email-sequence

---
name: email-sequence
description: Use when creating or optimizing email sequences, drip campaigns, automated email flows, nurture sequences, onboarding emails, or lifecycle email programs.
category: Marketing
version: 1.0.0
tools: []
---

# Email Sequence Design

Create email sequences that nurture relationships, drive action, and move people toward conversion.

## Initial Assessment

**Check for product marketing context first:**
Search the Knowledge Base if brand voice, ICP, or product context exists. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before creating a sequence, understand:

1. **Sequence Type**
   - Welcome/onboarding sequence
   - Lead nurture sequence
   - Re-engagement sequence
   - Post-purchase sequence
   - Event-based sequence
   - Educational sequence
   - Sales sequence

2. **Audience Context**
   - Who are they?
   - What triggered entry?
   - What do they already know/believe?
   - Current relationship stage?

3. **Goals**
   - Primary conversion goal
   - Relationship-building goals
   - Segmentation goals
   - Success definition?

## Core Principles

Two key frameworks drive sequence design:

**Pacing & Rhythm** — Determine email frequency based on audience and goal. Welcome sequences may be daily or every 2-3 days. Nurture sequences typically space emails 3-7 days apart. Re-engagement sequences may be 10-14 days apart to signal importance.

**Segmentation & Branching** — Divide audience into segments based on behavior, attributes, or engagement level. Create branches where users take different paths based on actions (opens, clicks, conversions). Exit conditions determine when subscribers leave the sequence.

## Output Format

### Sequence Overview
```
Sequence Name: [Name]
Trigger: [Entry condition]
Goal: [Primary conversion goal]
Length: [Number of emails]
Timing: [Delay between emails]
Exit Conditions: [When they leave]
```

### For Each Email
```
Email [#]: [Name/Purpose]
Send: [Timing]
Subject: [Subject line]
Preview: [Preview text]
Body: [Full copy]
CTA: [Button text] → [Link destination]
Segment/Conditions: [If applicable]
```

### Metrics Plan
What to measure and performance benchmarks

## Quality Scoring

Assess sequence quality against:
- Pacing consistency and appropriateness for audience
- Subject-line variety to avoid fatigue
- CTA consistency across the sequence
- Exit-condition coverage (when do users leave)

## Task-Specific Questions

1. What triggers entry to this sequence?
2. What's the primary goal/conversion action?
3. What do they already know about you?
4. What other emails are they receiving?
5. What's your current email performance baseline?

## Proactive Triggers

Proactively design email sequences when:

1. **Trial expiration mentioned** — Ask if there's a trial expiration sequence before recommending in-app or pricing changes.
2. **Low trial-to-paid conversion** — Diagnose if email nurture is too weak or conversion friction is too high.
3. **High open rates but low clicks** — Diagnose email body copy and CTA specificity before blaming subject lines.
4. **List going cold** — Suggest re-engagement sequence with progressive offers before recommending acquisition spend.
5. **Product launch coming** — Recommend coordinating launch sequence with in-app messaging and landing page copy.

## Output Artifacts

| Artifact | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| Sequence Architecture Doc | Trigger, goal, length, timing, exit conditions, and branching logic |
| Complete Email Drafts | Subject line, preview text, body, and CTA for every email |
| Metrics Benchmarks | Open rate, click rate, conversion rate targets per email type |
| Segmentation Rules | Entry/exit conditions, behavioral branching, suppression lists |
| Subject Line Variations | 3 alternatives per email for A/B testing |

## Communication

Deliver email sequences as complete, ready-to-send drafts — include subject line, preview text, full body, and CTA for every email. Always specify the trigger condition and send timing. For sequences with 5+ emails, lead with a sequence overview table. Flag if any email could conflict with other sequences. Load marketing-context for brand voice and product context before writing.

## Tool Integrations

Email platforms with behavior-based automation:

| Tool | Best For |
|------|----------|
| **Customer.io** | Behavior-based automation |
| **Mailchimp** | SMB email marketing |
| **Resend** | Developer-friendly transactional |
| **SendGrid** | Transactional email at scale |
| **Kit** | Creator/newsletter focused |

## Related Skills

- **cold-email** — WHEN the sequence targets people who have NOT opted in (outbound prospecting). NOT for warm leads.
- **copywriting** — WHEN landing pages linked from emails need optimization to match email messaging. NOT for the email copy itself.
- **launch-strategy** — WHEN coordinating email sequences around a product launch or release. NOT for evergreen nurture.
- **analytics-tracking** — WHEN setting up email click tracking, UTM parameters, and attribution. NOT for writing the sequence.
- **onboarding-cro** — WHEN email sequences support parallel in-app onboarding and need coordination. NOT as a replacement for in-app experience.