During my time as an email marketer in the MMO industry, I’ve tested several email marketing funnels to figure out what works, what doesn’t work, and how to tweak these strategies to get results.

In this post, I’ll walk you through three funnels I’ve personally used: the lead magnet funnel, the webinar funnel, and the product launch funnel. Sharing their results, real-time data, and comparing all three.

You'll also be guided on choosing the best funnel to implement for your business, plus how a tool like beehiiv can simplify the process. 

Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Table of Contents

• Why I Decided To Test Email Marketing Funnels

• My Experience: Testing Popular Email Funnels

  • Funnel 1: The Lead Magnet Funnel

  • Funnel 2: The Webinar Funnel

  • Funnel 3: The Product Launch Funnel

• The Results: Which Funnel Performed The Best?

• Why beehiiv Is Perfect For Building Email Funnels

• Lessons Learned From Testing Email Marketing Funnels

• My Top Tips For Creating High-Performing Email Funnels

• Final Thoughts: Which Email Funnel Should You Try?

Why I Decided To Test Email Marketing Funnels

Every business wants to turn subscribers into paying customers, right? That’s easier said than done. Having a list of email addresses is only half the battle—you need a strategy that moves them from passive readers to engaged buyers. Hence, email funnels.

For me, testing email funnels was mainly about improving email performance for my clients and creating a long-term strategy. My goal was simple: identify which funnel drives the most customer engagement and delivers the best ROI. 

Whether you're trying to increase webinar sign-ups, sell a product, or simply nurture leads, funnels are essential. And here's what works.

Why Trust Me: With my experience in email copywriting, I've honed my ability to develop profitable email marketing campaigns. I share some of my strategies in this article. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn anytime!

My Experience: Testing Popular Email Funnels

I’ve tried and tested three well-known email funnels, tailoring each to its purpose. I focused on making the emails personalized while ensuring the end goal was crystal clear to the subscribers. Here's how I approached each one.

Funnel 1: The Lead Magnet Funnel

The lead magnet funnel aims to build your email list. You offer something of value—like a free guide, checklist, or cheat sheet—in exchange for a subscriber's email address. 

The lead magnet funnel works incredibly well for lead generation because it’s a quick-win proposition. You scratch my back, I scratch yours kinda thing.

For this test, I asked my client to create a value-packed eBook designed to solve a common problem their audience faces. I then used a simple landing page for sign-ups (you can create this on beehiiv). A key factor to this is making sure the copy emphasizes how the guide would help solve their problem.

Next is creating an automated email sequence. Here’s how I structure it:

• Welcome Email: Once they sign up, an automated welcome email sends the eBook directly to their inbox, with a warm introduction.

• The Follow-Up Sequence: Over the next week, I’ll send three more emails:

  • Email 1: Tips on how to use the guide for maximum value.

  • Email 2: A case study from someone who used the guide and succeeded.

  • Email 3: A “next steps” email with a call to action leading to a paid offer that builds on the tips shared in the free guide or a webinar funnel.

This funnel had solid engagements, with open rates averaging 65% on the first email and click-through rates of around 20-28% since it's a free product. 

It effectively grew my client’s list but required a strong hook on the sign-up page to get subscribers in the door. See: How To Set up a High-converting Newsletter Sign-up Page

Funnel 2: The Webinar Funnel

Webinar funnels are ideal for nurturing leads. They allow you to interact with your audience, answer questions live, and build trust—all essential for conversions. 

Though the structure is simple, it requires a bit more preparation: You promote your webinar, deliver the event, and follow up to close the loop.

For webinar funnels, I follow this structure:

• Invitation: The copy focuses on what attendees would learn from the webinar, highlighting the key takeaways, the value they’ll gain, and why it’s a must-attend event, plus a clear call-to-action (CTA) to register. 

• Confirmation Email: Once registered, a confirmation email with the date, time, and a clickable “Add to Calendar” link was sent out.

• Reminder Emails: I automated a sequence to go out 24 hours, 6 hours, and 1 hour before the webinar to boost attendance.

• The Live Event: During the webinar, we provided actionable tips and ended with a soft pitch for our paid offer.

• Post-Webinar Series: After the event, two emails went out:

  • Email 1: A link to the webinar replay for those who missed it.

  • Email 2: An exclusive, time-sensitive offer to join the paid offer.

The live engagement during the webinar was great, but before you get excited, you need to understand you’re getting an average of 35% to 45% show-up rate from the number of leads generated, and a fraction of these people stay till the end of the webinar to see your offer.  

So we covered this loss by leveraging the follow-up emails, which generated around 12-14% replay attendees from the replay email alone. 

Here’s the real-time data from Webinar Jam

Funnel 3: The Product Launch Funnel

The Product Launch Funnel is designed to build hype and drive sales for a new product. It’s perfect if you're launching something exciting and want a way to drum up anticipation.

For my test, I dedicated weeks to crafting a campaign that could do the heavy lifting. Here’s how it went.

• Teaser Emails: Two weeks before the launch, I sent out short, curiosity-piquing emails hinting at a major announcement. Something similar to this, “What if email marketing became your #1 revenue stream?”

• Pre-Launch Emails: A week before the launch, the emails shifted to highlighting pain points. I shared a subscriber success story and how the upcoming product could work for others.

• Launch Day: This email included a direct link to the sales page, emphasizing a special “early bird” discount for quick action.

