3 Easy Ways For Nutrition And Health Coaches Like You To Use For Targeted Email Marketing (And Get More Clients Right Away!)

Email marketing is the best way to stay connected to your audience, make money and grow your business.  Hands down. Especially when you utilize a highly targeted email marketing campaign, and targeted email campaigns.  

Suffice it to say, there is no substitute for email.  You must build an email list. Now.

When someone gives you permission to email them, they are taking an action that basically says, “I want what you have...help me!!!” and that’s exactly what you want: People who WANT to hear more from you!

If there is one thing you’re going to be consistent with and committed to in your business, regardless of the stage you’re currently at, it should be regularly loving on your email list and your ability to send targeted email. (More on exactly how to use email marketing to get more nutrition clients in a minute…we’re getting there.)

Email Engagement In Your Targeted Email Marketing Strategy Is Probably The Best Indicator Of Success In Your Practice

Notice I didn’t say the size of your list will equate to your success...because that’s not always the case. One of the benefits of targeted email marketing is that it focuses on an engaged small email list - with personalized emails - that can build relationships and yield way more paying clients / members / potential clients than a huge list of people who aren’t opening up your emails. 

In other words, quality over quantity.  

Targeting your customer will lead to a bigger quantity of higher quality over time. Every time.  #winning

Some pointers and technical considerations for your email marketing campaigns

Everyone starts at 0. Your mind will go to a very negative place sometimes and tell you that it’s too hard...but you are super smart so you won’t listen to that. Just remember that everyone starts at zero and you will get better results building your list as you go. 

Priority #1 → just start

I talked all about building my email list (which only had 19 people on it after a year) in this article if you need a little perspective on how quickly the strategies we’re talking about today can compound. Spoiler: After a year of implementing these 3 things, my email list was at almost 3000 subscribers!

Remember: You don't have to get it perfect, or agonize over what you think might be the most irresistible subject line. You already know you have a relevant message. You just have to get it going.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good in any new health coach marketing strategies you try. (Or anything in your business and life, for that matter!)

Choosing your email service provider and considerations in how to choose your ESP

Before we move onto how to use email to build know, like, trust and respect between you and your subscribers so they become enthusiastic paying clients, let’s take a moment to discuss which ESP (email service provider) platform you should use.

The answer is: The one you will use. Don’t overthink this, ok?

Should you use a free email service provider or a paid version?

The good news is that you have OPTIONS. And, as always, there are pros and cons to each one.

First and foremost, you are going to choose whether or not you’re paying for your email service provider each month. Basically, you’ll get more bells and whistles if you’re paying than if you’re not. With that being said, you can change at any point, so this isn’t a life and death situation. Relax.

 Either way you must make sure your email software can:

• Send automated sequences
• Deliver files (like PDFs) when subscribers opt-in
• Tag/ segment subscribers
• Easily connect and integrate with your website
• Export your subscriber list if you decide to switch ESPs
• That it is easy and intuitive enough for your level of tech capabilities

 I use THIS EMAIL PLATFORM and recommend it to all my clients and members because it’s an all-in-one software.  Best yet, it keeps everything you need in one place:

• Your website 
• Online courses 
• Membership site
• Email list 
• Live events like Zoom calls 
• Community forums 
• Lead magnets 
• Landing pages 
• Checkout pages 
• Recurring payment processing 
• And literally everything else you need to market your health coaching business 

Caveat: If you’re not planning to offer digital products like a membership site or online courses, you really don’t need to use an all-in-one software like Kajabi.

Your email list is a huge asset that will continue to increase in value over time

Just like your website, you want to  invest your resources into improving and maintaining your assets...so do not say to yourself, “I’ll start collecting email addresses when I get to [insert bogus $ metric, client amount, date here].”

NO!

That would be like renting a house (social media pages/platforms) and fixing up that rental property with all your sweat equity while the house you actually own (your website and email list) don’t even get a fresh coat of paint every year.

I have been a real estate broker for 15+ years. Can you tell? 

Anyway, you’re going to heed all my advice and start connecting with your dreamies via this magical thing called email marketing TODAY because it’s the smart thing to do.

