Email Marketing Tutorial: The 7 Emails You Need To Make Money Online (Plus Tips & Examples)

What types of emails should you know how to write as a copywriter or online business owner? Do all emails follow the same flow and format? How do you build relationships, create engagement and get conversions with email marketing?

You got questions, I got answers, keep reading.

What’s one of the first things you should do when you start any new brand or business?

Start building up your email list – of course!

But… wait a second, once you start getting emails (and permission to actually email them – that’s important) what are you actually supposed to do with that list? 

When should you send emails? What should the emails say? Are there any unspoken “email marketing rules” you should be following? I mean what’s the big deal about having an email list anyways if you’ve got mad followers or subscribers?! Isn’t email marketing dead?

Whoa, whoa stop right there.

Despite the fact that it is getting harder to land in your prospects’ primary inbox as a marketer these days, email marketing is still one of the most powerful ways to communicate directly with your audience.

Here are some stats to prove it to ya…

According to OptinMonster….

• 92% of online adults use email.
• 61% of consumers prefer to be contacted by brands through email.
• 99% of email users check their email every day, some as much as 20 times a day!
• And 58% of users check their email before they check out social media or the news.

So yes, in case you had any doubts, email marketing is hugely important for business owners today…

It’s still the BEST way to consistently grow your brand, nurture new leads, create engagement, and have profitable launches…

Which also means there’s a massive opportunity for copywriters to specialize in this medium by helping brands write killer email marketing campaigns and cash in on those conversions.

While social media is always an awesome complimentary marketing strategy – as is paid media and other content marketing initiatives – you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. 

In a world where the algorithm is ever-changing… landing in your subscriber’s inbox is a tried-and-true method for making sure they see exactly what you want them to see. 

I mean, you don’t want to leave the success of your next launch up to the algorithm Gods… do you? Negatory.

Today, I’ll be breaking down the 7 types of emails you NEED to know how to write as a copywriter or online business owner…

PLUS, because I know you guys LOVE examples, I’ve included examples of campaigns that I’ve sent to my own email list. So you can see what these emails actually look like in a real-life inbox. 

Hey guys, what’s up! It’s Alex!

In a recent tutorial I did on the different services a copywriter can offer, I had TONS of requests to talk more about the different types of email marketing.

So this blog post is for you! Leave a comment below if you’ve been waiting for this one and if you’re new to the crew, welcome! 

I put out a new digital marketing, copywriting, or branding tutorial every single week. To get more articles, like this one, go ahead and subscribe to my newsletter to find out when the next tutorial goes live.

Now, email marketing is more than just random email blasts sent out to a list of subscribers… 

Effective email marketing is strategic and purposeful, depending on the audience, their level of awareness of your brand, and your ultimate conversion goal – whether that means to engage, click or buy something. 

Now, at the end of this article, I have a very important Public Service Announcement for all you copywriters out there that will save you TONS of hours and frustration with your clients. Plus I’ll share my favorite spots for swipe files and inspiration… 

But first, let’s dive right into the 7 types of email marketing you need to know.

1. Autoresponder Email

This is a broad term used to describe any email that’s sent AUTO-matically in RESPONSE to a user action. So think of the email (or sequence of emails) you get from a business after you purchase, subscribe, or opt-in for something. 

“Day 0 Autoresponders” are what I call the emails that are sent out IMMEDIATELY after a lead signs up to your list, usually in exchange for a lead magnet or another free-high value promise. 

For example, I have one for one of my most popular freebies… my Hot Offer Checklist. 

Then, you’ll automatically get an email in your inbox that delivers my checklist for you to download completely free. Here’s what this email looks like.

Day 0 Autoresponders are typically short, sweet, and friendly. In this type of email, you want to let your subscribers know where they can grab their freebie, how it will help them, how they can use it, and any next steps or CTAs. 

Also, because this is often the very first email correspondence you have with your new lead, you want these emails to set the tone of your brand voice and experience, making your subscribers feel welcomed and part of the crew!

You would then write a different autoresponder email for every single one of your free offers. 

Remember, the GOAL of these emails is to nurture your leads on autopilot, deliver the value they asked for and provide a memorable brand experience. 

2. Indoctrination Email

The indoctrination email is designed to get new leads from a problem-aware state into a solution-aware state. They are sent shortly after subscribers join your email list.

These emails should ultimately make them feel as though they’re a part of something bigger, by building rapport and simultaneously ‘indoctrinating’ the audience to trust and believe in your mission and solution.

So for example, when leads land on my website, they see a place where they can sign up to my email list. 

Once they sign up, they’ll receive a series of indoctrination emails, each one written with a particular purpose.

The first is to welcome you to the Posse and empathize with where you are at on your copywriting journey…

The second is to communicate the Copy Posse’s personal mission… 

And the last one is to add awesome value and offer next steps…

Now, I have an entire article about my proprietary Indoctrination Sequence Formula and you can follow the link to read more about that. 

Ultimately, the goal here is to nurture a relationship with your list, encourage engagement, and turn new leads into raving fans. 

3. Abandoned Cart Email

This is an email or series of emails sent to a prospect after they left their shopping cart without making the purchase. 

Depending on the product and technology you use, you can do this in a single email or in a series of emails. 

Typically the first is a short & sweet reminder letting them know they forgot to complete the purchase.

Like this one I send out if for whatever reason you exited out of the checkout page without making a purchase…

It’s simply a gentle reminder that you didn’t complete your order with a link back to where they left off.

