get more subscribers on your list.

Okay, so let’s say you’re getting people onto your list.

From there, you want them to automatically be placed into a group or segment that triggers a series of emails to send automatically. The terminology of all of this varies a bit between email marketing platforms, but you might have, for instance, a free Travel Photography Cheat Sheet as your opt-in freebie to get people onto your list.

You might set up your email marketing platform, like ConvertKit, to place these subscribers into the Travel Photography Cheat Sheet group, which would then trigger a series of automated nurture emails that are specifically meant for people who grabbed that cheat sheet.

In terms of what to send, there is a psychology behind these lead nurturing funnels.

Of course, you want to send what feels right to you. Like I’ve said in past episodes, I think the best way to build a business is to learn from and get inspired by people who have done what you’re trying to do. Take what they share, and then make it your own so that it truly feels genuine and natural.

But note, there is, like I said, a psychology behind these automated email funnels.

The idea is to warm them up for your content, including the future promotions that you’ll send, and to empower them so that they feel they are ready to take the actions you want them to take.

I want to be clear that this isn’t meant to be trickery or getting one over on people. Everything you write should be honest, though sometimes people need some help realizing their own potential, as well as truths relevant to your products and the offers you publish.

If this is confusing, don’t worry, I’m about to make it very clear.

In terms of the timeline for these emails, I’ve seen everything from stretching them out for a few months, sending them all in one week — I mean, technically if you have an email course, like my free five-day travel blogging course, that’s a form of a lead nurture sequence. There are many ways to do this, I’m just sharing one specific option with you now.

With the example I’m about to share, we’re going to send daily emails and then end the sequence with a pitch for a paid product. That’s why the title of this episode has the word “profitable” in it.

It’s good to know that as we move through these emails so you know what we’re working toward.

This all being said, you can absolutely skip the pitch and just have the goal be to give your subscriber a warm and inspiring welcome into your community.

Bonus tip:

To increase the profitability of your automated nurture sequence, consider starting it with a tripwire offer on the thank you page of your opt-in freebie!

Here is a tripwire funnel template to help with this.

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Welcome Email (#1)

So the first email you’ll want to send is your onboarding welcome email.

This is the email they get immediately upon subscribing. It might include the opt-in freebie you promised, whether that be a personality quiz, a free blogging course, or something else.

Additionally, you can let them know what they can expect from being a subscriber, give them insight into your values and beliefs, and give them the chance to unsubscribe if the community isn’t for them.

In terms of onboarding email best practices, remember that a small and engaged list is much better than a large list full of people who don’t really want to be there.

And, by the way, that’s why it’s pointless, at least in my opinion, to ask random people to join your email list just to increase your subscriber count. You pay for those subscribers, so if they’re not taking action on your emails then it’s a waste for both parties.

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Before & After Story Email (#2)

This is one of my favorite storytelling emails!

After the previous email, you can schedule another email to send the following day, this one sharing your before and after story.

Now you’re not sharing your life story here, but your before and after story as it relates to your mission. For instance, if you help people monetize their love of travel photography, then you’d share your story of going from a newbie photographer and having no idea what you were doing to someone who has been able to create a sustainable business out of this passion.

The goal is that people see you as a model that they can emulate. You want them to think, “Hey, if they can do it, why can’t I?”

A quick note here:

I think many of you know I also hold a life coaching certification. One of the main tactics I learned for creating positive change in my training was the idea of finding relatable models.

So if you’re also trying to map out and reach a goal, but you’re feeling self-doubt or lack of confidence, do keep this idea in mind. It’s great for when you’re trying to improve your mindset for success.

Okay, moving on.

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Teaching Email (#3)

Another great email to include in your automated nurture sequence is one that shares a strategy or shows them how to solve a problem.

Again, you really want to empower them so they feel amped up and ready to take the action you want them to take.

The more you erase challenges they face the more your new subscriber will feel able to confidently accomplish the goal you want to help them accomplish, again, typically through a paid product you’ll pitch at the end of the sequence.

Pro tip:

If you’re not sure what to send to your email list in general, the teaching email is a great option whether for an automated email sequence, product launch sequence, or regular broadcast email!

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Objection Email (#4)

For the next email, you want to consider what objections might stop them from taking the action you want them to take.

For instance, one common sales objection is that even if people view your product as great, they might think they’re too busy to take action, or they might think they lack some kind of quality necessary for success.

Remember, though, that right now you haven’t actually shared your product yet; however, you’re being proactive to again, kind of read their minds and address concerns beforehand.

For example, you might write an email about how you used to think you were too busy all the time until you realized that slowing down to learn and revamp what you were doing actually helped you grow quicker.

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Busting Myths Email (#5)

In the next onboarding email, you might consider busting any common myths or misconceptions relating to your topic.

For instance, if you write about solo female travel your subscriber might think they need to be in their 20s to do this.

In terms of my travel blogging community, one misconception I’m always trying to break down is that you need to travel full-time to build a profitable travel blogging business, which just isn’t true. You can write about your home city, you can interview other people, write recipe posts with cultural anecdotes to pair — there are many possibilities.

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Soft Pitch Email (#6)

Now you might start moving into the pitching phase.

Often this will include two emails — one soft pitch that mentions your product, followed by a hard pitch.

With the soft pitch, I like to craft the email around a benefit of my product.

For instance, if I were going to pitch my Travel Blog Prosperity membership community in the final hard pitch email, I might talk about the power of community when it comes to growing a successful blog.

In this email I might mention my product, I might even highlight a testimonial; however, you aren’t yet including a call to action to purchase.

Automated Email Sequence Template: The Hard Pitch Email (#7)

That comes in the final piece of the email nurture campaign.

In this email, you really want to make it clear that if your subscriber wants things to change and see the success that you have, then they need to change what they’re doing.

Hopefully, by this point in the onboarding email sequence, they feel ready to do this, with you as their guide.

Keep in mind, for any of you who tend to feel imposter syndrome, or like you’re not cut out to sell digital products or to create online courses, it’s not about being the best ever. It’s about having skills, experiences, and knowledge that can help other people grow.

So let’s say you travel full-time in an RV with your family, and you want to create an online course that shows other families how to do this, the fact that you’re doing it allows you to show others how to.

As stated above, I use and recommend Teachable or a powerful online course creation platform. My affiliate link gets you a two-week free trial, no credit card required!

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing it the longest, or if you haven’t been to as many places as some of the other RV family travel bloggers out there. If you can help others have a transformation, that is what ultimately matters.

Again, you don’t need to include the pitch section. You could just create a few emails focused on inspiration and empowerment and that will still be really powerful for helping you grow your relationship with your subscribers.

Love affiliate marketing tips?

You can include affiliate links — with disclosure, of course — in these empowering automated lead funnel emails to hopefully make you some additional income. Honestly, writing affiliate emails is a main way I’ve been able to make money blogging and monetize a travel blog. It’s one of my favorite ways to promote affiliate links.

Like I’ve said in past episodes, just make sure to confirm that the affiliate program you want to showcase allows their links to be used in email promotions.

On that note, I hope you enjoyed this episode.

I hope you’ll feel inspired and empowered to go create your own automated nurture funnel.

If you haven’t yet, make sure to grab access to my free Travel Blogger Resource Library, particularly to grab the “Using Freebies To Grow & Monetize Your Email List” workbook, which will really guide you in crafting your list-building strategy as well as your lead nurturing emails.

And finally, make sure to subscribe on iTunes so you get notified when future episodes publish, too.

Happy blogging!

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