Even if you don’t feel like you’re any good at writing email copy and it’s hard. Even if all your subscribers share your last name. Deal? Let’s get to it.

3 Ways To Use Targeted Email Marketing To Get More Clients

1. Supply value to your list on a weekly basis through broadcasts

An email broadcast is the most common way that you’ll see email marketing used, which is when the sender compiles a valuable piece of email content that will be relevant and helpful for her subscribers, and sends it out to everyone at once.

Usually broadcasts are sent weekly, which is what I will encourage you to do as well.

The practice of sending out weekly email broadcasts to your email list gets you used to the habit, which means you start prioritizing email list building because you want to maximize your efforts and reach more subscribers, and along the way you find your "voice".

PRO TIP: Pretend you're writing to ONE person, your absolute dream client or member, which will make it so much easier. Avoid phrasing your emails with "you all" or anything impersonal that will remind your reader that you aren’t talking to them in particular. Write your email broadcasts as you would if you were sending an email to a friend, even if your 8th grade English teacher would not approve.

Your 8th grade English teacher wasn’t teaching you how to write copy that converts to sales, after all. This is a new skill.

ONE MORE PRO TIP: Keep your paragraphs very short. One to two sentences, then a line break. This will keep your reader engaged so they keep scrolling, versus long blocks of text that seem overwhelming or too long to read. Whitespace is your friend.

If you’re a little stuck on what content to actually send in these broadcasts, consider the questions you’re already being asked by your dream clients, or the questions they’re already asking online. (We call this copy stalking inside the Inner Circle membership...it’s life changing.)

Your email broadcasts can be the value in and of themselves, or sometimes you can give a quick context about why something is important and then link to external content that will be interesting or helpful to your subscribers.

That content can be yours (repurposed social media posts, blog content, podcast, videos, etc) or an external resource that you’ve curated as helpful for your list. (Recipes, 3rd party articles, etc)

Notice how I keep mentioning your “dream client or member”?

I’m taking a leap here and assuming that you’ve already narrowed your niche or are focusing on solving problems for a specific group of people, so you have a treasure trove of struggles, challenges, questions and tips to talk to them about.

Writing your email broadcasts is going to be infinitely easier and more valuable when you’re solving the exact problems your niche is searching for answers to, and as a result you’ll be positioning yourself as the expert.

Clients pay money to work with experts.

If you’re not decided on your niche yet, that’s fine. You’ll send email broadcasts about a variety of problems your potential clients have along with offering the (paid) solution to them which is working with you. Just make sure you are sticking to ONE problem per email and really dialing it in. You don’t want to have multiple topics in one email broadcast that becomes confusing to the reader.

Ok, off my soapbox now: You’ve got to start somewhere with your email marketing, and weekly broadcasts are a great opportunity to get your feet wet.

Schedule time in your calendar every single week to get that beauty written and sent out!

2. Turn those email broadcasts into evergreen email sequences that take your subscribers on a journey with you

Now this is where your email game gets taken to the next level. 

When I say the word ‘evergreen’, I’m referring to something that’s available all the time. In this instance, it means that whenever a subscriber opts in to your list, they automatically get subscribed to the evergreen email sequence which will automatically deliver those precious emails to them at whatever interval you have set.

Is that Greek to you right now? Don’t worry. We’ll unpack this in detail.

First, you need to understand the purpose of an automated email sequence, which is for your email subscribers to be systematically introduced to you, your awesomeness, and (eventually) your paid offer.

During this process, they’ll also be conditioning themselves to anticipate and open your emails.

This is the most important part!

By reverse-engineering the trail of breadcrumbs you want your subscribers to follow from newbie website visitor to working with you in your paid program, you’ll have the opportunity to build suspense and anticipation for future emails so they continue to open them.

At the beginning of this article I emphasized the importance of email open rates, remember? It doesn’t matter how life-changing those emails are if no one is opening them. 

Sidebar: This is another reason I love Kajabi for email. The metrics reporting for open rates, unsubscribes, click throughs, etc is very intuitive and easy to understand. Make sure any email platform you use has metrics reporting that’s easy to navigate.

