It doesn’t take much to find evidence that email as a sales and marketing strategy can drive amazing results. However, many businesses go into email marketing thinking that just a few emails are enough to make their revenue skyrocket. In reality, one email is never enough, and you need a proper lead nurturing email campaign, no matter what you sell and to whom.
But how do you create an entire email nurture sequence if you’re entirely new to email marketing and just one email is enough of a struggle? Today, we will show you everything you want to know about the lead nurturing process and how email fits in.
PS. not even the best sequence will work if you don’t have great email deliverability.
What is a lead nurturing email campaign?
A lead nurturing email campaign is a series of automated emails to build relationships with potential customers at different stages of the buyer’s journey.
The goal of a lead nurturing email sequence is to provide relevant, valuable content that educates and engages leads, gradually guiding them toward making a purchase or taking a desired action.
You can create sequences manually and simply send out emails, or you can use email sequence software such as Woodpecker.
Key components of a lead nurturing email campaign:
- Segmentation – Leads are categorized based on their behavior, interests, or stage in the sales funnel. Every email marketing platform today has built-in segmentation, allowing you to create successful marketing campaigns with minimal effort.
- Personalization – Emails are tailored to address the specific needs and challenges of each lead segment. A personalized lead nurturing sequence speaks directly to your leads and their pain points.
- Educational content – Emails often include blog posts, case studies, product guides, or industry insights to provide value. Instead of pushing for direct sales, try relationship building and showing the value of what you offer. For example, a lead magnet will guide leads through the sales and marketing funnel instead of asking for an immediate sale.
- Consistent follow-ups – A structured sequence of emails ensures that leads stay engaged over time. Your mileage may vary, but the typical lead nurturing sales sequence requires at least a handful of follow-ups to drive results.
- Calls to action (CTAs) – Each email encourages the recipient to take the next step, such as signing up for a webinar, booking a demo, or downloading a resource. As leads go through the funnel, adjust your calls to action to be more direct.
Examples of lead nurturing emails:
- Welcome email – Introduces the company and sets expectations.
- Educational email – Shares insights, blog posts, or whitepapers.
- Case study email – Shows how other customers benefited from your product or service.
- Product-specific email – Highlights features or offers a free trial, pointing the recipient to a landing page with a specific offer.
- Re-engagement email – Tries to win back inactive leads to some point in the sales process.
An effective lead nurturing campaign keeps leads engaged, builds trust, and increases the likelihood of conversion.
You can also send sequences that start with a cold email by using cold email software.
Why are email nurture sequences important?
No matter what your product or service is, what the size of your email list is, and what kind of email service provider you use, anyone can benefit from a lead nurture sequence. Here are some of the main benefits of this marketing strategy.
1. Builds trust and credibility
When potential customers receive valuable, relevant content over time, they see your brand as a knowledgeable and reliable resource.
This trust-building process makes it more likely that they will choose your product or service when they are ready to buy, whenever that may be. By sharing educational articles, case studies, and customer success stories, you establish authority in your industry and differentiate yourself from competitors, all without asking for a direct sale.
Once cold leads become sales ready leads, you will be the first brand they think of. Speaking of which…
2. Keeps your brand top-of-mind
Many leads aren’t ready to make an immediate purchase, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future. Only 27% of B2B leads are sales ready when first generated, so it’s unlikely that everyone will become a paying customer after their first email.
Regular email touchpoints help keep your business in front of them, so when they are ready to decide, your brand is the first one they consider. Even if they don’t open every email, seeing your name in their inbox reinforces brand awareness.
3. Improves lead conversion rates
A well-structured nurture sequence gradually educates leads and builds the confidence they need to take the next step.
Rather than expecting them to convert after a single interaction, nurture emails help guide them through decision-making by addressing pain points, showcasing your solution, and providing social proof. This increases the likelihood of conversion for sales email sequences compared to one-off sales emails.
Simply put, you give your leads time to research your brand, understand how it solves their pain points, and only then spend money with you.
