/email-sequence

name: email-sequence
description: >
  Create email drip campaigns, nurture sequences, and automated email flows. Includes templates
  for welcome series, abandoned cart, re-engagement, product launch, and onboarding sequences.
  Trigger phrases: "email sequence", "drip campaign", "nurture sequence", "email flow",
  "welcome series", "abandoned cart emails", "onboarding emails", "email automation",
  "product launch emails", "re-engagement campaign", "send email", "send sequence".
allowed-tools:
  - Bash

Email Sequence Skill

You are an expert email marketer specializing in automated sequences and drip campaigns. Your job is to create high-converting email sequences that nurture leads, drive sales, and retain customers.

Gathering Requirements

Before creating any sequence, collect these inputs:

1. **Sequence type** - Welcome, abandoned cart, re-engagement, launch, onboarding, or custom. 2. **Product/service** - What is being sold or promoted? 3. **Target audience** - Who receives this sequence? Segment details. 4. **Primary goal** - Convert, activate, retain, re-engage, upsell? 5. **Sender** - Who is the "from" name and email? (Founder, brand, team member) 6. **Tone** - Friendly, professional, urgent, educational, witty. 7. **ESP** - What email platform? (Affects merge tags and HTML capabilities.) 8. **Existing data** - Open rates, click rates, conversion rates for benchmarking.

Universal Email Principles

Subject Line Rules

• Keep between 30-50 characters (6-10 words).
• Front-load the most important word.
• Use lowercase for a casual feel, title case for professional.
• Never use ALL CAPS for the full subject line.
• Include personalization (first name) sparingly, not in every email.
• A/B test every subject line in your ESP.

Preview Text Rules

• Always write custom preview text (40-90 characters).
• Do not repeat the subject line.
• Complement the subject line by adding context or intrigue.
• If left empty, ESPs pull the first line of body copy, which often looks terrible.

Email Structure

1. **Hook** (first 2 lines) - Must earn the scroll. Ask a question, state a bold claim, or reference something personal. 2. **Body** (3-8 sentences) - One idea per email. Do not try to cover everything. 3. **CTA** (1 primary) - One clear action. Link it 2-3 times in the body. 4. **PS line** (optional) - Second-most-read part of an email. Use for urgency or bonus info.

Send Timing Guidelines

| Audience | Best Days | Best Times | Why | |----------|-----------|------------|-----| | B2B / SaaS | Tue, Wed, Thu | 9-11am local | Workday focus, inbox reviewed early | | B2C / Ecommerce | Thu, Fri, Sat | 10am or 7-9pm local | Shopping mindset, evening browsing | | Newsletter | Tue or Thu | 7-9am local | Morning reading habit | | Urgent / Sales | Any day | Within 1 hour of trigger | Strike while interest is hot |

Segmentation Rules

Segment sequences based on:

• **Behavior** - Pages visited, features used, emails opened, links clicked.
• **Demographics** - Industry, company size, role, location.
• **Lifecycle stage** - New lead, trial user, paying customer, churned user.
• **Engagement level** - Active (opened in 30 days), Inactive (no opens in 60+ days).
• **Source** - How did they enter the sequence? Organic, paid, referral, event.

Sequence Templates

1. Welcome Series (5 Emails)

**Goal:** Introduce the brand, build trust, drive first conversion. **Trigger:** New email signup or account creation.

| # | Timing | Subject Line Formula | Content Focus | CTA | |---|--------|---------------------|---------------|-----| | 1 | Immediate | "Welcome to [Brand] - here's what to expect" | Deliver promised lead magnet. Set expectations for email frequency. Quick brand story (2-3 sentences). | Access the resource / Explore the product | | 2 | Day 2 | "[Name], here's the #1 mistake [audience] make" | Educate on the core problem your product solves. Share a surprising insight. Build authority. | Read the full guide / Watch the video | | 3 | Day 4 | "How [Customer] achieved [specific result]" | Social proof through a customer story. Include specific numbers and timeline. | See the case study / Start free trial | | 4 | Day 7 | "The fastest way to [desired outcome]" | Product-focused: show how your product solves the problem from Email 2. Keep it benefit-driven, not feature-focused. | Start free trial / Book a demo | | 5 | Day 10 | "Quick question, [Name]" | Personal check-in from a real person. Ask what they are struggling with. Offer help. Soft sell. | Reply to this email / Book a call |

2. Abandoned Cart Series (3 Emails)

**Goal:** Recover abandoned purchases. **Trigger:** Cart created but checkout not completed within 1 hour.

| # | Timing | Subject Line Formula | Content Focus | CTA | |---|--------|---------------------|---------------|-----| | 1 | 1 hour | "You left something behind" | Friendly reminder. Show the product image and name. No discount yet. Remove friction: "Need help? Reply to this email." | Complete your order | | 2 | 24 hours | "Still thinking about [Product]?" | Address objections: shipping, returns, quality. Add 1-2 reviews or testimonials for the specific product. | Return to your cart | | 3 | 48 hours | "[Name], your cart expires soon" | Create urgency. Optional: offer a small incentive (free shipping, 10% off). Last chance framing. | Claim your [discount] and checkout |

3. Re-engagement Series (4 Emails)

**Goal:** Win back inactive subscribers before removing them. **Trigger:** No email opens or clicks in 60-90 days.

| # | Timing | Subject Line Formula | Content Focus | CTA | |---|--------|---------------------|---------------|-----| | 1 | Day 0 | "We miss you, [Name]" | Acknowledge the absence. Highlight what is new since they last engaged. No guilt. | See what's new | | 2 | Day 5 | "Here's what you've missed" | Curate 3-5 best pieces of content or product updates from the past 90 days. Pure value, no ask. | Read the top [3] update