Although I understand the basic elements of email marketing, I still struggle with writing emails and maintaining consistency. I often feel the urge to email my list but end up sending nothing because I have no idea what to say.
Even when I do have an idea, I can’t figure out how to fit it into a clear, functional process to convert leads. There’s no coherence in my approach, which frustrates the engineer in me.
It feels like I’m just winging it without direction.
How do I tame my subscribers who comes as perfect strangers to become loyal fans who know, like, and trust me—without overwhelming them or coming across as spammy?
Unsurprisingly, this is where most of us, starters, will fail miserably.
As soon as we start growing our email list, the desire for quick profits can make us impatient. As a result, we focus on making money just to prove we can, mistakenly believing that sending more offers will automatically lead to more sales. However, this approach doesn’t build real relationships. It leads to prioritizing promotions over valuable content—putting profits ahead of our subscribers’ needs and interests.
Obviously, chasing money isn’t the answer. Genuinely helping others who are struggling financially, just like I was taught to do, will ultimately bring the most meaningful success.
In order to avoid the quick money pitfall, I need a strategy to do this tricky follow-up correctly. A strategy and structure will help me evolve from an amateur who doesn’t know what he is doing, into a professional who truly puts subscribers’ interests first.
Implementing a good email strategy using AI
Documenting what I’m doing is really a good thing because it gives me the assurance that I can retrieve the information when needed. It’s like maintaining the Captain’s notebook of my journey.
This week I needed to return back a little in my notes to refresh my mind of what I have learned and said about following-up.
One can recall this post where I talked about my Fan’s business machine: “Email Marketing 2024: Achieving Compliance – Part 1“. I described there a balanced follow-up that should look like “give-give-give-ask-give-give-give-ask” to express how a beginner should build his email list.
This concept came by me when I was listening to Dean Holland talking about it’s follow-up strategy in the context of creating an email list of fans, what he called a “fan focused follow-up”.
He was opposing this to a commonly used approach to follow-up that would be described by “ask-ask-ask” or “take-take-take”, an email follow-up centered around making offers until the lead unsubscribe or report as spam!
The “fan focused follow-up” strategy as taught by Dean is centered around developing the relationship with an audience with some offers built in, hence, balancing relationship-building and conversion-focused messaging. It is based on best practices in email marketing for nurturing audiences without overwhelming the reader.
Clearly, for a beginner in needs to build-up his reputation (remember also email restrictions are not what they were a few years ago), Dean’s “fan focused follow-up” philosophy is the one I want to apply to my business.
Today I’ve deepen a bit more my research about the topic using AI as a search tool and I found out that these balanced frameworks are most often used by leading email marketers to build trust (no-pitch or “give”), subtly introduce offers (light pitch), and then present direct calls-to-action (strong pitch or “ask”).
While not being explicitly labeled as no-pitch, light-pitch, strong pitch, these strategies are taught in popular courses and marketing books like “DotCom Secrets” by Russell Brunson, “The Email Marketing Blueprint” by Ben Settle, and of course “The Iceberg Effect” by Dean Holland, my mentor and founder of Internet Profits ltd.
If you haven’t, then put these books on your shopping list. I recommend that you read them, in your spare times or before going to bed, as you wish. Either case, you’ll sleep better.😴
For the sake of creating a structure for a balanced sequence of emails that align with the teachings of those successful marketers, I asked ChatGPT to express their strategies in terms of those labels such that I can use them as building blocks to create a sequence:
–Please tell me how you can express the marketing strategies as taught by Russel Brunson and Ben Settle using labels such as “No-Pitch emails”, “Light-Pitch emails” and “Strong-Pitch emails”.
Russell Brunson and Ben Settle both offer powerful marketing frameworks, and their email strategies can easily be described using the labels “No-Pitch Emails,” “Light-Pitch Emails,” and “Strong-Pitch Emails.” Here’s how their approaches can align with these labels:
Russell Brunson’s Strategy:
Russell Brunson, known for his storytelling and sales funnel expertise (founder of ClickFunnels), emphasizes building a connection through value-driven storytelling while strategically guiding readers toward a sale.
- No-Pitch Emails: These emails build trust and connection by sharing value-packed stories, lessons, or actionable tips. They focus on education or entertainment without any direct promotion. Example: “5 Lessons I Learned from Growing ClickFunnels.”
