Here’s one marketing channel that’s heavily underutilized by online coaches and course creators:
Email marketing.
A good email marketing strategy can capture curious visitors and turn them into loyal students…
A great one? It can transform your brand into a crucial part of your audience’s success stories, paving the way to a thriving business that leaves a lasting impact.
Today, I want to introduce you to Olly Richards, the mastermind behind StoryLearning.
He has built a $10 million business by masterfully using email marketing to create connections and drive sales to his online language learning empire.
In this post, we’ll explore how Olly’s email strategies have propelled his success – and how you can replicate these for your own online course business.
Alright, let’s dive in.
Building a Powerful Email List
A strong email list is the foundation for a successful online course business.
It helps you reach people who are genuinely interested in what you offer, and turns that interest into a lasting connection.
Here’s how you can grow your email list organically, just like Olly Richards did with StoryLearning.
1. Give your audience multiple points of entry into your email list
If you already have a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel that’s providing value and attracting your target audience organically, then I have good news for you: it will be so easy for you to grow an email list.
Think of each blog post, video, or podcast episode you put out in the world as an invitation to join your community.
Within each content piece, encourage your audience to sign up for your email list for exclusive content or updates.
This approach not only grows your list but gives you insights into what topics and kinds of content your subscribers are genuinely interested in.
2. Create valuable lead magnets
Lead magnets are a fantastic way to grow your email list while providing valuable content to your audience.
Lead magnets are basically content upgrades you give away for free to encourage potential students to sign up to your email list and stay engaged. They can come in many forms, like cheat sheets, mini-courses, or ebooks—anything that provides immediate value and makes it easier for your audience to take the insights from your content and actually act on it.
Here are some examples of lead magnets you can create to build your email list:
- Cheat Sheet: Offer a handy guide with clever shortcuts. If you’re a language coach, you could create a cheat sheet with key phrases and common expressions centered around a theme to help students start speaking confidently.
- Mini-Course: Create a short course that covers essential skills. For example, if you teach art, you might offer a mini-course on sketching basics to spark creativity in beginners and give them the confidence to pursue the craft.
- Ebook: Provide an ebook packed with useful tips. A fitness instructor could share an ebook with quick workout routines and nutrition advice to help students stay healthy and motivated.
- Template Pack: Design a set of templates for students to use. A business coach could offer templates for planning projects or setting goals, helping students organize their ideas effectively.
- Webinar: Host a live session on a popular topic. A cooking teacher might run a webinar on mastering quick and easy recipes, giving students the confidence to try new dishes.
By using these lead magnets, you can attract more students to your courses and keep them engaged with practical and exciting learning resources.
Plus, these freebies give potential students a sneak peek into your unique teaching style, making them more likely to feel connected and want to learn from you in your paid courses.
Giving them a small taste of what they can expect can build trust and excitement around your offerings!
3. Segment your audience as they enter your list
While you’re setting up your email opt-in forms, make sure you’re segmenting your audience.
Why is this important?
List segmentation allows you to send personalized messages that speak directly to each group’s needs. Personalized emails have a higher chance of keeping subscribers engaged and interested.
In fact, StoryLearning’s success is partly due to its smart segmentation strategy.
Olly divides his email list based on the language his subscribers are learning and their skill level. This way, he can tailor his messages to beginners, intermediate learners, or advanced students, making each email relevant and valuable.
By understanding what each segment is interested in, you can create emails that resonate and motivate them to take action.
Implementing Effective Email Marketing Strategies
Once you’ve got a strong email list, the next step is to keep your subscribers engaged and excited about your emails.
This is where effective email marketing strategies come into play.
Let’s dive into some key tactics you can use to keep your audience hooked and coming back for more.
1. Send daily emails
Yep, you read that right.
One of the secrets to Olly’s email marketing success is his daily email strategy.
Sending emails daily might sound overwhelming, but it’s a great way to stay top-of-mind with your audience.
But how do you do it so your readers don’t unsubscribe or block you?
The trick is to make each email valuable, whether it’s a helpful tip, a story, or a peek behind the scenes.
