How to write email courses – Jacob Funnell – MicroConf Europe 2015 Talk Recap

The MicroConf Europe 2015 Talk Recaps can be found on the central “hub” page.

Website: writing-skills.com
Twitter: @emphasiswriting
Slides:

Key Takeaways

• Pick a small topic you can cover thoroughly
• Make the user better with each email
• Be supportive personal and confident

Talk Recap

• 5 day course: “Homeworking in Brighton”
  • only has 3 emails (!!) – half-finished
  • still converts!

How to write an email course

• Picking a course topic
  1. Everything oyu know about a topic != what you can reasonably teach someone in a week
  2. Example: “Speak in a Week”
     1. Seven-day course
     2. Objective: have a conversation at the end of the week
     3. Solve one problem ==> people think you’re good at solving other problems (Halo Effect)
• Make the reader a better person
  • Example: Brennan Dunn “Charge What You’re Worth”
    • Gets readers to ask questions in a worksheet
    • Focuses reader on problem
  • Example “Serve Mastery”
    • Asks readers to respond to initial email
    • Increases reader’s investment
• Tell people something useful
  • Write things that a user can act on
  • Don’t cram everything into an email
• Course is about more than knowledge – come across as a genuine person
  • Tell stories about your own struggle
  • encourage people to add you on Twitter/Facebook
  • Don’t be timid about giving advice – AVOID underconfidence

-Christoph