We presume that you are already aware of how important email marketing is for the growth of your business. But have you ever faced times when you feel like nothing is happening? You send all those boring emails week after week only to bore your clients even more. But how can you spice it up, then?
Have you heard about Soap Opera Sequence? It falls under email marketing automation, where you create a sequence of several emails that you send to someone once they subscribe to your service. It may be the key to your perfect email marketing solution. So, let’s deconstruct what a soap opera sequence is and how to create one.
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What is a Soap Opera Sequence?
So, what do you understand about soap operas? Most of you know that soap operas are TV series showing stories about domestic issues. These series are like modern web series that leave you hanging with the ending of each episode. But those were called soap operas because most of those series were sponsored by soap companies.
In email marketing, a soap opera sequence is a sequence of 5 automated emails that basically have the same function. These emails are used to hang your customers in suspense and drive them to the CTA (call to action). It focuses on telling an interesting story through a series of emails.
Mantas J. from peakminute.com
Each email in this sequence not only relates to the previous one but there is a huge build-up of dramatic flair in the episodic narrative. It keeps the reader engaged. The main purpose of the soap opera sequence is to set the stage and drive the customer to take action. Here is how it is done.
How to Create a Soap Opera Sequence:
1. Set the Stage
With the first email, you get to introduce yourself to your clients. Many people would take this as a chance of telling the main plot of the story- something you should never do. Instead, it is where you prepare the stage. With the first email, you can build some anticipation.
The best way to do that is by starting your email with a promise of telling your customers a secret. The secret should be about how you faced a problem and got away with it. The secret has to be something big and juicy. So, when you prepare your stage, build the suspense without getting into any sort of details.
The first email should have a teaser about the second one telling what your client should expect next.
2. High Drama
The next email you send in this sequence is called ‘high drama’. Here you set the backstory of the drama. So, you have to be creative enough and find out about some really fascinating obstacles. These obstacles will be the ones you will get over with your big secret.
You can take your inspiration from some of your favourite soap operas to find such storylines. However, do focus on problems that your audience may also face. Like, how your company got into serious trouble and you found a way out. The more your customers connect, the better chances you get.
You don’t reveal any secrets here. Instead, you just tell them the backstory of what and why it happened. In the end, you give a hint of what is coming next. In the next email, you tell them you will reveal the big secret that saved you from the disaster. Thus, it keeps them hooked even further.
3. The Epiphany
In the next email, you finally reveal your epiphany or the secret. Yes, revealing the secret right here may seem a little bit early. But, hey! You are not here to make a copy. Instead, your job is to inform others about your struggle and how this secret helped you overcome that.
But do you not wonder that if you reveal the secret now, what would happen ahead? Why will even people read the next email in the sequence? A valid question, indeed. But, here’s the trick. You tell them the secret with this promise that you will describe it more in the next email.
So, basically, in this email, you give them an idea, whereas, in the next, you tell them how it helped.
4. Hidden Benefits
Now the fourth email in the sequence is about the hidden benefits of your product. Now that you have gained their trust by revealing your personal experience with the product (secret), you have to make them feel it. They should have a clear idea of the benefits your product offers to them.
Different people have different personas. So, your focus should be on personalized details that would make your product a must-have for them. At this point, your customer would already be interested in your product and would like to know more. So, share a link to your product details that, if they want, they can check.
5. Call to Action
So, this is the final step of the soap opera sequence. At this stage, you push your readers down the sales funnel to convert them into your customers. In all the previous emails, you have tickled your reader a lot of time to take some action. But, in this email, there is a sense of urgency.
You can introduce them to some benefits of subscribing or address some limited-time sales or discounts. Scheduled webinars and exclusive deals are some great options for enticing your customers. It wouldn’t be your last email, of course. But it should push them to take action.
When to Use Soap Opera Sequence?
Soap Opera Sequences are very effective in email marketing. However, using it here and there isn’t going to bring you profit. You have to know when and where you can use the song opera sequence.
During a Product Launch
Using the soap opera sequence before a new product launch is an excellent idea. You can tell your audience about your personal experience with the product you are going to launch. The soap opera really works great when you are going to launch a product or service of your brand.
Telling Your Customers’ Experience
If you have an exciting experience of some clients having your service, you can relate with others. Using a soap opera sequence will help you tell the story more interactively. Your customers will put themselves in their place and relate to the story, which will lead to trust-building.
At this point, your entire focus should be on your client’s experience, and the epiphany would be how you or your product helped him get over the problem. Again, it helps a lot to build a trust factor.
Announce Big News
Do you have some big news regarding your company that you would like to share with your audience? If yes, you can build a soap opera sequence and get the job done. For example, you can talk about opening a new company or new service and delivering your message to them.
Share Your Company’s Backstory
Informing people about your company is a good idea to establish a trust factor. When they come to know how you started your business, they will be more aware of your existence. In addition, it helps them to trust your products even more. So, the soap opera sequence can also be used to tell your company’s backstory to build an emotional connection.
How to Write the Perfect Soap Opera Sequence Story
Build a Relatable Character
It is the character to whom your audience will relate. If your character has “super-powers,” your audience will think of it as an exception and drop the story. Hence, the character should be someone like all of us.
It must not be perfect and go through real-life challenges. Remember, a soap opera is a domestic series talking about domestic or daily life problems.
Be Real
Try to be real when you write the story. Yes, being somewhat diplomatic may reduce the number of haters, but it will also not bring you money. It will help your audience to connect with you more.
Write in Simple Terms
Remember that you are not writing a novel. Instead, your goal is to build suspense and an emotional connection with your readers. So, try to use the simplest language so that everyone can understand it.
Create Urgency
The whole sequence of the email will, in some ways, push your customer to take action. But, creating urgency is what you have to do in the last email of the soap opera sequence. Here are some tips for creating urgency in the emails:
- Create a limited-time offer. It works great as people feel like leaving some value-saving offers.
- Give a hint that your supply is limited, and once it is out of stock, they cannot get it again.
- Show them the danger of what can happen if they don’t make a purchase fast.
Wrapping up
By adding a soap opera sequence in your email marketing strategy you will increase your engagement and conversions. BTW I first read about this in the book DotComSecrets, which I recommend read to you as well if you want to learn more great marketing techniques.