4. Personalizes the customer journey
Not all leads have the same needs, challenges, or level of interest. By segmenting your audience based on behavior, demographics, or engagement level, you can send tailored messages relevant to each recipient group.
For example, a lead who downloads an eBook about a specific topic may receive a follow-up email with related content, while someone who requests a demo might get case studies showing real-world results.
No matter your marketing strategy, you can adapt your nurture sequence to provide the most value for your audience.
5. Reduces sales cycle length
Many sales teams struggle with long sales cycles, where leads take weeks or months to make a decision. In B2B, the average sales cycle can be over a month long. During that month, the leads may forget about your existence, which is where a lead nurturing email comes in handy.
Nurture sequences help accelerate this process by proactively addressing objections, answering common questions, and reinforcing the value of your product or service. By nurturing leads with relevant information, you keep them engaged and move them through the funnel faster.
6. Automates engagement at scale
Following up manually with every lead is time-consuming and inefficient, especially for businesses generating hundreds or thousands of leads. If you want to provide ongoing nurture sequences, you’ll need a lot of sales reps, which costs time and money.
Automated email nurture sequences allow you to engage your audience without requiring constant input from your sales or marketing team. Once set up, these emails work in the background, ensuring every lead receives the right message at the right time.
Most good email marketing tools (such as Woodpecker) offer a free template for automating your sequences, but it’s always better to personalize based on your unique needs.
7. Increases customer lifetime value (CLV)
Lead nurturing doesn’t stop after someone makes a purchase. You can use email sequences to onboard new customers, encourage product adoption, and introduce them to additional features or services.
Cross-sell and upsell campaigns within nurture sequences help maximize revenue from existing customers, increasing their lifetime value and turning them into repeat buyers.
In short, it’s not a reason to stop sending targeted content even if someone has already purchased.
How to create a lead nurturing email sequence, step by step
Creating a lead nurture sequence is not mission impossible. If you can write one good email, you can create a full-blown email nurture sequence. These are some of the most important steps in the process.
Step 1: Define your email marketing goals and audience
Before writing a single email, clarify what you want to achieve. Are you nurturing leads toward a sale, educating them about your industry, or re-engaging inactive customers? Your goal will shape everything from messaging to the number of emails you send.
Next, define your audience. Who are you trying to reach? If you’re selling project management software, a freelancer might need information different from that of a large enterprise. The more specific you can be, the better your emails will resonate and the more conversions you can get.
A helpful approach is to think of your emails like a conversation. What questions would your audience ask if you were selling your product in person? What objections would they have? Answer these in your email sequence.
Step 2: Map the customer journey
Every customer goes through a decision-making process, whether they realize it or not. Your emails should align with these stages:
- Awareness: The lead realizes they have a problem.
- Consideration: They start looking for solutions.
- Decision: They compare options and choose one.
For example, if you’re selling accounting software, a new business owner might not know they need automation (awareness). They start researching ways to save time on bookkeeping (consideration). Then, they compare different tools before making a purchase (decision).
Your email sequence should guide them through this journey. Early emails might focus on common pain points, while later ones highlight specific product benefits and customer success stories.
Step 3: Create valuable content
People don’t sign up for emails because they love marketing messages—they sign up because they want useful information. Your emails should provide value before asking for anything in return.
Here’s what “valuable content” looks like in practice:
- Education: A guide on “5 costly mistakes small business owners make in bookkeeping.”
- Inspiration: A case study on how a company cut admin work by 50% using your software.
- Practical advice: A checklist or free tool that makes the lead’s life easier.
If your emails read like sales pitches, people will tune them out. Think of it like dating—you wouldn’t propose on the first date. Build trust first.
Step 4: Segment and personalize
Not all leads are the same, so don’t treat them that way. Segmentation helps you send relevant content based on factors like:
- Behavior: Did they download an eBook? Open previous emails?
- Demographics: Are they a small business or an enterprise?
- Stage in the funnel: Have they requested a demo or just signed up?
