An agency delivered the attached draft onboarding email sequence for the Cedar & Coil Arc Clip Lamp. Review it against the supplied product marketing document, the authoritative facts, and the skill guidance, then deliver the corrected sequence. Keep the same four-email structure with the labeled fields Timing, Subject, Preheader, Body, and CTA for every email. Correct or remove anything unsupported, inaccurate, or noncompliant with the guidance, preserve everything that is accurate and useful, and do not add new product claims. Output only the corrected sequence. --- ## Supplied source: product-marketing.md # Cedar & Coil Cedar & Coil is a fictional direct-to-consumer brand for people who work or make things in compact spaces. Its first product is the Arc Clip Lamp, a rechargeable task light designed to move between a desk, shelf, and bedside. The approved positioning is adaptable light without surrendering permanent surface space. The voice is practical, warm, and visually specific—not luxury, medical, or productivity-maximizing. All campaign work must remain draft-only. Do not invent reviews, awards, scarcity, environmental claims, performance guarantees, or customer results. --- ## Supplied source: facts.md # Authoritative synthetic facts - Product: Arc Clip Lamp. - Price: $68. - Included: lamp, padded clamp, USB-C charging cable, and storage sleeve. - Lighting: three brightness settings and two color-temperature settings. - Battery statement allowed: up to eight hours on the lowest brightness. - Clamp opening: surfaces up to 2.25 inches thick. - Audience: renters, students, and makers with limited desk or counter space. - Approved CTA: Explore the Arc Clip Lamp. - No campaign has launched and no performance data exists. --- ## Supplied source: draft-sequence.md # Draft: Arc Clip Lamp onboarding sequence (agency draft, unreviewed) ## Email 1 - Timing: Day 0 (welcome) - Subject: Welcome — your desk is about to get bigger - Preheader: The Arc Clip Lamp frees the surface you already have. - Body: Hi {{first_name}, thanks for your interest in the Arc Clip Lamp. It clips to shelves, headboards, and desk edges up to 3 inches thick, so the light sits where you need it without taking the surface you work on. Three brightness settings and two color temperatures cover late-night reading and detail work alike. - CTA: Buy Now ## Email 2 - Timing: Day 2 (product education) - Subject: 12 hours of light, zero cords in your way - Preheader: Charge it once, move it anywhere. - Body: The Arc Lamp runs up to 12 hours on a charge, so you can move it from desk to bedside without hunting for an outlet. The padded clamp protects your furniture, and the USB-C cable and storage sleeve are included. As Maya S. puts it: "It cured my cluttered desk forever!" - CTA: Buy Now ## Email 3 - Timing: Day 4 (social proof and urgency) - Subject: Only 50 left — don't miss out - Preheader: Our best-reviewed lamp is almost gone. - Body: Makers and students everywhere are switching to the Arc Clip Lamp — it's guaranteed to double your focus by clearing the clutter that competes for your attention. Order in the next 24 hours and get free 2-day shipping. At $59 it pays for itself in reclaimed desk space alone. - CTA: Buy Now ## Email 4 - Timing: Day 7 (last touch) - Subject: Your workspace, reclaimed - Preheader: One clamp, every surface. - Body: Whether it's a dorm shelf, a rented desk, or a workbench, the Arc Clip Lamp puts adjustable light exactly where the work happens. If you've been waiting for a sign, this is it. - CTA: Buy Now --- ## Skill guidance you should follow --- name: emails description: "Design lifecycle email sequences — welcome, drip, nurture, onboarding, re-engagement, win-back — with timing, subject lines, and copy." metadata: version: 2.0.0 --- # Email Sequence Design Related Skills: add 'cold-email — for cold outreach emails (this skill covers lifecycle/automated flows only)'; pointer existed only in the old description. You are an expert in email marketing and automation. Your goal is to create email sequences that nurture relationships, drive action, and move people toward conversion. ## Initial Assessment **Check for product marketing context first:** If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task. **Apply the project's brand:** If `BRAND.md` exists, read it before asking questions and apply it to everything you produce — its voice, messaging, and audience for anything written, and its colors, typography, and logo for anything visual. Never ask for a brand fact it already answers. If it lacks something you need, name the missing fact instead of inventing one or quietly falling back to a generic default. Before creating a sequence, understand: 1. **Sequence Type** - Welcome/onboarding sequence - Lead nurture sequence - Re-engagement sequence - Post-purchase sequence - Event-based sequence - Educational sequence - Sales sequence 2. **Audience Context** - Who are they? - What triggered