Best Choice
Tinyemail
If you just want to finally start emailing people without getting lost in settings, tinyEmail is a soft landing. You can plug in a list, grab a template, and send something clean and on-brand in an afternoon. That’s enough to start your Lead → Nurture → Sell loop without overthinking it.
Best for Digital Marketers
Moosend
For a beginner funnel, you don’t just need emails—you need a place to capture leads too. Moosend’s landing pages and forms mean you can spin up a simple opt-in for your freebie or lead magnet without touching code. Now you’ve got a front door to your funnel, not just a list you hope magically appears.
Best for Local Businesses
Encharge
Encharge plays especially well with SaaS tools and payment platforms, so you can trigger emails based on trials, upgrades, downgrades, and churn signals. Someone hits a milestone? Celebrate and invite the next step. Someone stalls out? Nurture them back with the right reminder at the right time.
Best for Cold Outreach
Smartleads Ai
Smartlead’s tagging and organization tools keep your leads organized by stage, interest, or intent. You can instantly see who’s cold, warm, or hot, and plug each group into different nurture or sales flows. That makes it much easier to move people from “never heard of you” to “where do I pay?”
Friend to friend: a few links are affiliate links. When you purchase, I might get a tiny thank-you from the company, with zero added cost to you. I only recommend things that I’ve actually tried and looked into. Nothing here is financial advice; it is for entertainment. Read the full affiliate disclosure and privacy policy.
Your content already gets likes, views, and quick replies. The real shift happens when those moments turn into an email list that happily buys from you.
In this guide you will walk through a simple beginner email funnel that takes new subscribers by the hand and leads them from first sign up to confident purchase.
An email funnel gives you that bridge. It is a simple, planned sequence of emails that moves people from “just subscribed” to “happy customer,” using friendly, helpful messages instead of random blasts.
Current guides define an email marketing funnel as a way to structure campaigns so you nurture leads from first awareness, through consideration, into conversion and retention. Shopify
In this blueprint, you will walk through a beginner-friendly version of that idea.
You will learn how to capture leads with a focused opt in, welcome them with care, send story based nurture emails, and then run gentle, clear sales and post purchase sequences.
By the end, you will have a simple map you can follow, click by click, inside any major email tool.
What is an email funnel, really?
Every new subscriber is on a little journey with you, whether you plan it or not. An email funnel gives that journey a clear path, so people move from “just found you” to “ready to buy” in steady, friendly steps.
Here you will see what an email funnel is and how it works for list building.
Most modern guides describe the marketing or email funnel as a path that moves people through stages such as awareness, consideration, conversion, and loyalty.
For email, you can treat this as a sequence of automated messages that match those stages.
New subscribers enter at the top, receive useful content that builds trust in the middle, and finally receive focused offers that invite them to buy and stay. Rootsyntax Technologies
A classic sales funnel covers many channels, such as ads, content, and sales calls. An email funnel focuses only on what happens inside the inbox, while still following the same journey.
That focus makes it perfect for beginners and small teams, because you can start small, learn fast, and scale your results without more platforms or complexity.
The beginner blueprint: Lead, Nurture, Sell
Big brands use many funnel stages. You can start with a simple three part plan that still feels powerful. First you capture the right leads, then you warm them up with helpful stories, and finally you invite them into your offer.
This section gives you that beginner blueprint in plain steps.
You can picture a full funnel with five or more stages. For your first build, you can simplify everything into three main jobs.
- Lead – capture the right people with a clear opt in.
- Nurture – send helpful, story driven content that builds trust.
- Sell – run short, focused sequences that present your offer and invite a decision.
These three stages sit on top of one more layer that many brands now treat as essential. After the sale, simple post purchase emails say thank you, help people get value, and invite the next step.
Ecommerce and SaaS guides describe this as the post purchase or loyalty stage of the funnel, where repeat purchases and referrals grow.
A beginner friendly funnel can look like this:
- A single opt in page or form with one strong lead magnet.
- A short welcome series that delivers the promised asset and sets expectations.
- A nurture sequence that shares tips, stories, and light calls to action.
- A focused sales sequence during launches or promos.
- A simple post purchase flow that confirms the order, onboards the customer, and asks for feedback. GemPages
You can build each piece in steps, and the rest of this guide walks through those steps with concrete examples.
Stage 1: Lead – turn attention into subscribers
Your funnel begins the moment someone chooses to trust you with their email. Stage 1 focuses on that moment, so the right people feel excited to join your list.
You will learn how to pick a focused lead magnet, place your forms wisely, and decide between single and double opt in with confidence.
Capture focused leads with one strong promise
Your funnel starts when someone chooses to share their email with you. Guides on lead magnets are very clear here.