If you want and are able to send multiple emails, your Abandon Cart email could turn into a sales recovery sequence…

After the initial email, you could follow up with another where you give them a more direct reminder—assuming they still want the offer and using gentle scarcity to sway them to buy now, rather than later…

Then about where you include a reminder of the bonuses, risk reversals, and any limited-time offers—to play up desire and make that scarcity more pronounced… 

And lastly, you could end the sequence where, if they still haven’t purchased, offer them a downsell or cheaper alternative instead!

Now, this is something a lot of brands surprisingly don’t do, yet a well-written Cart Abandonment email can recoup 30% of your lost customers, resulting in a 64% increase in revenue—all with very little upfront effort.

Remember the GOAL here is to save the sale! 

4. Sales Email 

Yup – this is the big one, because it’s aaaaallllllllllll about getting that money, honey. The number of emails included in a sales campaign will vary depending on the product, business, and what the end goal is with the campaign. 

You could have anything from a quick one-day promo all the way up to a weeks-long launch. I’ve found the sweet spot is between 6-10 for a launch of a new product or service – varying in length and format. At the very least, you want…

1. One to announce the doors are open & introduce the product…
2. One to share the benefits and how the product can help your prospects…
3. One to convey incentive & scarcity (aka here’s why you should buy NOW!)…
4. One to showcase social proof & build authority (look at the results other people have seen!)…
5. One to overcome objections and encourage prospects to get off the fence…
6. And a final email to communicate that this is the LAST CHANCE.

Then you can sprinkle in content, case studies, and stories to extend the length and life of a campaign.

(And if you wanna learn how to write your email high-converting sales emails and craft campaigns from start to finish, you’ll enjoy the Own The Inbox Challenge! Seriosuly, check it out.)

For example, when I opened the doors to my once-a-year flagship coaching program, the Copy Posse Launch Pad in January, I sent a total of 10 emails. Two teaser emails to build anticipation, and an 8-email sales campaign.

Here’s what my first email looked like. This one was for the eager beavers, as I like to call them—it was short, sweet, and to the point. Hey guys, doors are open! 

Remember, the GOAL is to convert your prospects into customers (or customers into repeat customers.)

5. Affiliate Email 

This is an email or series of emails written for the purpose of promoting another brand’s products to a list of subscribers. 

For example, a few months ago I was honored to be a featured speaker inside The Female Hustlers exclusive membership program. 

So, I sent out two emails to my own email list, promoting the Female Hustlers launch. 

This benefited The Female Hustlers by gaining them more members, and it benefited me by getting my brand in front of a larger audience. Plus I made a commission on any sale I referred. Affiliate partnerships are true win-wins WHEN DONE RIGHT.

My advice with affiliate marketing is to only promote brands and products that are in alignment with your own values because once you recommend a brand or business, your reputation by association is on the line.

Remember, the GOAL with affiliate emails is to create interest, generate clicks, and, ultimately, make sales of the affiliate offer. Clicks hold a lot of weight in affiliate marketing so make sure your emails are majorly click-worthy.

6. Re-Engagement Email

This is an email or series of emails sent to inactive subscribers, this is also sometimes known as a “reactivation” or “win-back” campaign. 

With this type of email, you’re nudging those little sleeping beauties and seeing if they’ll re-engage with you and your content. 

I like to do this with 2 types of emails. The first is to offer a free gift (aka a lead magnet) to add value and get lost leads re-engaging with your content, the second is more to the point. I follow Dean Jackon’s 9-word email…

Hey NAME… Are you still looking to {insert benefit}? 

Here’s one I recently sent to my inactive leads… 

Remember, the GOAL is to get inactive subscribers to re-engage with your content and emails again (aka you want them to open and/or click).

7. Content Email

This is an email or series of emails written for the purpose of providing educational, inspiration, or entertainment value. Typically referred to as a newsletter. It’s an email that your users grow to expect at a certain frequency. 

Now, content emails come in all different shapes and forms. But at the very base level, they should always have a hook, teaser, and call-to-action. 

I send content emails out on a weekly basis – to announce when I post a new youtube video. 

The hook of my email depends on the hook of the video, the content inside my email is delivering a teaser of what to expect inside the video, and the CTA of my email is—of course—to go watch the YouTube video!

And bonus tip: Always include a juicy P.S. line to keep your audience hooked on consuming more of your content!

If you want to see any of these types of emails in action, make sure to join my email list! You’ll find the sign-up for that in the sidebar of this blog post.

Remember, the GOAL is to keep your audience engaged and build rapport by providing real value. 

Here’s a very important PSA… 

As a copywriter, your job is to only WRITE these emails. 

You do not need to be the one to load these emails into your client’s email sending software unless you want to, of course!

I have personally, NEVER offered this to a client because it’s tedious and technical and you never want to be the one that accidentally sends the wrong thing to the wrong email list—YIKES. Better to stay in your lane and stick with doing what you’re great at—writing! 

Swipe Files & Inspo…

Okay, now for a few resources you can use for email swipes and inspiration…

Swiped.co has TONS and TONS of free swipe files. Just enter the type of email sequence, or swipe file, that you’re looking for in the search bar, and take your pick from the hundreds of options that populate. 

And my FAVORITE place to find email inspo is… in my own inbox! Anytime I receive an email with a killer email subject line, or content that really captures my attention, I always save them in an inspiration folder that I can refer back to when my creativity tank is running on empty. 

But remember, these are tools for inspiration—NOT sources for you to copy and paste from! We are copywriters not copy cats!

Alright guys, I hope you found this article helpful. Leave a comment below if you want me to deep dive into any of these email sequences in more depth.

Until next time, I’m Alex – ciao for now! 

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