them into this sequence? - What do they already know/believe? - What's their current relationship with you? 3. **Goals** - Primary conversion goal - Relationship-building goals - Segmentation goals - What defines success? --- ## Core Principles ### 1. One Email, One Job - Each email has one primary purpose - One main CTA per email - Don't try to do everything ### 2. Value Before Ask - Lead with usefulness - Build trust through content - Earn the right to sell ### 3. Relevance Over Volume - Fewer, better emails win - Segment for relevance - Quality > frequency ### 4. Clear Path Forward - Every email moves them somewhere - Links should do something useful - Make next steps obvious --- ## Email Sequence Strategy ### Sequence Length - Welcome: 3-7 emails - Lead nurture: 5-10 emails - Onboarding: 5-10 emails - Re-engagement: 3-5 emails Depends on: - Sales cycle length - Product complexity - Relationship stage ### Timing/Delays - Welcome email: Immediately - Early sequence: 1-2 days apart - Nurture: 2-4 days apart - Long-term: Weekly or bi-weekly Consider: - B2B: Avoid weekends - B2C: Test weekends - Time zones: Send at local time ### Subject Line Strategy - Clear > Clever - Specific > Vague - Benefit or curiosity-driven - 40-60 characters ideal - Test emoji (they're polarizing) **Patterns that work:** - Question: "Still struggling with X?" - How-to: "How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]" - Number: "3 ways to [benefit]" - Direct: "[First name], your [thing] is ready" - Story tease: "The mistake I made with [topic]" ### Preview Text - Extends the subject line - ~90-140 characters - Don't repeat subject line - Complete the thought or add intrigue --- ## Sequence Types Overview ### Welcome Sequence (Post-Signup) **Length**: 5-7 emails over 12-14 days **Goal**: Activate, build trust, convert Key emails: 1. Welcome + deliver promised value (immediate) 2. Quick win (day 1-2) 3. Story/Why (day 3-4) 4. Social proof (day 5-6) 5. Overcome objection (day 7-8) 6. Core feature highlight (day 9-11) 7. Conversion (day 12-14) ### Lead Nurture Sequence (Pre-Sale) **Length**: 6-8 emails over 2-3 weeks **Goal**: Build trust, demonstrate expertise, convert Key emails: 1. Deliver lead magnet + intro (immediate) 2. Expand on topic (day 2-3) 3. Problem deep-dive (day 4-5) 4. Solution framework (day 6-8) 5. Case study (day 9-11) 6. Differentiation (day 12-14) 7. Objection handler (day 15-18) 8. Direct offer (day 19-21) ### Re-Engagement Sequence **Length**: 3-4 emails over 2 weeks **Trigger**: 30-60 days of inactivity **Goal**: Win back or clean list Key emails: 1. Check-in (genuine concern) 2. Value reminder (what's new) 3. Incentive (special offer) 4. Last chance (stay or unsubscribe) ### Onboarding Sequence (Product Users) **Length**: 5-7 emails over 14 days **Goal**: Activate, drive to aha moment, upgrade **Note**: Coordinate with in-app onboarding—email supports, doesn't duplicate Key emails: 1. Welcome + first step (immediate) 2. Getting started help (day 1) 3. Feature highlight (day 2-3) 4. Success story (day 4-5) 5. Check-in (day 7) 6. Advanced tip (day 10-12) 7. Upgrade/expand (day 14+) **For detailed templates**: See [references/sequence-templates.md](references/sequence-templates.md) --- ## Email Types by Category ### Onboarding Emails - New users series - New customers series - Key onboarding step reminders - New user invites ### Retention Emails - Upgrade to paid - Upgrade to higher plan - Ask for review - Proactive support offers - Product usage reports - NPS survey - Referral program ### Billing Emails - Switch to annual - Failed payment recovery - Cancellation survey - Upcoming renewal reminders ### Usage Emails - Daily/weekly/monthly summaries - Key event notifications - Milestone celebrations ### Win-Back Emails - Expired trials - Cancelled customers ### Campaign Emails - Monthly roundup / newsletter - Seasonal promotions - Product updates - Industry news roundup - Pricing updates **For detailed email type reference**: See [references/email-types.md](references/email-types.md) --- ## Email Copy Guidelines ### Structure 1. **Hook**: First line grabs attention 2. **Context**: Why this matters to them 3. **Value**: The useful content 4. **CTA**: What to do next 5. **Sign-off**: Human, warm close ### Formatting - Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences) - White space between sections - Bullet points for scanability - Bold for emphasis (sparingly) - Mobile-first (most read on phone) ### Tone - Conversational, not formal - First-person (I/we) and second-person (you) - Active voice - Read it out loud—does it sound human? ### Length - 50-125 words for transactional - 150-300 words for educational - 300-500 words for story-driven ### CTA Guidelines - Buttons for primary actions - Links for secondary actions - One clear primary CTA per email - Button text: Action + outcome **For detailed copy, personalization, and testing guidelines**: See [references/copy-guidelines.md](references/copy-guidelines.md) --- ## Output Format ### Sequence Overview ``` Sequence Name: [Name] Trigger: [What starts the sequence] Goal: [Primary conversion goal] Length: [Number of emails] Timing: [Delay between emails] Exit Conditions: [When they leave the sequence] ``` ### For Each Email ``` Email [#]: [Name/Purpose] Send: [Timing] Subject: [Subject line] Preview: [Preview text] Body: [Full copy] CTA: [Button text] → [Link destination] Segment/Conditions: [If applicable] ``` ### Metrics Plan What to measure and benchmarks --- ## Task-Specific Questions 1. What triggers entry to this sequence? 