The best opt in offers are tightly aligned with your product, delivered instantly, and followed by a nurture sequence that keeps momentum going. Thrive Themes
You can pick one clear problem your best customer cares about and create a simple asset around it. For example:
- A checklist that prepares them for your main service.
- A short template or swipe file.
- A mini “first step” tutorial that pairs well with your main offer.
Pro tip: Choose a lead magnet that feels like the first page of the story your paid offer finishes. When subscribers experience a small win from the free piece, they feel naturally curious about the next step.
Place your opt in:
- On a dedicated landing page.
- As an embedded form on your home or blog pages.
- As a light popup for visitors who match your ideal audience.
Keep the copy simple. Tell people what they get, who it is for, and what happens next.
Decide on single vs double opt in
When someone signs up, your tool can add them to your list in one of two ways.
- Single opt in adds the person to your list as soon as they submit the form.
- Double opt in sends a follow up email that asks them to confirm before they are added.
Double opt in usually creates smaller but cleaner lists, since people who confirm are actively interested and their addresses are valid.
Studies from email deliverability experts show that double opt in lists tend to have higher open, click, and conversion rates per subscriber.
Single opt in generally grows the list faster and can capture more total opens and clicks, because every sign up is added.
You can think in terms of quality and quantity. Double opt in leans toward quality. Single opt in leans toward quantity. In every case, your business still needs to follow local email and privacy laws and the rules of your email service provider.
Stage 2: Welcome – make new subscribers feel at home
The welcome series is your first real conversation in the inbox. When it feels warm and clear, new subscribers relax and stay with you longer.
In this stage you will see when to send your first email, how many welcome emails to start with, and when it makes sense to introduce your first offer.
Your welcome series is the first real conversation your new subscriber has with you in the inbox. Guides from email platforms treat it as one of the most important automations you can set up.
Email 1: instant delivery and quick win
Best practice is clear. Your first welcome email works best when it arrives immediately after sign up. People are still in “yes” mode, expecting to see your message, and more likely to open and click.
In this email you can:
- Deliver the promised checklist, template, or resource.
- Thank them for joining and confirm what type of emails they will receive.
- Share one small tip that helps them use the resource today.
Keep the call to action simple, such as “Download your guide” or “Watch your first lesson.”
How many welcome emails do you actually need?
Recent welcome series guides often recommend a short sequence rather than a single email. Moosend, for example, suggests two to four welcome emails for most small businesses, with at least an initial welcome and a follow up.
Other sources for creators and SaaS brands commonly suggest three to six welcome messages, especially when you want to learn more about subscriber interests.
A simple structure can look like this:
- Email 1: Deliver lead magnet and set expectations.
- Email 2: Share your origin story and values.
- Email 3: Give a deeper how to or case study.
- Email 4: Invite them to take the next step with you.
You can add or remove steps as you learn from your audience.
When should the welcome series start selling?
There is strong agreement in expert content that early welcome emails work best when they focus on value and relationship building.
That does not mean you avoid offers. It simply means you let people experience your best ideas and your style first.
A practical approach:
- Use the first one or two emails to deliver the promised asset and share who you are.
- Use the next one or two to give real help, such as a mini training or story that matches your paid offer.
- Then introduce a soft offer, such as a first purchase discount or a clear invite to learn about your main product.
You can think of the welcome series as setting the emotional tone. Once subscribers feel oriented, supported, and seen, they are ready for an invitation that feels natural rather than pushy.
Stage 3: Nurture – keep the relationship warm
After the welcome, some people are curious, still not ready to buy. Your nurture sequence keeps that spark alive with simple, steady value.
Here you will learn how many nurture emails to start with, how often to send them, and what kinds of stories and tips turn quiet subscribers into ready buyers.
Your nurture sequence picks up where the welcome series ends. People now know your name and your basic story. They have not said yes to your main offer yet.
You can treat this stage as a friendly drip of high value content that keeps you top of mind and moves them closer to a decision.
Email marketing guides describe nurture sequences as a planned run of messages that build trust and shorten the sales cycle, rather than a random collection of newsletters.
How long should a nurture sequence be?
There is no strict rule that fits every business. At the same time, many modern guides suggest useful starting ranges.
Thrive Themes recommends a five to seven email nurture sequence for many offers, with shorter runs for simple products and longer runs for complex or high ticket sales.
Other sources treat four to six emails as a good base and extend beyond that when sales cycles stretch over weeks or months. Woodpecker
How often should you email in a funnel?
For nurture sequences, a helpful default is every two or three days, or one to two times per week. Email strategy guides highlight that this rhythm keeps you present in the inbox while giving people space to engage.
You can send slightly more often during short launches or time bound events and then return to a gentler pace. The key is relevance. When emails continue to help, teach, or inspire, open rates and clicks tend to stay healthier.
What should you say in nurture emails?