- Light-Pitch Emails: These introduce subtle calls-to-action (CTAs), often positioning offers as solutions without heavy emphasis. Example: “By the way, if you’re serious about building your funnel, here’s a tool that can help.”
- Strong-Pitch Emails: These have clear, persuasive CTAs with urgency or scarcity, using storytelling to create desire and FOMO. Example: “The Funnel That Changed My Business Forever – And How You Can Get Yours Too (Offer Ends Tonight!)”
Ben Settle’s Strategy:
Ben Settle is a master of daily emails and persuasion, known for his unapologetically direct and engaging approach.
- No-Pitch Emails: Ben rarely avoids pitching completely, but if he did, the content would likely focus solely on storytelling, opinions, or niche insights with strong entertainment value.
- Light-Pitch Emails: Even in lighter pitches, Settle uses “soft nudges” by casually mentioning his products without pressure. Example: “I was reading through my Email Players newsletter and thought you might like this strategy…”
- Strong-Pitch Emails: Ben Settle is famous for his strong-pitch emails, which are often bold, direct, and unapologetically persuasive. He frequently uses humor, intrigue, and contrarian angles to drive action. Example: “Only One Thing Stands Between You and Massive Email Success – Grab It Here Before It’s Too Late.”
In summary, both marketers excel in crafting sequences that maintain engagement without overwhelming subscribers with relentless sales pitches, making their methods a perfect fit for your structured email strategy.
- No-Pitch Emails: Focus on providing value without asking for anything in return. This builds trust and nurtures the relationship. Content categories for these emails revolve around storytelling, actionable tips, mindset shifts, and behind-the-scenes insights.
- Light Pitch Emails: These emails subtly introduce a promotional element while remaining value-driven. Light pitches are often presented through stories, personal experiences, or sharing book excerpts, making the pitch feel organic rather than salesy.
- Strong Pitch Emails: Here, you go directly for the sale by highlighting success stories, urgency, or the specific value of the product you’re promoting.
Now, one may ask what content should be best appropriate for each of those email type?
Once again, AI is a good tool to answer this question, so I asked ChatGPT:
Could you please give me a list of several email content categories to fit inside the “no-pitch”, “light-pitch”, and “strong pitch” email types inspired by Russel Brunson and Ben Settle.
Here is the answer:
Great question! Here’s a structured list of email content categories to fit inside the No-Pitch, Light-Pitch, and Strong-Pitch email types, inspired by Russell Brunson’s Attractive Character framework and Ben Settle’s Email Persuasion strategies.
📩 No-Pitch Emails (Value-Driven, Relationship-Building)
👉 Goal: Build trust, provide value, and engage without directly selling.
- Educational & How-To Emails
- “The #1 Mistake New Affiliate Marketers Make”
- “3 Simple Hacks to Grow Your Online Business”
- “How I Overcame (Pain Point) and What You Can Do Too”
- Behind-the-Scenes/Personal Story Emails
- “What My First Failed Business Taught Me”
- “The Moment Everything Changed for Me”
- “A Day in My Life as an Affiliate Marketer”
- Inspirational & Motivational Emails
- “Why You’re Closer Than You Think”
- “The Real Reason Most People Fail (And How to Avoid It)”
- “If You’re Feeling Stuck, Read This”
- Engagement Emails (Ask for Replies & Interaction)
- “What’s Your Biggest Struggle with Starting an Online Business?”
- “Quick Question: If You Could Achieve One Thing in 90 Days, What Would It Be?”
- “Tell Me—What’s Holding You Back Right Now?”
- Industry News & Trends
- “Big Changes Coming to Affiliate Marketing (Are You Ready?)”
- “What TikTok’s (or another platform’s) New Rules Mean for You”
- Myth-Busting Emails
- “The Truth About Making Money Online (No One Talks About This)”
- “Is Affiliate Marketing Dead? Let’s Set the Record Straight”
📩 Light-Pitch Emails (Soft Promotion & Social Proof)
👉 Goal: Subtly introduce offers through storytelling, education, or testimonials.