This regular contact helps build a habit where subscribers look forward to hearing from you, keeping your courses and content fresh in their minds.
2. Implement the 70/30 rule
It’s important to strike a good balance between providing useful content and promoting your courses.
Olly follows the 70/30 rule: 70% of his emails offer valuable content, while 30% focus on sales pitches.
This mix ensures that subscribers don’t feel overwhelmed by constant sales messages and remain engaged with the interesting, useful content they receive most of the time.
3. Tell stories
People love stories—they captivate, inspire, and connect us.
So it’s no surprise that storytelling is a powerful tool in email marketing.
Olly uses storytelling in his emails to make his messages more engaging. By sharing stories about his own experiences or those of his students, he creates a relatable narrative that draws readers in and keeps them interested.
Origin stories, in particular, are a great way to connect with your audience on a personal level.
By sharing how you started your journey and the challenges you’ve overcome, you can build a strong personal brand.
This not only makes you more relatable but also earns your audience’s trust.
4. Warm up your audience before running sales campaigns
Before launching a big email marketing sales campaign, it’s crucial to warm up your leads—this is where pre-selling comes in.
Pre-selling involves sharing sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes looks, or teasers about an upcoming course. This strategy generates excitement and anticipation among your subscribers, making them more likely to be interested in your offer when it finally launches.
By implementing these strategies, you can create an email marketing approach that not only engages your audience but also drives sales for your online courses.
If all this is starting to overwhelm you (I mean, daily emails?!), let’s talk about how you can make this easier on you and your team…
Automating Email Campaigns
You want your audience to feel connected and engaged with daily emails, but let’s be real—who has the time to write emails every single day?
That’s where email automation comes in.
By automating your email campaigns, you can ensure that your audience receives timely and relevant messages without having to hit the “send” button every day.
Benefits Of Email Automation
Here are some ways setting up email automation can make a big difference in how you run your online course business:
1. Effortless Onboarding
With email automation, you can automatically welcome new potential students and introduce them to your brand and courses without rewriting the same emails over and over.
Automation not only saves you time but also lets you track which emails boost sales and engagement. This way, you can tweak and perfect your messages as you get to know your audience better.
2. Stay Consistent & Top-of-Mind
If you’re doing a great job with your organic content, you’re likely attracting potential students at various stages of their journey.
Some are ready to purchase immediately, which your onboarding sequence can convert into sales.
However, many leads need nurturing before they’re ready to commit. By setting up a nurture sequence, you send valuable content that moves them closer to their goals, even before they buy your course. This builds trust and keeps them engaged with your courses.
3. Increased Course Sales
Email automation can gently encourage leads to enroll through targeted promotions or exclusive deals. By setting up relevant triggers and sales sequences, you can consistently drive sales by reaching out at the perfect moments.
4. Personalized Student Journeys
Once a lead becomes a student, automation helps craft a personalized learning path.
Email automation lets you send the right message to the right student at the right moment. Whether they’ve just signed up or are about to complete a module, you can guide them through a personalized learning experience that feels tailor-made just for them.
5. Streamlined Communication
No more worrying about keeping track of who needs what info. Automation ensures that all your students receive the right updates, welcome emails, or course announcements, keeping everyone in the loop without any hassle.
Email automation simply gives all your leads and students the best experience with your brand. But if you’re still not impressed, here are some additional use cases where email automation can save leads and customers and further boost your revenue:
Abandoned Cart Automation: Reach out to potential students who didn’t complete their purchase, reminding them of the value your course offers.
Failed Payment Automation: Automatically notify students of any payment issues, helping them resolve problems quickly.
Win-Back Student Automation: If a student hasn’t engaged with your course in a while, check in to see how they’re doing and offer support, encouraging them to get back on track.
By leveraging email automation, you can enhance your marketing efforts, maintain strong connections with students, and streamline your operations.
Email Automation Best Practices
Now let’s look into a couple more ways you can make email automation work for you.
1. Always be optimizing
Automation isn’t just about setting it and forgetting it.
Olly takes a continuous improvement approach to his email sequences. This means regularly reviewing the performance of his automated emails and making adjustments to improve their effectiveness.
