How To Create And Deliver Separate Emails For Freebies A Complete Guide

Freebies, also known as lead magnets or opt-ins, are valuable resources offered to potential email subscribers in exchange for their email addresses. They serve as incentives for people to join an email list and provide a mutually beneficial exchange - readers receive valuable content while businesses grow their subscriber base. Creating and delivering separate emails for these freebies is a crucial part of the email marketing process. This guide explores the various methods and platforms for creating freebies and setting up automated delivery systems to ensure new subscribers receive their promised content promptly and efficiently.

Creating Freebies

Creating an effective freebie begins with selecting the right format and designing it to provide genuine value to your audience. According to the source materials, Canva is a popular tool for creating freebies, particularly PDFs. The process involves selecting an appropriate document size (such as 8.5" by 11" for a PDF), designing the content with your brand elements, and potentially adding hyperlinks to direct users to additional resources.

When creating a freebie in Canva, you would: - Choose "create a design" in the upper right-hand side - Select the size of the document you want to work on - For a PDF, select "book" and ensure it's 8.5" by 11" - Design your PDF by uploading your own photos on the left-hand side - Use Canva's graphics, text, and shapes available in the editor - If using the pro version, add your fonts and brand colors for brand consistency - hyperlink text in your documents for additional functionality

Freebies should be relevant to your audience's needs and interests. For example, a blog post about time management might include a printable worksheet or checklist as a freebie. The key is to create content that represents "the next logical step" for someone who has just consumed your content, making it easy for them to take action and see immediate value.

Popular freebie formats include: - Checklists and worksheets - Templates and printables - E-books and guides - Resource libraries - Video tutorials - Webinars - Email courses - Planning calendars

Not all freebies are created equal. To be effective, freebies should address specific audience needs, offer quick solutions, and provide tangible value. This approach helps attract subscribers who are genuinely interested in your products or services, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Setting Up Email Automation

Once a freebie is created, the next step is to set up an automated system to deliver it to new subscribers. Several email marketing platforms offer tools for this purpose, each with different approaches and features.

MailerLite

MailerLite provides two primary methods for delivering freebies:

1. Sending the freebie in the double opt-in confirmation email
2. Creating an automation workflow triggered when a subscriber joins

For the first method: - Make sure double opt-in is turned on in your form settings - Create an opt-in confirmation thank you page containing an external link or button to download the freebie

For the second method: - Create a form (landing page, popup or embedded form) offering a free gift for joining your list - Create an automation workflow triggered when a subscriber joins that group or completes that form - Create an email in the workflow containing an external link or button to download the freebie

Mailchimp

Mailchimp offers automation through its Customer Journeys feature. To set up automatic freebie delivery:

• Go to your Mailchimp account and select "Create Journey" under Automations → Customer Journeys
• Select "Welcome new contacts" - this journey will be triggered every time someone joins your audience
• Edit the journey by adding welcome text and your freebie to the Welcome email
• Publish your automation and test it

For more advanced segmentation with multiple freebies, you can use Zapier with Mailchimp (requires a paid Mailchimp plan and a free Zapier account). On Squarespace, you'll need a Business plan or higher to connect Zapier. The process involves: - Creating tags for each freebie in Mailchimp - Renaming newsletter blocks in Squarespace - Generating API keys to connect the platforms - Setting up automation workflows for each freebie

Other Platforms

Most email platforms, like Kartra, Squarespace Email Campaigns or Kit (formerly known as ConvertKit), make this super simple with pre-built automation tools. These platforms allow for quick, friendly notes with freebies attached or download links, creating a positive first impression and exciting new subscribers about future content.

Delivery Methods

How a freebie is delivered significantly impacts the subscriber experience. Making the delivery process an experience rather than just another email in the inbox involves creating emails with:

• Eye-catching subject lines that generate excitement
• Warm, welcoming messages that reinforce the value of the subscription
• Clear, easy-to-find links to download or access the freebie
• Calls to action that encourage further engagement

Flodesk is specifically recommended for delivering freebies, as its design capabilities and automation features make it easy to create stunning, on-brand emails and deliver freebies instantly without manual intervention. The delivery email should be carefully crafted to make subscribers feel valued and excited about the content they've received.

Best Practices

Several best practices emerge from the source materials for creating and delivering effective freebie emails:

1. Provide genuine value: Freebies should offer real solutions to your audience's problems. Your content is valuable, so make sure your freebies reflect that.

2. Keep it simple: Keep freebies simple but filled with value to create lasting impressions. Complex or overwhelming freebies may deter engagement.

3. Focus on quick wins: Provide content that gives your audience "a quick win," proving that subscribing was worthwhile.

4. Encourage further engagement: Effective freebie emails should guide subscribers toward next steps, whether joining a community, replying with takeaways, or exploring related content.

5. Test and refine: Experiment with different formats and continuously refine freebies based on feedback and data.

6. Maintain brand consistency: Use your own photos, fonts, and brand colors in your freebies to maintain brand recognition and consistency.

7. Ensure instant delivery: Automation tools are essential for delivering freebies promptly after subscription, providing immediate gratification.

8. Segment your audience: For multiple freebies, segment your audience based on what they have downloaded, allowing for more targeted follow-up communications.

9. Avoid spam filters: Proper email formatting and authentication help prevent freebies from getting lost in spam folders.

10. Create a positive first impression: The initial delivery email sets the tone for the subscriber relationship, making it crucial to make a positive impact.

Conclusion

Creating and delivering separate emails for freebies is a fundamental aspect of building an effective email marketing strategy. By selecting valuable freebie formats, using appropriate design tools like Canva, setting up automated delivery systems through platforms such as MailerLite and Mailchimp, and following best practices for email content and delivery, businesses can grow their email lists with engaged, high-quality subscribers.

The key to success lies in providing genuine value, ensuring seamless delivery, and creating positive first impressions that encourage ongoing engagement. When executed effectively, the freebie exchange becomes a win-win relationship, with subscribers receiving valuable content and businesses building relationships with potential customers who are genuinely interested in their offerings.

Sources

1. How to Create an Email Opt-in Freebie in Canva
2. Everything You Need to Know to Create Freebies That (actually) Grow Your Email List
3. How to Build an Irresistible Freebie
4. How to Send Opt-in Freebie
5. Squarespace Freebies
6. Add Freebie to Your Blog Post