6-Figure Email Blueprint for Selling Online Courses
Over the past year, I’ve helped numerous course creators generate over six figures using email marketing. In this guide, I’ll reveal my step-by-step email marketing strategy that has driven these results. You’ll learn exactly what emails to send, how to automate them, how to write high-converting emails, and how to use AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline the process. Plus, I’ll show you how to optimize your email flows to maximize revenue. First, I’ll map out the entire email marketing system so you can see how each email fits into the bigger picture. Then, I’ll walk you through setting everything up, even if you’re starting from scratch. I’ll also share the AI tools we use to speed up the process and make email marketing more efficient. If you’re new here, I’m Maruf, and I specialize in helping online education companies sell their courses. Over the past decade, I’ve worked with email marketing systems, paid ads, and other strategies to drive sales. In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know to build a high-performing email marketing strategy.
Why Email Marketing is a Game-Changer for Course Creators
Email marketing is more than just sending newsletters—it’s a strategic system for guiding your audience through a journey that leads to sales. For online course creators, email marketing is specially powerful because:
It builds trust and relationships: Regular emails help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.
It drives sales: Well-crafted email sequences can convert leads into paying customers.
It’s cost-effective: Compared to paid ads, email marketing offers a higher ROI.
It’s automated: Once set up, email sequences can run on autopilot, saving you time and effort.
In this guide, we’ll focus on creating an email marketing system that works for high-ticket course offers, including how to book sales calls, nurture leads, and handle objections.
Step 1: Mapping Out Your Email Marketing System
Before diving into writing emails, it’s crucial to map out your entire email marketing system. This involves understanding the different stages of your email sequences and how they fit together.
The High-Level Email Sequence
Lead Magnet Delivery: When someone opts in for your free resource (e.g., a video training or eBook), they receive an automated email delivering the lead magnet.
Indoctrination Sequence: If the lead doesn’t take immediate action (e.g., booking a call), they enter a nurturing sequence designed to educate and build trust.
Objection Handling: Emails in this stage address common objections and provide social proof to encourage action.
Down-Sell Sequence: For leads who don’t convert, a lower-ticket offer is presented to keep them engaged.
Best-of Newsletter Sequence: Top-performing emails are reused to nurture leads over the long term.
The Email Sequence and Strategy
Let’s start by breaking down the email sequence and how each email fits into the customer journey. For this example, we’ll focus on a high-ticket offer, such as a VSL (Video Sales Letter) funnel designed to book sales calls for a high-ticket product.
Lead Magnet Delivery Sequence
Goal: Deliver the lead magnet and provide value.
Structure:
Email 1: Deliver the lead magnet immediately after opt-in.
Email 2: Follow up with related content to deepen engagement.
Pro Tip: Use plain text emails for a personal touch.
At the end of this automation, the goal is to see if the lead took the desired action, such as booking a call. If they did, they’re tagged in the CRM, and the sales team takes over. If not, they’re moved into an indoctrination sequence to nurture them further.
The Indoctrination Sequence
The indoctrination sequence is designed for leads who didn’t take immediate action. It includes:
Direct Emails: The first few emails are direct and aim to get quick action, such as booking a call.
Nurturing Emails: These are content-rich and story-based, designed for leads who need more information before making a decision.
Objection-Handling Emails: These address common concerns or objections, helping leads overcome barriers to purchasing.
Goal: Nurture leads who didn’t take immediate action.
Structure:
Email 1: Direct offer to book a call or take the next step.
Email 2-4: Story-based content to build trust and educate.
Email 5-6: Objection-handling emails to address common concerns.
Pro Tip: Use a mix of fast-action and nurturing emails to appeal to different buyer personalities.
We optimize these emails based on feedback from the sales team, comments on ads, and email conversations. The content is often pulled from our top-performing emails over time.
