Building a Welcome Sequence

The welcome sequence is the most important workflow you’ll build. It’s the first impression every new lead gets — and it sets the tone for your entire relationship.

For email writing techniques — subject lines, story-selling, objection handling, pitch structure — see Email Marketing for Course Creators. This lesson focuses on the sequence architecture and GHL workflow build.

Why the Welcome Sequence Matters

When someone gives you their email, you have a window of attention that closes fast. In the first 48 hours:

• They remember who you are
• They’re curious about what you’ll send
• Their inbox isn’t crowded with your messages yet (yet)

The welcome sequence capitalizes on that window. By the end of it, they should:

1. Trust you enough to read your emails
2. Understand what you teach
3. Know about your paid course
4. Have a reason to buy (or a reason to wait)

The 6-Email Welcome Sequence

Here’s a proven framework. Adjust timing to match your audience, but keep the structure.

Email 1: Deliver and Welcome (Day 0)

Sent: Immediately after opt-in Subject line: “Here’s your [lead magnet name] 🎉”

Content:

• Deliver what you promised (link to the free resource)
• Brief introduction — who you are and why you teach this
• Set expectations — “Over the next few days, I’ll share [teaser]”
• One question to encourage a reply: “What’s your biggest challenge with [topic]?”

Why a question? Replies improve email deliverability. When someone replies to your email, inbox providers see you as a real person, not a spammer.

Email 2: Your Story (Day 1)

Sent: 24 hours after opt-in Subject line: “The moment I almost gave up on [topic]”

Content:

• A personal story related to your course topic
• The struggle you (or someone you helped) faced
• The turning point — what changed
• A lesson they can apply right now
• Transition: “That experience is why I built [course name]“

Email 3: Teach Something Valuable (Day 3)

Sent: 72 hours after opt-in Subject line: “[Number] mistakes most [audience] make (and how to fix them)”

Content:

• Teach a quick, actionable lesson from your course
• Make it specific — not “be consistent” but “do this exact thing”
• End with: “This is one lesson from my course [name]. More on that soon.”

You’re proving your expertise by actually teaching, not just promising to teach.

Email 4: Social Proof (Day 5)

Sent: 5 days after opt-in Subject line: “How [student name] went from [before] to [after]”

Content:

• A case study or testimonial from a real student
• Specific results with numbers when possible
• What they did differently (your framework)
• “If they can do it, you can too”

Email 5: The Soft Pitch (Day 7)

Sent: 7 days after opt-in Subject line: “Ready to go deeper?”

Content:

• Recap what they’ve learned so far in your emails
• Acknowledge there’s more they need to know
• Introduce your course as the next step
• Soft language: “If you’re serious about [result], I’d love to show you the full system”
• Link to your sales page

Email 6: The Direct Pitch (Day 10)

Sent: 10 days after opt-in Subject line: “Last one from me (for now)”

Content:

• Direct but respectful offer
• Clear description of what’s in the course
• Reiterate the guarantee
• “If the timing isn’t right, no worries — I’ll keep sending you [free content type]”
• Link to sales page

After this email, the contact exits the welcome sequence and enters your long-term nurture workflow.

Building This in GHL

Create a new workflow:

Trigger: Tag added — “lead-magnet-downloaded” (or whatever tag your opt-in form adds)

Then add the six emails with wait steps between them:

TRIGGER: Tag "lead-magnet-downloaded" added
  → ACTION: Send Email 1 (deliver + welcome)
  → WAIT: 24 hours
  → ACTION: Send Email 2 (your story)
  → WAIT: 48 hours
  → ACTION: Send Email 3 (teach something)
  → WAIT: 48 hours
  → ACTION: Send Email 4 (social proof)
  → WAIT: 48 hours
  → ACTION: Send Email 5 (soft pitch)
  → WAIT: 72 hours
  → ACTION: Send Email 6 (direct pitch)
  → ACTION: Add tag "welcome-complete"
  → ACTION: Remove tag "lead-magnet-downloaded"

The final tag swap triggers the next workflow (long-term nurture) and prevents the contact from re-entering this welcome sequence if they download another lead magnet.

Adding SMS Touchpoints

If you collect phone numbers, add SMS at strategic moments:

• Day 0: “Hey [first name]! Your [resource] is here: [link] — [your name]”
• Day 5: “Quick question: what’s your #1 challenge with [topic]? Reply here and I’ll help personally”
• Day 7: “Sent you something today that could be a game-changer. Check your inbox 📧”

SMS has a 98% open rate compared to 20-30% for email. Use it sparingly — 2-3 texts across 10 days, not daily messages.

Personalization with Merge Tags

GHL supports merge tags in emails and SMS:

• {{contact.first_name}} — their first name
• {{contact.email}} — their email
• Custom fields you’ve created

Use the first name in the subject line and opening line. It’s the simplest personalization and it works:

Subject: “[First name], here’s your free guide” vs. Subject: “Here’s your free guide”

The difference in open rates: 15-25% higher with the name.

What to Watch

After your welcome sequence has been running for a few weeks, check:

Metric	Red Flag	Target
Email 1 open rate	Below 30%	50%+
Email 3 click rate	Below 3%	5-10%
Unsubscribe rate	Above 2% per email	Below 0.5%
Reply rate	0%	1-5% (any replies are good)

If Email 1 opens are low, your subject line or sender name needs work. If clicks on the pitch emails are low, your nurture isn’t building enough desire. If unsubscribes spike on a specific email, that email’s tone or frequency needs adjustment.

The welcome sequence is your foundation. Build it, test it, and it will sell your course while you sleep.