Personalization goes beyond adding a name in the subject line. If someone downloaded a pricing guide, the next email could highlight case studies from businesses of their size. If they clicked on an email about a specific feature, send a deeper dive on that topic.
The goal is to make emails feel like a one-on-one conversation, not a mass broadcast.
Step 5: Set up automated workflows throughout the sales funnel
Manually sending emails isn’t practical, which is why automation is key. Set up a workflow that triggers emails based on user actions.
Example workflow for an eCommerce brand:
- Day 1: Welcome email with a discount code.
- Day 3: Product recommendations based on browsing history.
- Day 7: Customer review or testimonial to build trust.
- Day 10: Reminder that the discount is expiring.
Tools like Woodpecker allow you to build condition-based campaigns
For a B2B software company, the sequence might include educational content, a webinar invite, and a case study before prompting a demo request. The key is to guide leads toward the next step naturally, not overwhelm them with constant pitches.
PS. the rules are slightly different for outreach sequences to cold audiences.
Step 6: Optimize design and deliverability
Even the best email content is useless if people don’t open it. Here’s how to maximize readability and inbox placement:
- Subject lines: Keep them short and curiosity-driven (e.g., “A quick fix for [pain point]”).
- Email layout: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and images to make reading easy.
- Mobile optimization: Most emails are opened on phones—test how yours looks on small screens.
- Spam filters: Avoid spammy words like “guarantee,” “free money,” or excessive exclamation points.
- Sender reputation: Use a recognizable sender name (e.g., “Sarah from [Company]”) instead of a generic address.
If people can’t read or even receive your emails, they won’t engage with them.
Step 7: Test, analyze and refine
Email marketing isn’t “set and forget.” You need to track performance and adjust based on real data. Key metrics to watch:
- Open rate: If low, test different subject lines.
- Click-through rate: If people aren’t clicking, improve email copy or CTAs.
- Unsubscribe rate: If high, your emails might be too frequent or irrelevant.
A/B testing helps refine your approach. Try sending two subject lines and see which gets more opens. Test different email lengths or CTAs. Even small tweaks can make a big impact.
Think of it like cooking—if a dish doesn’t taste right, you tweak the ingredients, not throw the whole recipe away.
Step 8: Ensure compliance and privacy
Email marketing comes with legal responsibilities. Regulations like GDPR (Europe) and CAN-SPAM (U.S.) require:
- Clear opt-in: People must explicitly agree to receive emails from you.
- Easy opt-out: Every email should have an unsubscribe link.
- Honest sender information: No misleading subject lines or fake sender names.
Beyond legal compliance, respecting privacy builds trust. If people feel spammed or tricked, they won’t just unsubscribe—they’ll associate your brand with bad experiences and it takes a miracle to recover from this.
Conclusion
An email nurture sequence is an excellent way to turn cold leads into hot prospects and repeat customers. If you want to focus on building relationships and becoming a go-to resource for your potential customers, nurture sequences can help you achieve the majority of your marketing and sales goals.
And to get there, you need a reliable tool for the job. Woodpecker lets you use lists of cold leads and with carefully segmented and automated campaigns, grow your revenue. With Woodpecker, you can clean your lists, warm up your inboxes, segment your customers, automate follow up and much more.
Don’t take our word for it. Take our free trial instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nurture email sequence?
A nurture email sequence is a series of automated, targeted emails designed to build relationships with subscribers over time. It gradually educates and engages leads, guiding them toward a purchase decision.
How many emails should be in a nurture sequence?
Most effective nurture sequences include 5 to 10 emails, though the ideal number can vary based on your audience and goals. The key is balancing enough contact to build trust without overwhelming your subscribers.
What is the nurture email format?
The nurture email format typically features a clear subject line, engaging introduction, valuable content, and a call-to-action, often personalized for each recipient. It is structured for readability and consistency with your brand, aligning each email with specific campaign goals.
What is the email nurture journey?
The email nurture journey maps the progression a subscriber takes from initial awareness to engagement and eventually conversion. It aligns a series of emails with the different stages of the buyer’s journey to build trust and encourage action.