How to create an epic email sequence

Step 1

Take some time to write out the beliefs and mindset shifts that your dream client will need to undergo before she is ready to work with you as a paying client or member.

Undoubtedly, she (or he) will need to believe in you, believe in your process and that you can help solve the big pain point she has, but most importantly, she will need to believe that it’s possible for her.

Re-read that last line one more time. It’s everything.

Your automated email sequence has the power to do this.

 Step 2

Look at the email broadcasts you’ve already sent out to your list, and pay attention to the ones with the highest open rates and the most engagement or clicks

Clearly these emails resonated with your dreamies already, so don’t reinvent the wheel; copy and paste those bad boys right into your automated sequence!

 Step 3

Fill in the remaining email slots in your sequence with your best content that will take your subscriber on the journey you want them to take. The trail of breadcrumbs, as we say.

Your automated sequence can be anywhere from 5 days (5 daily emails) to 14+ days if you have a lot of content. Somewhere in between is usually the sweet spot.

Include your story and why it makes you the best person to help your dreamies solve their big problem. We all love to know the juicy details of someone’s life experiences, why you’re an expert on this (usually tied to your personal story, of course, so this can be a 2-part email that builds anticipation between installments). 

Be sure to also include testimonials and results from past clients and/or your own results (make sure you’re compliant with your claims and verbiage, of course), and a smattering of valuable resources that will get some quick wins for your subscribers.

Sound like a tall order? It’s really not. You probably have most of these emails already written somewhere! (See strategy #3 below)

I know this can seem tedious, but I assure you it’s the absolute best way to spend your time as you’re gaining traction in your business and really establishing yourself as a valuable resource in your niche.

Having a super specific niche is so important! In fact, we have an entire bonus course inside The Profitable Nutritionist program that teaches exactly how to do this whole email sequence thang, because there's a method to the madness, and it’s so important! 

Doing this work will force you into the mind of your dreamies, and you will come out the other side with such clarity on exactly what beliefs and shifts you need to help them achieve before they believe that getting the results they're searching for is possible for them. We go deep.

3. Repurpose your best emails into blog posts, social media content, YouTube videos, and anything else you can think of!

If you’re anything like me at the beginning of my online nutrition practice, and every single member of my paid programs, for that matter, you might be nervous about "spamming" your audience with the same content over and over and sending too many emails to them.

I promise you...cross my heart...if they’re your dream clients, they don't mind.

First of all, they don't even notice because less than 10% of your followers on social media see your content in the first place, but also: repetition is so necessary, and repeating the basics over and over again is going to get them better results, anyway. Please trust me on this.

Don’t be afraid to send your best emails over and over again.

You also want to go through your past social media posts (if you’re on social) and pull out content that got the most engagement or was most relevant to your ideal clients. Make that into a juicy email.

Now start brainstorming the resources that you talk about the most often to your dream clients. (Books, cookbooks, podcasts, influencers, recipes, YouTube channels, blogs, etc.) Package those recommendations and resources up into as many value-packed emails as needed to really help your dreamies (who are now your email subscribers) to get some traction and quick wins.

Do you see how quickly your “Welcome” email sequence is writing itself just by intentionally pulling together content that’s relevant and helpful for the exact people you’re here to serve?

Two more pointers for crafting some irresistible emails, and you’ll be set. We’re almost there.

Intentionally define your “hook”

Your hook is the angle that makes you different or unique or more helpful than anyone else who also serves your niche. This will likely be a polarizing topic of some sort that you have a firm stance on, which will help to further filter your audience between those that kind of dig what you have to say, and those that need to devour every single morsel of your content because they deeply resonate with your position.

For example: I teach nutritionists and health coaches how to make money. That’s why you’re here, right? Just checking.  My “hook”, and probably the reason you’re still reading this article right now, is because I specifically teach health coaches how to build a thriving practice online without relying on social media.

That’s a very different stance than most business coaches teaching about growing an influence and building a business online who focus on free Facebook groups or engaging with followers on Instagram.

It’s my “hook” because I feel so deeply to the marrow of my bones that you don’t have to be glued to your phone and social media platforms to have a thriving and impactful wellness business online, because I’ve done it myself, so I talk a lot about that in my emails and with the content I share.

