The Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing for Coaches

Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?!) because I’m diving deep into one of the highest-converting marketing tools that will transform your coaching business into a money-making powerhouse.  

Spoiler alert: I bet it’s not what you think.

But before we get into it, let’s play a game of trivia. Which strategy do you think produces the most profit: sliding into DMs or sliding into inboxes? 

Major PSA: While many consider email a dying medium, you are still 5X more likely to convert an email subscriber than a social media follower. 

*mic drop* 

I hope I just blew your mind because that stat knocked me off my chair when I first learned about it.

While showing up on social media is a great way to build brand awareness, create authentic connections, and grow your tribe, you’re not going to smash your revenue goals with Instagram or Facebook alone. 

Your business needs a 360-degree marketing strategy, and that includes email.

I know what you’re thinking, “What can email do that social media can’t?” So, let’s jump into it real quick. 

• You’re not on borrowed land: Unlike social media where you’re putting your livelihood into Zuckerberg’s hands (yikes, that’s scary!), email allows you to own your database of leads. You no longer have to stress about losing your stream of income if one day social media disappears.
• You can get personal: Adding personalized touches when communicating with your audience is critical to creating connections and building trust. Email allows you to use your subscriber’s name in the subject line and body of the email, which results in a 6x higher transaction rate. 
• Send promos without hesitation 60% of consumers who sign up for brand emails do so with the expectation of getting promotions in their inbox. This means you don’t need to worry about coming off annoying or pushy when you’re about to launch your next course—they’ll expect to hear from you, and better yet, they’ll want to hear from you. 
• Build automated funnels: Ever dream of making money in your sleep? *raises hand* Creating a strategic and automatic email funnel does just that. And unlike scheduling a series of Instagram ads, you don’t need to throw money at emails or adjust the targeting every few days.

Now that we’ve covered the importance of email and its impact on your business, we need to dive into the details of how to implement it properly, so you’re not wasting valuable time and energy. 

So, without further ado, here’s my step-by-step guide to getting started with email marketing. 

Step 1: Pick an Email Software 

Before you even think about writing your first email, you need to pick software. From MailChimp and Convertkit to ActiveCampaign and Constant Contact, there are so many options out there that vary in complexity. Before choosing one sight unseen, I highly suggest signing up for a few free trials and giving them a test drive. You need to understand what pricing, features, and functionality will work best for your business. 

Step 2: Create a Free Resource

Email is nothing without a list of subscribers! If you want your ideal client to hand over their email address, you need to create a lead-magnet. This can be a webinar, a checklist, a cheat sheet, a self-assessment, an ebook, or a template–honestly, the options are endless. But when you’re brainstorming about which one will resonate with your audience the most, make sure it’s jam-packed with value. It should solve a real problem, deliver a quick win, and be instantly accessible. 

Step 3: Build a Welcome Funnel 

Now that you created an obsess-worthy lead magnet to attract clients (look at you go, girl!), you’ll want to craft a welcome series that packs a punch. When subscribers opt-in for your free resource, you need to be prepared to kick off the conversation, so they aren’t waiting hours or even days for your first message. With a 4-5 email sequence, you’ll take them on a journey from not knowing who you are in the beginning to becoming a raving fan by the end. 

Step 4: Set Up Automation

Remember when I talked about how it’s possible—and even easy— to make money while you’re all cozied up in bed? This is the part of my step-by-step process where that comes into play. After you’ve written your email sequence, you’ll want to schedule it into whichever email software you’ve chosen, so it’s 100% set it and forget it. While you don’t have to follow this exact timeframe, this is a great starting point if you’re unsure how to space out your emails: 

• 1st email: send immediately after subscriber signs up for your freebie 
• 2nd email: send the next day to stay top of mind with your lead 
• 3rd email: send two-three days after initial sign-up
• 4th email: send three-four days after initial sign-up 
• 5th email: send five-six days after initial sign-up

Step 5: Promote Freebie on Social Media 

Let’s rewind a minute—you picked out an email software, created a lead magnet, wrote a welcome funnel, and scheduled it to send automatically. You’ve accomplished a lot, but there’s one more step in the process, albeit one of the most important ones. To get people to *actually* subscribe to your list, you need to promote your freebie across your social media platforms. You can do this by sharing your lead magnet inside Facebook groups, on your Stories, or within your organic feed. 

Whew—that’s a lot of information to digest! So, which strategy produces the most profit: sliding into DMs or sliding into inboxes? 

Definitely, inboxes. 

While showing up for your tribe on social media with value-packed posts is a great marketing strategy, it just isn’t enough to reach the lofty goals I know you have. It may be 2020, but email isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and it’s one of the most powerful tools for your coaching business. 

No matter who you serve, by following my step-by-step guide, you’ll be well on your way to developing and implementing a successful email marketing strategy of your own! 

Tell me, are you just as fired up as I am about all the possibilities that come with email? Are you ready to level up and transform your brand into a money-making machine?

If you’re like, “hell yeah, I am!” then join me in my signature email marketing course, Email Marketing Launch Vault. I’m unlocking all my secrets to help you build an army of ready-to-buy hot leads and sell out your next offer. 

Hope to see you there!