- Story-Based Emails with a Lesson
- “How This One Shift Helped Me Finally Succeed”
- “The Hard Lesson I Learned That Changed My Business”
- Light pitch at the end: “If you’re on this journey too, The Iceberg Effect breaks it down step by step—grab your copy here.”
- Social Proof & Case Study Emails
- “From Skeptical to Profitable: [Person’s Name]’s Story”
- “Meet [Student Name]—How They Went From Confused to Confident”
- “Proof That This System Works (Real People, Real Results)”
- Objection Handling Emails
- “I Thought This Was a Scam Too—Until I Saw This”
- “I Don’t Have Time to Start a Business (Here’s the Truth)”
- “I’m Not Tech-Savvy—Can I Still Make This Work?”
- “Why I Wish I Knew This Sooner” Emails
- “If I Had to Start Over, Here’s What I’d Do Differently”
- “Why I Wish I Had This Book When I First Started”
- A Day in the Life of a Successful Affiliate Marketer
- “What I Actually Do Each Day (And What You Can Skip)”
📩 Strong-Pitch Emails (Direct Offers & Urgency)
👉 Goal: Get the reader to take action with clear, compelling reasons to buy.
- “Why Haven’t You Grabbed This Yet?” Emails
- “Still Thinking About It? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Wait”
- “I Don’t Want You to Miss This…”
- “Your Window of Opportunity is Closing—Act Now”
- Scarcity & Urgency Emails
- “This Won’t Be Available Forever—Here’s Why”
- “Final Call: Get This Before It’s Gone”
- “You Have 24 Hours to Decide…”
- Direct Offer Breakdown Emails
- “Everything You Get When You Order The Iceberg Effect”
- “Why This Book is the Shortcut You’ve Been Looking For”
- “The System That’s Helping People Quit Their Jobs (And How You Can Too)”
- Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Emails
- “Imagine Where You Could Be in 6 Months If You Start Now”
- “Others Are Taking Action—Are You?”
- The Cost of Inaction Emails
- “If You Do Nothing, Here’s What Might Happen…”
- “Will You Be in the Same Spot This Time Next Year?”
- Bonus or Limited-Time Incentive Emails
- “Order Now and Get These Exclusive Bonuses”
- “Limited Spots Available—Act Fast”
- Testimonial-Heavy Emails
- “Don’t Just Take My Word for It—Here’s What Others Are Saying”
- “These People Took Action—And Here’s What Happened”
Russell Brunson and Ben Settle both emphasize storytelling, engagement, and trust-building before pitching aggressively.
Based on my understanding, these content categories are drawn from a blend of experience in email marketing, common industry practices, and insights from affiliate marketing, and are designed to help one’s audience build trust while guiding them toward taking action (e.g., ordering a free book like “The Iceberg Effect” 😉).
OK, let’s build my strategy now
My follow-up strategy should incorporate a well balanced mix of content and offers. Furthermore, it should aim at keeping the relationship going on after my leads have completed my automated welcoming sequence of 15-days, while still helping to build trust. As a result of this process, my goal is to sell a maximum of “The Iceberg Effect” book.
Now, knowing what are the qualities and structure of a good follow-up campaign for a beginner like me, I can ask ChatGPT to help me build a functional strategy, perfectly tailored to my personal needs. To do this, I need to tell ChatGPT who is my marketing Avatar (Persona).
Hello. Could you please recall Alex my marketing Avatar
ChatGPT:
Of course! Here’s a quick refresher on Alex, your marketing avatar:
Alex – Your Ideal Audience Persona
- Demographics: Males & females, ages 25-50, primarily from English-speaking countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia).
- Goals & Interests: Seeking career shifts or additional income streams, interested in financial independence, flexibility, work-life balance, and personal growth. Passionate about online business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and digital marketing.
- Behavioral Traits:
- Spends significant time researching online opportunities.
- Active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
- Prefers beginner-friendly, step-by-step guidance.
- Pain Points:
- Knowledge gap & overwhelm – Struggles to know where to start.
- Fear of failure – Worries about scams, wasting time/money.
- Time constraints – Balances work, family, and commitments.
- Tech anxiety – Feels unsure about using digital tools.
- Skepticism – Needs proof of success before trusting a program.
- How You Position Yourself:
- Share your journey with Internet Profits Ltd for relatability & credibility.
- Emphasize beginner-friendly resources & coaching.