By tweaking subject lines, email content, and calls to action, he ensures that each email resonates with his audience and encourages them to stay connected.
2. Keep your automation fresh
To keep automation fresh and effective, regular updates and testing are crucial.
Olly frequently updates his email sequences to reflect new courses, changing audience needs, or fresh insights.
He also conducts A/B testing, which involves sending two different versions of an email to see which one performs better.
This helps him refine his strategy and keep his audience engaged with relevant content.
Incorporating automation into your email marketing strategy can provide consistent communication with your audience, leading to steady revenue.
By following Olly’s example and focusing on continuous improvement, you can optimize your email campaigns and watch your online course business thrive.
Creative Approaches To Email Marketing
Standing out in a crowded inbox is no easy task, but with a little imagination and personal touch, you can capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged.
Let’s explore some creative approaches to email marketing.
1. Craft subject lines that grab attention
First impressions matter, especially in email marketing.
Your subject line is the first thing your subscribers see, and it determines whether they’ll open your email or not.
Olly knows the power of a catchy subject line; he crafts them to spark curiosity and entice readers to click.
But make sure that the content inside actually delivers. You can only get away with click-bait subject lines once or twice max, so don’t make it a habit.
Engaging stories, useful tips, and relatable anecdotes make sure subscribers feel like each email is worth their time.
2. Address objections using dynamic emails
Every potential student has their doubts and questions, and addressing these directly can make a huge difference.
Olly uses dynamic emails to tackle common objections head-on.
What are dynamic emails? These are personalized content that addresses specific concerns and are sent based on specific triggers – for example: visiting a specific landing page or filling up a form.
One of our favorite ways to use this is by asking a question with multiple-choice answers and setting up an automation that sends an email based on what the reader clicks on.
By using dynamic emails to address specific objections, Olly makes it easier for subscribers to see the value in his courses. This might involve sharing success stories, testimonials, or even addressing common fears about learning a new language.
By proactively answering questions, he builds trust and encourages his audience to take the next step.
3. Let your personality shine through
Adding a personal touch to your emails can transform them from generic messages to meaningful conversations.
Olly incorporates elements of his personality into his emails, whether it’s through humor, personal stories, or unique insights.
This personal touch makes subscribers feel like they’re connecting with a real person, not just a business.
Using images, GIFs, or interactive elements, can also enhance the reading experience and make your emails stand out.
By focusing on attention-grabbing subject lines, addressing objections, and adding a personal touch, you can create emails that not only get opened but also inspire action from your subscribers.
Sum Up & One Impactful Thing You Can Do Right Now
Alright, wrapping up. Here are the top takeaways to keep in mind:
1. Consistency is crucial
Regular communication with your audience ensures that you remain at the forefront of their minds.
Whether it’s a daily email or a weekly newsletter, find a rhythm that keeps your subscribers engaged without overwhelming them.
And use email automation so you don’t overwhelm you and your team.
2. Personalization matters
Tailoring your emails to meet the specific needs and interests of your audience can significantly boost engagement.
Using segmentation helps you deliver the right message to the right people, making your communications more relevant and effective.
3. Tell stories and let your readers know you
Captivating your audience with stories not only makes your emails more enjoyable but also builds a personal connection.
Whether it’s your own journey or a success story from one of your students, storytelling is a great way to resonate with your readers.
Ready to put these insights into action?
Here’s a simple step you can take immediately to start boosting your email marketing efforts:
Create a lead magnet.
Here’s how:
- Log on to your Google or YouTube Analytics and look for the content that’s attracting the most visitors.
- Think about what you can create so this content can provide even more value.
- Maybe it’s a helpful checklist, a spreadsheet, or a quick one-page cheat sheet? Don’t overthink it and don’t plan to produce a 150-page ebook. Think super simple.
- Take 15-30 minutes to create that content add-on. (Use AI tools!)
- Now you have a lead magnet, congrats! Start collecting emails and showing up for your subscribers.
By taking this small step today, you’ll begin to understand your audience better and lay the groundwork for a successful email marketing strategy.