Email Sequence Designer

Skill Preview

---
name: email-sequence
description: Design multi-step email sequences — welcome flows, lead nurture, re-engagement, onboarding, or sales. Use when someone says "drip campaign", "email automation", "welcome series", "nurture sequence", "what emails should I send", or "email cadence". Outputs full sequence with subject lines, body copy, timing, and CTAs.
---

# Email Sequence Designer

Build email sequences that nurture relationships and drive action. Not template-filling — a guided process that adapts to your audience, goals, and product.

**This is an interactive process.** Understand the context before writing a single email.

> Originally adapted from [Corey Haines' marketing skills](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills). Modified and reformatted for SkillCraft.

## Phase 1: Context

Ask these questions ONE at a time:

> What type of sequence do you need?
> 1. Welcome / onboarding (new signups)
> 2. Lead nurture (pre-sale, downloaded something)
> 3. Re-engagement (inactive users)
> 4. Post-purchase
> 5. Sales sequence
> 6. Educational series
> 7. Something else — describe it

Then:

> Who's the audience? What triggered them into this sequence? What do they already know about you?

Then:

> What's the primary goal? What action do you want them to take by the end?

Then:

> What's the tone? (Professional, casual, witty, friendly, urgent) And roughly how many emails are you thinking?

## Phase 2: Core Principles

Apply these in every email you write:

**One email, one job.** Each email has one primary purpose and one main CTA. Don't try to do everything.

**Value before ask.** Lead with usefulness. Build trust through content. Earn the right to sell.

**Relevance over volume.** Fewer, better emails win. If an email doesn't have a clear reason to exist, cut it.

**Clear path forward.** Every email moves them somewhere. Links should do something useful. Make next steps obvious.

## Phase 3: Sequence Blueprint

Based on the type selected, propose a sequence structure:

### Welcome Sequence (5-7 emails, 12-14 days)
1. Welcome + deliver promised value (immediate)
2. Quick win — help them succeed at something small (day 1-2)
3. Story / Why — why you built this, what you believe (day 3-4)
4. Social proof — who else uses this and what they achieved (day 5-6)
5. Overcome objection — address the #1 reason people don't convert (day 7-8)
6. Core feature highlight — the thing that makes you different (day 9-11)
7. Conversion — direct ask with clear CTA (day 12-14)

### Lead Nurture (6-8 emails, 2-3 weeks)
1. Deliver lead magnet + intro (immediate)
2. Expand on topic — go deeper than the lead magnet (day 2-3)
3. Problem deep-dive — make the pain vivid (day 4-5)
4. Solution framework — your approach (day 6-8)
5. Case study — proof it works (day 9-11)
6. Differentiation — why you vs alternatives (day 12-14)
7. Objection handler — address hesitation (day 15-18)
8. Direct offer — ask for the sale (day 19-21)

### Re-Engagement (3-4 emails, 2 weeks)
1. Check-in — genuine concern, not guilt (day 1)
2. Value reminder — what's new, what they're missing (day 4)
3. Incentive — special offer or exclusive content (day 8)
4. Last chance — stay or unsubscribe, respect their choice (day 14)

### Onboarding (5-7 emails, 14 days)
1. Welcome + first step (immediate)
2. Getting started help (day 1)
3. Feature highlight — the thing that delivers the aha moment (day 2-3)
4. Success story — someone like them who succeeded (day 4-5)
5. Check-in — "How's it going? Need help?" (day 7)
6. Advanced tip — reward engagement (day 10-12)
7. Upgrade / expand — suggest next level (day 14+)

Present the blueprint and ask: **"Does this structure work? Want to adjust the timing, add, or remove emails?"**

## Phase 4: Write Each Email

For each email in the confirmed sequence, write:

**Subject line** — clear > clever, 40-60 characters, benefit or curiosity-driven. Provide 2 alternatives for A/B testing.

**Preview text** — extends the subject, 90-140 characters, don't repeat the subject.

**Body copy** — structure every email as:
1. Hook — first line grabs attention
2. Context — why this matters to them
3. Value — the useful content
4. CTA — what to do next
5. Sign-off — human, warm

**Copy guidelines:**
- Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences)
- White space between sections
- Conversational tone — read it out loud, does it sound human?
- Active voice, first person (I/we) and second person (you)
- Length: 50-125 words transactional, 150-300 educational, 300-500 story-driven
- One clear CTA per email — button for primary, text link for secondary

## Phase 5: Output

Deliver the complete sequence in this format:

```
SEQUENCE OVERVIEW
Name: [Name]
Trigger: [What starts the sequence]
Goal: [Primary conversion goal]
Length: [Number of emails over timeframe]
Exit conditions: [When they leave the sequence]

---

EMAIL 1: [Name/Purpose]
Send: [Timing]
Subject: [Subject line]
Alt subjects: [2 alternatives]
Preview: [Preview text]

[Full body copy]

CTA: [Button text] → [destination]
```

## When This Doesn't Work

- **No audience yet**: You need real people to write to. Personas are fine for structure, but the copy will need rewriting once you have actual customer language.
- **Too many goals**: If an email tries to onboard, upsell, AND collect feedback, it does none well. Split into separate emails.
- **Sending to bought lists**: No sequence fixes a bad list. These principles assume opted-in, interested recipients.