The slides from my 2015 Microconf talk on how to write Drip email courses.

1. How to write email
courses
Jacob Funnell – @EmphasisWriting

2. Example: Homeworking in Brighton
@jot

3. Picking a course topic

4. Everything you
know about
a topic Amount you can usefully cover in
a few emails

5. Example: Speak in a Week
• Seven-day course
• One objective: have a
conversation at the end of a week

6. Solve a problem

7. The Halo effect
What people now
assume you know
about a topic
Amount you have shown
you know in a few emails

8. Make the reader
a better person

9. Example: Charge What You’re Worth
• Gets readers to ask questions
in a worksheet.
• Focuses reader on problem.

10. Example: Serve Mastery
• Asks readers to respond to
initial email.
• Increases chance reader will
actually do the course!

11. Tell people something useful
• Write things that a user can act on.
• Don’t cram everything into one email.

13. Be personal
• Tell stories about your own struggle.

14. Be personal
• Tell stories about your own struggle.
• Encourage people to add you on
Twitter or Facebook.

15. Be confident
. • Make it clear you believe in your own course
and content.
• Don’t be timid about giving advice

16. Example: Serve Mastery
“The reason why I'm excited to share
this course is simple: I know it can
have a huge impact on your tennis
game.”

17. AVOID underconfidence!
An example of what you shouldn’t write:
"I hope you are looking forward to my email
course that will help you simplify your life,
which is in my opinion, an essential pre-step to
living a life of freedom."

18. Be supportive
• Insecurities are everywhere.
• Reassure readers that they can achieve what
they want to.

19. Example: Ship by September
"It’s perfectly normal to struggle with starting
a project, staying the course, and finishing.
You are normal. Your struggles are normal.
And those struggles are not a personal
failing, and they’re not eternal."

20. Three main principles
1) Pick a small topic you can cover
thoroughly
2) Make the user better with each email
3) Be supportive, personal and confident

21. Learn by seeing what others do
Benny Lewis: www.fluentin3months.com
Amy Hoy: www.30x500.com
Brennan Dunn: www.doubleyourfreelancing.com
Ian Westermann: www.essentialtennis.com
Jon Markwell: http://www.theskiff.org
My course: www.writing-skills.com

22. Three main principles
1) Pick a small topic you can cover
thoroughly
2) Make the user better with each email
3) Be supportive, personal and confident