As I said in my first email breakdown, I’m a firearms enthusiast. And along with that comes a natural interest in the topic of lawful self-defense.
God forbid I ever have to protect myself… but if I do, I want to have some understanding of the law, right?
Well, there’s a preeminent and prolific self-defense attorney named Andrew Branca who runs the aptly named Law of Self Defense.
Mr. Branca definitely grasps online marketing.
I bought his book, and he 1-click upsold me on a DVD/online video about my state’s specific self-defense laws. He also offers free resources (lead magnets), online courses, and continuity programs, like his paid membership site and a separate monthly membership with different features.
All on top of being a lawyer.
Oh, and he grasps email marketing, too. So today, I’m going to show you the first non-order-confirmation email I received after I bought his book. I believe it’s his welcome sequence’s first email.
Law of Self-Defense’s Welcome Sequence Email 1
I got the first email a few minutes after buying his book (not an affiliate link).
Quick note: his book is free as an eBook, but I bought the hardcover version as part of a special bundle deal (again, he gets marketing).
Here’s the email in full (ignore the Schnizaa, that’s a carry-over from early high school):
Ah, yes. A beautiful, plain-text email. No fancy HTML stuff. Ya love to see it.
The subject line made me laugh a bit. Since it’s the 1st welcome email, I don’t think the subject line has the most click-inducing thing ever. It can be a little more creative since people will probably be primed to open this email after buying a product.
First, a condensed origin story…
Being a long-time self-defense lawyer, he knows his clients’ fears and pains. He can get specific. Hence, the line about the District Attorney and 20-to-life sentence. After all, one of the worst fears many have is defending their life and property… and rotting in prison for it.
This section is a condensed version of his “origin story.” I’d say he could flesh it out a little bit more and add a bit of drama, but the origin story is a classic way to onboard someone when they’ve joined your list.
One tiny thing I’d change is to use segmentation to personalize the message based on what product the reader bought. Someone who buys his book would get a “Thanks for buying my book!”
If someone bought a course, it would be “Thanks for buying my course!”
Not a huge deal, but more personalization never hurts.
Other than that, I’d add some line breaks and shorten some sentences to make this part truly shine.
Next, a segue to the benefits/selling points…
A nice segue into the benefits of following Law of Self Defense.
First, a broad benefit: Making sure you have the “legal gun,” or in other words, knowing the law around using your firearm defensively and what to do after such an event.
He’s not vague — notice how he tells you how he’ll offer WAY better, WAY more useful products and offerings. And free stuff doesn’t hurt, either.
Setting expectations and builds curiosity for the next email…
In the last chunk of the email, he promises to deliver on the benefits he just explained. He tells you he’s giving you something valuable for free.
Here’s what I really like: he gives you the exact subject line to expect. That floats around in your mind until the email comes — so you know to open that email right away.
Takeaways
A great example of a business owner who understands the power of personal connection in plain-text email.
He goes straight to his audience’s worst fear — becoming a convicted felon for defending themselves — reassures the reader he’s there to help. Then, he tells them how before priming them to open the next email.
One thing I’d do to make this first email even better is set expectations in terms of email frequency and content. Being upfront about that gives the reader another chance to unsub with no hard feeling if they want. The ones who stick around are primed to buy at some point — they’ve indicated they want your emails, even if they’re daily.
What To Do Next
- Get on my email list.
- Reach out to me if you want some help making money with email marketing.
- If you’re interested in the law behind self defense, go grab the book!