Each nurture email can answer one meaningful question or move one belief. For example:
- Help subscribers see the true cost of staying stuck.
- Share a short case study that mirrors their life.
- Give a quick win tutorial they can apply today.
Quick win:
You can map your first nurture sequence with this five email arc: Welcome back, Big Problem, Quick Win, Proof, Next Step. This structure comes straight from nurture frameworks in current email marketing guides and works well for both services and digital products.
Stage 4: Sell – friendly sales sequences that feel human
Selling by email can feel kind and relaxed when the sequence is planned.
Stage 4 focuses on short sales runs that present your offer clearly and still respect the relationship you already built. You will see how many sales emails to start with and what to include so each message feels helpful, not pushy.
Selling by email does not need to feel heavy or stressful. You can design short, focused sequences that invite action while still sounding like yourself.
Email automation guides show many examples of launch flows that send several sales messages in a short window, often tied to a bonus or deadline.
How many sales emails should you send?
There is wide variety here. Many launch case studies show three to seven promotional emails for a simple offer. That range gives room to announce the offer, share stories and FAQs, and send a final reminder near the end.
When your list is small and personal, you can lean on story. Talk about why you created the offer, the moment it “clicked” for you, and what life looks like for customers who finish the process.
What belongs inside a sales email?
You can think in layers:
- Clarity – who the offer is for, what problem it solves, what is inside.
- Proof – a short story, testimonial, or demo.
- Urgency – a natural reason to act, such as a start date or limited bonus.
- Support – simple answers to the top three questions your audience asks.
You can always keep the tone kind. Invite people who are ready to step in and stay open for those who need more time. The nurture and post purchase stages give you space to stay in touch and offer again later.
Stage 5: After the sale – turn buyers into fans
The sale is a milestone, not the finish line. Post purchase emails help new customers feel supported, proud of their choice, and excited to come back.
In this stage you will build a simple three email follow up that confirms the purchase, onboards gently, and checks in for feedback or a next step.
Your email funnel does not stop when someone pays you. Post purchase emails can turn a single sale into a long, loyal relationship.
Ecommerce and marketing platforms share many examples of post purchase flows that keep customers informed, supported, and inspired to return.
The three core post purchase emails
A simple, powerful post purchase flow can start with three messages.
That structure follows common patterns in up to date post purchase guides, which encourage brands to confirm the order, help customers succeed with the product, and then invite repeat purchases or referrals.
Ideas for your own follow up
After these three core emails, you can add:
- A usage tips email that shows advanced ways to get value.
- A “customers also loved” suggestion for a natural, light upsell.
- A loyalty or referral invite for people who have purchased more than once.
These messages feel especially strong for local businesses and creators, because they keep you in warm, human contact, even when the purchase happened through a website checkout page.
Putting it all together: your simple email funnel map
Once you see the pieces together, the whole funnel feels much lighter. This section turns everything into one simple map you can sketch on paper or inside your email tool.
You will connect Lead, Welcome, Nurture, Sell, and Post purchase into a single path your subscribers can follow with ease.
At this point you have the building blocks. You can now stitch them together into a clean beginner blueprint that you can sketch on one page.
- Lead
- One focused lead magnet that matches your core offer.
- One main opt in form or page, plus a few smart placements around your site or profiles.
- Welcome
- Three to six welcome emails that deliver the asset, set expectations, share your story, and gently introduce your first offer.
- The first email sends immediately after sign up.
- Nurture
- Five to seven nurture emails over a few weeks that educate, inspire, and answer key questions.
- Sell
- Three to seven sales emails for each launch or promo that clearly present the offer, remove doubts, and remind subscribers near the end.
- Post purchase
- Three core post purchase emails that confirm, onboard, and check in, with optional upsell and loyalty sequences later.
You can build this funnel inside most major platforms that support basic automation paths, welcome series, and date based campaigns. Start with one path, test it with real subscribers, and keep improving one step at a time.
Conclusion
Email funnels can feel complex when you look at big brand diagrams. At a beginner level, you can treat them as a friendly, human series of conversations that guide people from first touch to long term trust.
You invite someone in with a helpful opt in, greet them warmly, stay in touch with useful stories, and present clear offers when the time feels right.
This beginner blueprint gives you a clear map: Lead, Nurture, Sell, and then support people after they buy.
You now know what each stage does, how many emails to start with, and how to decide on details such as opt in type and sending frequency, based on up to date guidance from trusted email marketing experts.
From here, you can open your email tool, create one automation at a time, and let this simple funnel run quietly in the background as it turns casual clicks into a steady stream of warm, ready buyers.
Tinyemail: Turn Random Followers Into Warm Leads on Autopilot
Encharge: From ‘They Signed Up’ to ‘They Upgraded’ on Autopilot
Smarleads Ai: Cold Email Funnels That Actually Hit the Inbox
