Using an email marketing template and swipe files are two of my favorite top not-so-secret things in my online teacher business. Email marketing templates and swipe files are very different, and I’ll teach you the differences in this post and give you a killer first email marketing template to help you sell more of your resources on Teachers Pay Teachers. But if you haven’t used email marketing in your business yet, it can be overwhelming.

So where the heck do you start?! You're in the right place! You can also listen to my simple strategies here if you prefer. To get everything you need to create the best email marketing campaign for your teacher business, click here to download my guide: Marketing with Email CEO Teacher® Style. Then, grab your Flair Pens and business notebook, and let’s dive in!

The Difference Between Email Marketing Templates and Swipe Files

I choose a word for the year each January for our business, and our word for this year is systematize. I can honestly say we’ve run with it full-force. We’ve taken the tried and true strategies we’ve solidified over the last eight years and created some super cool and flawless systems that allow the business to run like clockwork. Later in the year, I’ll share a lot more about what we do that makes work so effortless these days, but one of our favorite ways to implement systems is with our email marketing campaigns. Most people call these swipe files. 

A swipe file is a collection of writing examples. They can be email subject lines, landing pages, banner ads, breathtaking blog posts, headlines, emails from other people, etc. The goal is to use them to inspire your writing and boost your skills.

The Definition of an Email Marketing Template

A template outlines what you need to write and where you’ll put each part of your copy (written content). For example, in The CEO Teachergram Class inside The CEO Teacher® School, we give our students a template for writing their Instagram captions. We lay out five to six headings and how to use them when writing the perfect caption to capture your audience’s attention. We also give our CEO Teacher® School students a template for writing their TpT Descriptions. It’s an easy, quick way to guide them when they get stuck and need extra help implementing the strategies we teach.

The Definition of a Swipe File

A swipe file is an example of the word-for-word implementation of a template. So it would be an email written that looks identical to the email marketing template. Today, I’m going to share one of our templates for email marketing your teacher resources with you, but you can find all of this inside of our Email Marketing for CEO Teachers® guide that you can download here.

Your First Email Marketing Template for Your Teacher Resources 

Remember how I told you that we’ve taken the strategies that have helped us build a seven-figure business and systematized them to streamline our workflows? Well, I’m going to pull back the curtain and share the overview of our email marketing strategy.

How to Get People on Your Email List

When you’re thinking about building your email list, you have to start with your traffic sources. You know how much I love making mind maps, so feel free to mind map this out for your own business, but here are some things to think about. The first step is getting those who are already interested in your TpT products on your list. So, make sure you link to your landing page inside of your products, in your product previews and descriptions, and in your TpT store banners.

Next, let’s talk social media. Link to your landing page (where people will download your opt-in) in your bio, during a live, in your Stories, and in the calls to action on your posts. Please note, people can click the links in your Facebook posts but cannot on Instagram, so it’s a better practice for your Instagram posts to send them to click the link in your profile so you can start your email marketing journey with them.

Then, think about what I call your long-form content. Things like your blog (what you’re reading right now!), videos on YouTube, and podcast (if you have one). When it comes to using your blog for your email marketing campaigns, you’ve got to link to your opt-in in every single post and use natural language to do so. For example, if you need help with email marketing for your teacher business, click here to download my free guide! For podcasts and videos, you can reference it in your pre-roll, post-roll, and in the show or lesson. 

We like to sprinkle that link to opt in everywhere and all the time. Be proud! You created that beautiful opt-in and want everyone to download it, right?! So don’t stop talking about it, and you’ll be on the right track to growing your list and becoming an email marketing campaign pro!

An Overview of What The Email Funnel Looks Like

Once you share the link to your opt-in through your traffic sources, someone will click on it and go to your landing page. They will give you their email address, and they will be redirected to a thank you page, and that will start a series of emails. They may be sales emails, but they don’t have to. I prefer to start with connection instead of bulldozing my way into your inbox with a sale. I like to provide my email subscribers with massive value, even above and beyond the opt-in they download.

If you’re a visual learner, you’ll want to download the free guide on Email Marketing CEO Teacher® Style because I’ve created a visual email marketing template for you to see the funnel step-by-step. Click here to download, and then let’s talk more about those emails they’ll receive once they opt into your email list.

The First Email Template for Marketing in the Funnel 

This first email aims to deliver your lead magnet and create a sense of know, like, and trust. If you need an example of what this looks like, click here for a podcast episode to help. You want the opt-in you’re sending in this email to provide massive value for your specific audience. It’s not just about giving away free teaching resources or the password to a freebie library. It’s where you teach them something to help them with a problem they’re having. Again, our current example will help you with your first email marketing funnel.

This first email is your chance to establish rapport. You’ll do that by not only delivering the valuable free opt-in you created but also by telling your reader who you are, why you care, and what’s in store for them now that they’re part of your community. 

This first email in this email marketing template isn’t about selling anything. It’s about creating a sense of connection and making sure your new subscriber knows what you’re all about and why it’s worth opening your emails.

The Second Email Marketing Strategy Template

The goal of Email 2 is to make sure they know you’re here to support them and share all the ways you can do just that. Check in on them — did they download the opt-in yet? What did they learn? Start a conversation and encourage them to hit reply. (We do this in every single email we send, and we get replies every time and get to build that rapport with our subscribers.) Let them know where they can learn from you, find your resources, or follow you on social media. It’s just like meeting new people; you’ll want to share how to find you and connect again.

It’s your job to know what they’re struggling with by doing a bit of research and letting them know you’re in their corner. This is an opportunity to point them toward your resources without relying on a hard sell — keep the core focus on what’s in it for them and connection.

The Third Free Email Marketing Template for your TpT Business

If you want an easy, quick win, this email is for you. Personally, I don’t use this strategy right away on email three because I’m focused on the long game and wanting to continue the relationship first. But I’ve done this in the past, and it works. If you’re wanting something to sell more resources quickly and amplify your TpT sales, the goal of your third email could be to sell your teaching resource.

The reason this works for this third email marketing template is that the price is lower. It’ll be a lot harder to sell a $100 program in the third email than to sell a $5 resource. So if you want to use an email marketing funnel to sell a resource, then email marketing template three is the way to do it.

Now that you’ve offered a TON of free value to your new subscriber, you’ve earned the right to send a sales email their way. But not just any sales email — the fact that your resource is 20% off isn’t the point here. The point is how your resource can enhance their life, make things easier, save them time, etc. 

Focus on the benefits of the incredible resource you’ve created, how valuable it is in contrast to the likely small investment you’re asking them to make. Share whatever proof you can by including testimonials or even just a story on how and why you created this resource in the first place. I’ve included all of these things In this free email template for marketing to help you sell more of this resource.

End your email with a strong Call to Action by asking them to click the link to buy your resource and watch those sales roll in! It’s something that has worked for me for years when it comes to selling a TpT product, but you’re not going to be the next TpT sensation by this one email marketing campaign. This is just the heart and soul of how your email marketing strategy is going to begin.

On the Hunt for More Email Marketing Templates for your TpT Business?

How to Get Started With Email Marketing

3 Steps to Start an Email List (Even if You Don’t Have a Business)

10 Best Email Marketing Tips to Boost Your Campaign

Don’t forget to grab your free email marketing templates and guide inside the Marketing for Email CEO Teacher® Style download! I want you to start implementing these strategies right now to help you mark a path to TPT success. And it all starts with the email marketing template outlined for you here.