Your emails will resonate even deeper with your dreamies if you state your position (hook) and show them why you’re the leader that can help them achieve the results they’re looking for better than anyone else because of it.

You will turn off some people. They will unfollow and unsubscribe. That’s the point. You want your emails and all content you produce to be like a special dog whistle that only your dream clients can hear, so filtering is key.

Create “open loops” within your emails like the cliffhanger of a Netflix series. 

You’ll get better at this as you go, so don’t stress one bit if your emails aren’t nail-biters quite yet, but I encourage you to try to plant the seeds of what juicy content is to come so your subscribers are compelled to anticipate and open your next emails.

Our brains are totally wired for this. We cannot stand having unsatisfied questions or “open loops” that haven’t been resolved, which is why every single movie you’ve ever watched follows a very predictable plot that climaxes somewhere in the last half of the movie that you absolutely have to finish to see how the situation finally concludes.

Do the same thing with your emails whenever possible and leave them hanging. Create anticipation. Let them know you'll answer [huge, juicy question you’re dying to know the answer to] in a few days, etc.

They’ll be salivating over your next installment and will eagerly open that next email, which is the name of the game! By the time you include a CTA (call to action) in your emails for them to become a paying client, that offer will not go unnoticed because your subscribers will already be conditioned to open up and read everything you send.

Boom.

But I can’t stop there…

The bonus tip: for my friends who love to write: the paid newsletter

What if your automated email sequence WAS a paid offer? Whaaaatttt???

Ok, I saved this little nugget for a BONUS because I want to make sure you’re solid in your emailing skills, first, and that you are 100% sure that writing emails is your jam.

Assuming you do love to write, and you’re doing some ninja open loops and cliffhangers that are keeping your readers on the edge of their seats, you may decide that charging a few bucks for all that goodness is a great next step.

The paid newsletter could describe any gated (paid) content dripped out on an ongoing basis. No matter what format you use to deliver your content, you'll want to send that content out (or an email that links to it) in a paid newsletter via email.

This is super easy to automate within Kajabi, but I’m sure you can figure out some workarounds to make whatever technology platform you’re using work. Just make sure when someone stops paying it will automatically unsubscribe them from the paid newsletter, because you’re not going to do that manually.

The beauty of this is that you'll be "training" your audience to open emails from you, yet again.

They will expect value in each installment, and therefore will eagerly devour each love note from you that makes its way to their inbox because it’s getting them closer to the results they’re after in a systematic way. *magic*

PRO TIP: People pay for convenience and clarity. Giving step-by-step directions is what your dream clients want. They don’t want to research the options themselves and have to sift through information to figure out the next step. 

Do not underestimate the value of compiling your existing content into a step-by-step system and selling it as a paid newsletter!

We’re going to look at this as a very introductory offer that will introduce your ideal clients or members to you and your method, and will strategically move them forward to your higher priced program or 1:1 premium packages. 

For that reason, a "paid newsletter" offer would probably make the most sense, priced between $5-$20 per month billed on a monthly basis. Of course, rules are made to be broken so feel free to apply this concept in whatever way you choose.

 A paid newsletter might be perfect for you if:

• You're just starting out building your audience and email list and don't want to have a membership community yet
• You like to write
• You want to keep your tech needs very lean and simple
• You want to "test the waters" on getting your audience engaged before committing to bigger digital offers or more time-intensive programs
• You've been struggling to figure out what your "gateway" or IN offer could be
• You're stressed about constantly creating content and you're looking for a recurring membership type model where you can batch-create your content in advance

In short, if you're ready to dip your toe into this subscription model type business but a full-blown membership site is stressing you out, create a hybrid of sorts using something like a paid newsletter to get started.

Phew, that was a lot of email goodness for one article, wasn’t it?

As always, if you want to dig into this deeper and implement these email marketing strategies in real time with live feedback and coaching, you need to join The Profitable Nutritionist Program. That’s all there is to it.

You can find out all about the program and get an invitation to join by enrolling in the FREE Profitable Practice course here.