Episode 134

Your Lead Magnet Was Just the Beginning

So you finally did it.

You built a lead magnet. You stopped saying “join my newsletter” and started offering something people actually want — and it’s working. People are grabbing it.

But here’s the question Lisa Duck and Susan Larimer dig into on this week’s episode of The Other 99% Podcast: now what?

Because a lead magnet without a plan behind it is like opening the door and then walking away. Someone showed up. Now what are you going to do about it?

1. A Freebie Without a System Isn’t a System

If your plan is “someone signs up, and then I remember to send them the file later” — that’s not a system, that’s a hope.

Think about it from the other side for a second. You sign up for something, you hit submit, and you’re already checking your inbox. You expect it right away. If it doesn’t show up, you’re not going to sit around waiting. You’re gone.

That’s why this can’t run through a personal Gmail account where you manually send things out when you get a chance. It needs to work in the background while you’re doing literally anything else — sleeping included.

2. The First Email Isn’t Where You Sell

The single biggest mistake Lisa and Susan see? Someone grabs a freebie on the tenth of the month, and the very next thing they hear from you is a sales pitch on the first.

They didn’t sign up for a sale. They signed up for the thing you promised them. So the first email needs to do exactly one job: deliver it, simply and immediately. Maybe you set a small expectation for what’s coming next. That’s it.

3. Then Comes the “Get to Know Me” Email

This is the one that actually starts the relationship.

Susan’s version of this is her “10 fun facts” email — a little silly, a little personal, and it works because people don’t want to feel like they signed up for a faceless brand. They want to know there’s a real person on the other end.

That’s the whole point of a welcome sequence. You’re not Lemongrass Spa. You’re not just another consultant. You’re you — and this is your chance to show why that matters before you ever ask for anything.

4. Tell People What to Expect

This might be the most overlooked piece of the whole thing, and it’s such a simple fix.

If you email once a month, say so. If you’re in someone’s inbox every week, say that too. When people know what’s coming, they don’t panic when they haven’t heard from you in a while, and they don’t feel ambushed when they have. And if it’s not for them? Let them know it’s okay to unsubscribe. That’s not a loss — that’s just someone confirming they’re not your people, which is exactly what you want to know.

5. A Gentle Offer Is Fine. A Sales Pitch Isn’t.

You can absolutely include something small — a welcome discount, a bonus, an invitation to learn more. What you shouldn’t do is turn your welcome sequence into a string of “shop now” emails. Save the selling for later. Right now, you’re earning trust.

Your Welcome Sequence Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

It can be as short as three emails or as long as seven — there’s no magic number. What matters is that it’s built before your lead magnet ever goes live, so you’re never scrambling to write “just one more email” the day someone signs up.

If you want the whole thing mapped out for you — templates, real examples, and the order to automate it in — that’s exactly what I built the Five-Minute Welcome Sequence System for. It works no matter what platform you’re on.

And if you haven’t grabbed my free guide yet, No One Wants Your Newsletter, start there first.

Ready to go deeper? Tune in to this week’s episode of The Other 99% Podcast wherever you listen, and we’ll walk through all of this in more detail.

📌 Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links. I only recommend tools and resources I personally use and trust.