- Showcase success stories to counter skepticism.
- Provide actionable tips & mini-trainings to build trust.
- Leverage YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to grow and engage your audience.
Would you like me to refine any part of this based on recent changes in your strategy? 🚀
And there it is, back to life.
Once you are logged into your account, ChatGPT can retrieve some elements of your history. This is what I did here. I asked him to retrieve my marketing Avatar so I ensure he still has it and that it’s like what I’m expecting it to be. See my post “Let AI Craft Your Marketing Avatar For You In A Snap“.
I pursue telling my situation:
-Thank you. I have a Facebook lead ad campaign running. Each leads I get from this campaign are like Alex my marketing Avatar. After they opt-in, they undergo a welcoming sequence of 15 days where I present myself, tell them about my story, what I do now, and I try occasionally to sell the “Iceberg Effect book”.
That sounds like a great way to build trust and introduce your audience to your journey! Do you need help optimizing your welcome sequence, refining your email content, or planning the next steps after the 15-day sequence to keep engagement high? 😊
-Once Alex have completed my welcoming sequence, I want to keep the engagement high with him. Inspired by the philosophy of Russel Brunson, Dean Holland, and Ben Settle, help me plan the next steps that would maximize engagement without overwhelming Alex with constant sales pitches. Use the building blocks “no-pitch”, “light pitch”, and “strong-pitch” to build my follow-up sequence. Take into account that Alex will not open all my emails.
Ongoing Follow-Up Email Strategy for Alex
This strategy follows a 3-emails-per-week structure, balancing engagement, storytelling, and offers while accounting for the fact that Alex won’t open every email.
Building Block Mix
- No-Pitch Emails (50%) → Pure value, personal stories, lessons, and engagement-focused emails.
- Light-Pitch Emails (30%) → Soft pitches embedded in valuable content (e.g., mentioning The Iceberg Effect while teaching a lesson).
- Strong-Pitch Emails (20%) → Direct promotional emails with urgency, bonuses, or social proof.
Week 1 Example
1️⃣ Monday – No Pitch → “The #1 Thing I Wish I Knew Before Starting Affiliate Marketing”
- Pure value email sharing a key insight Alex would find useful.
- Ends with an open-ended question: “Have you faced this challenge before? Hit reply and let me know!”
2️⃣ Wednesday – Light Pitch → “The Shortcut I Found (So You Don’t Have to Struggle)”
- Storytelling format—your journey, struggles, and how The Iceberg Effect helped.
- Subtle CTA: “This book saved me months of frustration. If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet, here’s the link.”
3️⃣ Friday – Strong Pitch → “Your Chance to Learn What the Gurus Won’t Tell You”
- Direct promo email with urgency, success stories, or a limited-time bonus.
- Clear CTA: “Don’t wait—get your copy of The Iceberg Effect today!”
4-Week Cycle Structure
- Week 1: No Pitch → Light Pitch → Strong Pitch
- Week 2: No Pitch → Light Pitch → No Pitch
- Week 3: Light Pitch → No Pitch → Strong Pitch
- Week 4: No Pitch → Light Pitch → Strong Pitch
This ensures Alex doesn’t feel bombarded with sales emails but still sees multiple opportunities to buy.
Additional Strategies to Keep Alex Engaged
✅ Subject Line Variety → Use curiosity, storytelling, questions, and direct value to increase open rates.
✅ Occasional Q&A Emails → Ask Alex to reply with his biggest struggle—this builds connection.
✅ Re-engagement Emails → Every 4-6 weeks, send a “Hey, still interested?” email to wake up inactive leads.
✅ Exclusive Bonuses or Mini-Challenges → Every few months, offer an incentive to encourage action.
Next Steps
Would you like me to draft a few example emails based on this structure? Or adjust the mix based on what you feel works best for Alex? 🚀
Perfect! This is exactly what I wanted to have: a structured email follow-up plan for Alex my Persona.
Now that I have a clear plan to follow, let’s get the job done and go write these emails. ChatGPT have kindly offered his services to help in this regards. Guess what? He will get busy tonight! 😜
Hope you found this post informative. AI is a nice tool but it can also make mistakes and it remains to us, humans, to always verify the data before using it. OK?
This being said,
Happy follow-up!
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