Handling Different Stages of the Buying Cycle
Not all leads are ready to buy immediately. Here’s how we handle different stages:
Aware but Hesitant: If a lead clicks on the sales page but doesn’t buy, we assume they have a pricing objection or another concern. We send a sequence of emails addressing these objections.
Unengaged Leads: If a lead isn’t engaging with emails, we move them to a downsell sequence, offering a lower-ticket product.
Post-Purchase: If they buy the lower-ticket product, we send a post-purchase sequence with tips on how to use the product and an upsell to the high-ticket offer.
Goal: Offer a lower-ticket product to leads who didn’t convert.
Structure:
Email 1: Introduce the lower-ticket offer.
Email 2-3: Provide value and address objections.
Email 4: Final call-to-action to purchase.
Pro Tip: Use this sequence to re-engage leads who showed interest but didn’t buy.
The “Best Of” Newsletter Sequence
For leads who still haven’t taken action, we move them to a “best of” newsletter sequence. This includes our top-performing emails that have driven the most engagement, clicks, and conversions. We regularly update this sequence by adding new high-performing emails and removing underperforming ones.
Goal: Keep leads engaged with your best-performing content.
Structure:
Curate a series of top-performing emails that get the most clicks, conversions, and engagement.
Continuously update the sequence based on performance data.
Pro Tip: Reuse high-performing emails to maximize their impact.
At the end of this sequence, if the lead still hasn’t taken action, they’re added to a general newsletter list, where they receive regular updates and promotions.
Tools and Platforms for Email Marketing
Setting Up Your Email Marketing System
To set up this system, I recommend using Kajabi, an all-in-one platform for course delivery and email marketing. Kajabi simplifies the process by combining these functions, saving you money compared to using separate tools.
Here’s how to set it up:
Triggers and Tags: Use triggers to start and stop email sequences based on actions like opting in or booking a call. Tags help you track actions and segment your audience.
Sequences: Create email sequences in Kajabi, such as a lead magnet delivery sequence or an indoctrination sequence.
Plain Text Emails: Focus on simple, plain text emails with clear calls-to-action (CTAs).
Why Kajabi is the Best Choice
Kajabi is my recommended platform for course creators because it combines email marketing and course delivery into one tool. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:
All-in-one solution: No need to pay for separate email marketing and course platforms.
Cost-effective: Kajabi’s pricing is based on features, not the size of your email list.
Easy to use: Set up automations, tags, and sequences with ease.
Using AI Tools Like ChatGPT
AI tools can save you hours when writing emails. Here’s how to use ChatGPT effectively:
Train the AI: Upload your tone of voice doc, customer avatar, and product details to create a custom GPT.
Generate Ideas: Use AI to brainstorm email angles and draft content.
Polish and Edit: Use the AI-generated drafts as a starting point, then refine them to match your brand voice.
Optimizing Your Email Marketing Strategy
Tracking and Analyzing Performance
Use a spreadsheet to track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
Identify top-performing emails and add them to your automations.
Remove underperforming emails and test new variations.
A/B Testing and Iteration
Test different subject lines, email lengths, and CTAs to see what resonates with your audience.
Continuously refine your sequences based on data and feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How often should I email my list?
Email as often as you can while maintaining quality. Some brands email daily, but even 1-2 emails per week can work if you’re just starting out.
2. How often should I sell versus nurture?
Follow the 70/30 rule: 70% of your emails should provide value, and 30% can be sales-focused. Even in value-driven emails, include a soft offer at the end.
3. How do I get more people to open my emails?
Focus on strong subject lines that create curiosity. Also, build trust with your audience by consistently providing valuable content.
This is my complete email marketing strategy, designed to help you generate six figures or more. If you have questions, drop them in the comments below. For tools like Kajabi and other resources, check out the links in the description. If you found this guide helpful, please like, subscribe, and share it with others. For more tips on email marketing and online business strategies, check out my other videos.
By following this step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to build a high-converting email marketing system that drives consistent revenue for your business.