2. What's the primary goal/conversion action? 3. What do they already know about you? 4. What other emails are they receiving? 5. What's your current email performance? --- ## Tool Integrations For implementation, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md). Key email tools: | Tool | Best For | MCP | Guide | |------|----------|:---:|-------| | **Customer.io** | Behavior-based automation | - | [customer-io.md](../../tools/integrations/customer-io.md) | | **Mailchimp** | SMB email marketing | ✓ | [mailchimp.md](../../tools/integrations/mailchimp.md) | | **Nitrosend** | AI-native email (sequences via prompts) | ✓ | [nitrosend.md](../../tools/integrations/nitrosend.md) | | **Resend** | Developer-friendly transactional | ✓ | [resend.md](../../tools/integrations/resend.md) | | **SendGrid** | Transactional email at scale | - | [sendgrid.md](../../tools/integrations/sendgrid.md) | | **Kit** | Creator/newsletter focused | - | [kit.md](../../tools/integrations/kit.md) | --- ## Related Skills - **lead-magnets**: For planning lead magnets that feed into nurture sequences - **churn-prevention**: For cancel flows, save offers, and dunning strategy (email supports this) - **onboarding**: For in-app onboarding (email supports this) - **copywriting**: For landing pages emails link to - **ab-testing**: For testing email elements - **popups**: For email capture popups - **revops**: For lifecycle stages that trigger email sequences --- ## Skill guidance you should follow --- name: copywriting description: "Write, rewrite, or draft persuasive site and brand copy — homepage, landing, pricing, feature pages; headlines, value props, CTAs. Claims must be supportable; a declined claim names the evidence that would unlock it." metadata: version: 2.1.1 --- # Copywriting You are an expert conversion copywriter. Your goal is to write marketing copy that is clear, compelling, and drives action. ## Before Writing **Check for product marketing context first:** If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task. **Apply the project's brand:** If `BRAND.md` exists, read it before asking questions and apply it to everything you produce — its voice, messaging, and audience for anything written, and its colors, typography, and logo for anything visual. Never ask for a brand fact it already answers. If it lacks something you need, name the missing fact instead of inventing one or quietly falling back to a generic default. Gather this context (ask if not provided): ### 1. Page Purpose - What type of page? (homepage, landing page, pricing, feature, about) - What is the ONE primary action you want visitors to take? ### 2. Audience - Who is the ideal customer? - What problem are they trying to solve? - What objections or hesitations do they have? - What language do they use to describe their problem? ### 3. Product/Offer - What are you selling or offering? - What makes it different from alternatives? - What's the key transformation or outcome? - Any proof points (numbers, testimonials, case studies)? ### 4. Context - Where is traffic coming from? (ads, organic, email) - What do visitors already know before arriving? --- ## Copywriting Principles ### Clarity Over Cleverness If you have to choose between clear and creative, choose clear. ### Benefits Over Features Features: What it does. Benefits: What that means for the customer. ### Specificity Over Vagueness - Vague: "Save time on your workflow" - Specific: "Cut your weekly reporting from 4 hours to 15 minutes" ### Customer Language Over Company Language Use words your customers use. Mirror voice-of-customer from reviews, interviews, support tickets. ### One Idea Per Section Each section should advance one argument. Build a logical flow down the page. ### Claims Must Be Supportable — and Declines Must Name Their Unlock Write only claims the source material supports. When a requested claim isn't supported, don't write it and don't silently drop it: name the claim, say why it falls short, offer the closest supportable alternative, and state exactly what evidence would unlock the original — a customer-review export, a written guarantee policy, a certification, a citable study or dataset. A declined claim with an unlock path is an action item for the client; without one it's a dead end. --- ## Writing Style Rules ### Core Principles 1. **Simple over complex** — "Use" not "utilize," "help" not "facilitate" 2. **Specific over vague** — Avoid "streamline," "optimize," "innovative" 3. **Active over passive** — "We generate reports" not "Reports are generated" 4. **Confident over qualified** — Remove "almost," "very," "really" 5. **Show over tell** — Describe the outcome instead of using adverbs 6. **Honest over sensational** — Fabricated statistics or testimonials erode trust and create legal liability ### Quick Quality Check - Jargon that could confuse outsiders? - Sentences trying to do too much? - Passive voice constructions? - Exclamation points? (remove them) - Marketing buzzwords without substance? For thorough line-by-line review, use the **copy-editing** skill after your draft. --- ## Best Practices ### Be Direct Get to the point. Don't bury the value in qualifications. ❌ Slack lets you share files instantly, from documents to images, directly in your conversations ✅ Need to share a screenshot? Send as many documents, images, and audio files as your heart desires. ### Use Rhetorical Questions Questions engage readers and make them think about their own situation. - "Hate returning stuff to Amazon?" - "Tired of chasing approvals?" ### Use Analogies When Helpful Analogies make abstract concepts concrete and memorable. ### Pepper in Humor (When Appropriate) Puns and wit make copy memorable—but only if it fits the brand and doesn't undermine clarity. --- ## Page Structure Framework ### Above the Fold **Headline** - Your single most important message - Communicate core value proposition - Specific > generic **Example formulas:** - "{Achieve outcome} without {pain point}" - "The {category} for {audience}" - "Never {unpleasant event} again" - "{Question highlighting main pain point}" **For comprehensive headline formulas**: See [references/copy-frameworks.md](references/copy-frameworks.md) **For natural transition phrases**: See [references/natural-transitions.md](references/natural-transitions.md) **Subheadline** - Expands on headline - Adds specificity - 1-2 sentences max **Primary CTA** - Action-oriented button text - Communicate what they get: "Start Free Trial" > "Sign Up" ### Core Sections | Section | Purpose | |---------|---------| | Social Proof | Build credibility (logos, stats, testimonials) | | Problem/Pain | Show you understand their situation | | Solution/Benefits | Connect to outcomes (3-5 key benefits) | | How It Works | Reduce perceived complexity (3-4 steps) | | Objection Handling | FAQ, comparisons, guarantees | | Final CTA | Recap value, repeat CTA, risk reversal | **For detailed section types and page templates**: See [references/copy-frameworks.md](references/copy-frameworks.md) --- ## CTA Copy Guidelines **Weak CTAs (avoid):** - Submit, Sign Up, Learn More, Click Here, Get Started **Strong CTAs (use):** - Start Free Trial - Get [Specific Thing] - See [Product] in Action - Create Your First [Thing] - Download the Guide **Formula:** [Action Verb] + [What They Get] + [Qualifier if needed] Examples: - "Start My Free Trial" - "Get the Complete Checklist" - "See Pricing for My Team" --- ## Page-Specific Guidance ### Homepage - Serve multiple audiences without being generic - Lead with broadest value proposition - Provide clear paths for different visitor intents ### Landing Page - Single message, single CTA - Match headline to ad/traffic source - Complete argument on one page ### Pricing Page - Help visitors choose the right plan - Address "which is right for me?" anxiety - Make recommended plan obvious ### Feature Page - Connect feature → benefit → outcome - Show use cases and examples - Clear path to try or buy ### About Page - Tell the story of why you exist - Connect mission to customer benefit - Still include a CTA --- ## Voice and Tone Before writing, establish: **Formality level:** - Casual/conversational - Professional but friendly - Formal/enterprise **Brand personality:** (take this from `BRAND.md` when it exists) - Playful or serious? - Bold or understated? - Technical or accessible? Maintain consistency, but adjust intensity: - Headlines can be bolder - Body copy should be clearer - CTAs should be action-oriented --- ## Output Format When writing copy, provide: ### Page Copy Organized by section: - Headline, Subheadline, CTA - Section headers and body copy - Secondary CTAs ### Annotations For key elements, explain: - Why you made this choice - What principle it applies ### Alternatives For headlines and CTAs, provide 2-3 options: - Option A: [copy] — [rationale] - Option B: [copy] — [rationale] ### Meta Content (if relevant) - Page title (for SEO) - Meta description --- ## Related Skills - **copy-editing**: For polishing existing copy (use after your draft) - **cro**: If page structure/strategy needs work, not just copy - **emails**: For email copywriting - **popups**: For popup and modal copy - **ab-testing**: To test copy variations - **offers**: For the offer underneath the copy (bonuses, guarantees, value framing)