7 Nurture Email Ideas for Your List
So, you’ve set up your blog and begun collecting email addresses through your opt-in…now what? It’s time to start sending those emails! A nurture email sequence will help you develop an ongoing relationship with your blog readers and keep them coming back to your site for more.
When you spend the bulk of your time planning for your blog, you might be left wondering what to send in your email messaging. Here are 7 ideas that will help you create meaningful connections with your audience through a nurture email strategy.
What is a nurture email?
A nurture email, or nurture email sequence, is a type of message sent to email subscribers.
This series of communication (also called an email campaign), is designed around developing relationships with readers or customers who have intentionally opted in to receive your content.
A nurture email provides the reader with content that establishes trust through introducing yourself further along with your online presence and services. Generally, nurture emails are short and specific to one topic. If you scroll through your inbox right now, you can probably find one from a list you previously joined!
What is the purpose of a nurture email?
A nurture email has a simple purpose: to nurture and grow the relationship you have with your readers. Think of it as a way to further a conversation off of your main web page while also keeping a source of continuous traffic returning to your blog.
Sending nurture emails is a strategy to let your subscribed audience know that you value them. By continuing to build that relationship, you intrigue your subscribers to keep coming back to your site to see what you have to offer. In turn, you get to know more about them which can help inform your content planning!
Service providers and online sellers will often use the phrase “nurturing leads” which means growing a relationship with their email list. As trust is built over time, these leads will be the primary audience for new content or products, turning into potential clients or customers!
Tips for writing a good nurture email
- A good nurture email will be brief and to the point! Select one key topic and structure it to provide value to the reader, making it worthwhile for them to click and open.
- Be sincere and transparent in your messaging. No gimmicks here! Make sure the subject line matches the content so your readers don’t feel tricked into opening the message.
- Lastly, make sure your email is easy to read since most people will check those messages on a mobile device. Save the elaborate graphics and visual elements for later!
7 ideas for a nurture email
Nurture emails will likely be the most frequent type of message that you send. Keeping them short and concise allows you the freedom to repeat and repurpose them! As a starting point, try one of these 7 ideas in your next nurture email.
*Bonus – check out podcast episode #79 for even more thoughts!
1. Send them a welcome email along with any lead magnet you promised
Think of the occasions when you have given your email in exchange for a free resource in your inbox. This is what first brings many email subscribers to your list!
Start your nurture email sequences by welcoming your new subscribers to your online space and delivering the promised content. Keep your introductions brief and get to the point of why they are here – most likely for the freebie offer! Make your lead magnet easily deliverable in a graphic, PDF, or other simple resource.
2. Provide them with a roadmap to your free content
Your email audience may have signed up in exchange for one free resource, but now you have an opportunity to provide a little more detail about what you offer. Find a way to include a visual graphic or simple outline of your free content and explain how to navigate your site. Give them guidance on where to go or what to do if they have questions accessing your resources.
3. Give them a helpful tip or tips
This is not a time to “save the best for last” – show your subscribers your BEST content up front!
Even if your most popular content is older, not every reader will have seen it. Show it anyway! You could summarize your best content into one email as a snapshot, or break it up into content for a sequence of several emails.
4. Ask them to tell you about themselves
Asking thoughtful questions can open up a conversation with those on your email list. In general, people like to talk about themselves so you are more likely to get interaction from them this way. Most importantly, make sure you respond when you receive responses!
As you seek to get to know your readers, you have an opportunity to learn about them and grow a deeper connection. You will receive valuable information about what your ideal reader needs – and then create valuable content to serve your audience!
5. Educate them about your products and services
Another nurturing email option is to take an educational approach and teach about what you have to offer. Your subscribers may have initially joined to receive a freebie and not fully know about your premium content or services.
As you inform them, be sincere and not “salesy.” Focus on building trust to showcase the expertise you have to offer and don’t be ashamed to do so! You can also express your appreciation for your subscribers by offering a discount or exclusive deal on your products or services.
6. Tell them about other resources that could help them
Take the opportunity to build a relationship with your email list by giving them other valuable resources that might pique their interest or meet a need. You could share any products that you have found useful or for which you are an affiliate. Or, maybe you could share content from a friend or collaborator who also has a complementary product or service.
Most importantly, be sure that what you are sending straight to email inboxes is truly useful and authentic. Readers can be flooded with products in their inboxes on a daily basis, so you want to set yourself apart from the rest by keeping the reader’s needs the priority.
7. Give them an insider peek
It is worth reiterating – make it worthwhile for followers to join your list. Create exclusive content just for this list that causes them to want to stick around! Exclusive content could be something as frequent as a weekly or monthly newsletter or just a one-time message.
Special content for nurture emails could include more personal messages or stories which would allow your readers to connect with you on a deeper level. Your email subscribers are more likely to stay on your list if they are engaged and feel valued by your efforts.
Closing thoughts
Your blog may be your top content priority, but creating and sending nurture emails should be an equivalent goal for all bloggers. The moment you hit “publish” on your site, start collecting those email addresses and begin the conversation!
As you grow your email list, don’t be intimidated by the sheer number of ideas for email marketing. Just simply start. Begin with one nurture email and add more as you can.
Just like any other area of content planning, make a plan for how you want your readers to get to know you and your content, and get to know the interests of your audience in return. We can guarantee that you will benefit from the relationships you build along the way!