• Follow-Up Cycle: Spread over five days, the follow-ups included:

  • FAQs about the product.

  • A behind-the-scenes look at creating the product.

  • Urgency emails counting down the last 24 hours of the discount window.

This funnel generated urgency, and the results reflected that. Averaging a 25% open rate on the teaser emails and a 2-5% conversion rate during the launch.

So let’s say it’s a list of 7,500 subscribers, about 1,875 people read the teaser emails and 38 people will buy our $247 product during the launch, that's around $9k in sales from launch alone! 

This approach is tried and tested and works pretty well. The key? Atimely, curated email copy that kept the audience on their toes.

The Results: Which Funnel Performed The Best?

When comparing the three funnels, each served its purpose, but the lead magnet funnel achieved the highest level of engagement, although no initial sales were generated. 

While the webinar and product launch funnel had more direct sales, the live interaction from the webinar, combined with consistent follow-ups, and the nurturing of the product launch funnel led to a healthy balance of trust and conversions.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Lead Magnet Funnel: Great for building a list but low immediate ROI. This funnel primarily sets up leads for nurturing in subsequent stages.

• Webinar Funnel: Strong for nurturing leads, driving meaningful engagement and sales, but requires more upfront effort, such as preparing slides and managing Q&A sessions, also attendance drop-offs are common despite reminder emails.

• Product Launch Funnel: Also strong for nurturing leads, but best for capitalizing on urgency and making direct sales. It has lower open and click-through rates due to broader email segments and works best with an already-established email list (cold leads rarely convert).

And the winner is…

If your goal is straight revenue, the product launch funnel comes out on top. This funnel thrives on delivering offers to an already receptive audience, making it the choice for businesses with warm, engaged leads.

However, if you’re just starting to grow your list or want to build trust with your audience, the lead magnet funnel is a clear winner for engagement and lead-building potential. 

And for those looking to balance education and sales, the webinar funnel proves to be a highly effective strategy.

Ultimately, choosing the “best” email marketing funnel comes down to your current business goals, the tools you have at your disposal, and the relationship you’ve already established with your audience.

Why beehiiv Is Perfect For Building Email Funnels

beehiiv stands out as a go-to platform for creating email funnels because of its simplicity and robust features. Unlike tools like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign, beehiiv is specifically optimized for connecting and engaging with your audience.

Here’s what makes beehiiv a strong contender:

• User-Friendly Interface: You don’t need advanced technical skills to set up even complex funnels.

• Personalization Options: beehiiv takes segmenting to the next level, allowing you to tailor content based on user behaviors and preferences.

• Automation Features: From lead magnet delivery to webinar follow-ups, every aspect of the funnel can be automated seamlessly.

• Integrated Ad Network: For accounts with over 1,000 active subscribers, beehiiv opens up options for ad placements, giving you an additional revenue stream. Newsletters on beehiiv earned a total of $1,230,881 last month.

  For sales-focused funnels, this monetization-first approach ensures you can directly link your funnel’s success to measurable outcomes.

• Scalable Pricing Model for Businesses of All Sizes: Another standout aspect of beehiiv is its scalability. With a free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and paid options that go up to 100,000 subscribers, you can grow your funnel without worrying about hitting restrictive barriers. 

  The pricing tiers are ideal for anyone—from startups experimenting with their first email funnel to established brands with larger lists. With access to features like custom domains and subscriber segmentation, you can scale your funnel operations as your needs evolve.

It’s these little things that give you an edge.

Lessons Learned From Testing Email Marketing Funnels

Each message in your email funnel has a role, a purpose, and adds value to your audience’s journey. 

Through firsthand experience testing these funnels, I’ve gained insights about what works, what doesn’t work, and how to make email marketing a more reliable strategy for conversions. 

It's more than just fancy templates or catchy subject lines—You need to align your strategy with clear audience motivations.

Here are some takeaways from my experiments:

• Have a Clear Goal: Whether it's growing your list or selling a product, each funnel needs a specific purpose.

• Prioritize Value: Every email should offer something useful, whether it's a solution, a tip, or an opportunity. They need to feel natural, like a conversation that leads from one topic to the next. 

• Avoid "Jumping the Gun": Don’t present a sales pitch before any real trust has been built.

• Test Everything! A/B test subject lines, email formats, and CTAs to see what works best.

• Avoid Overloading Subscribers: Too many emails can cause unsubscribes. Keep content lean and purposeful. Having a content calendar helps you structure your email frequency, good thing beehiiv has an inbuilt one, try it out. 

My Top Tips For Creating High-Performing Email Funnels

Want to build an email funnel that converts? Keep these tips in mind:

• Segment Your Audience: Not every subscriber belongs in the same funnel. Use demographics, purchase history, and behavior to group them. See: Audience Segmentation, Reimagined

• Personalize Content: Go beyond first names. Include tailored product recommendations or references to past interactions. See: Personalize Reader Experiences with Dynamic Emails

• Add Visuals When Necessary: People skim. Support text with graphics or short videos when you can. See: Email Marketing Design Best Practices [With Examples]

• Optimize Timing: Spread emails out to avoid overwhelming your readers while keeping your message top-of-mind. See: Best Times to Send a Newsletter

Final Thoughts: Which Email Funnel Should You Try?

As I said earlier, the best email funnel depends on your business goals. 

If you’re focused on growing your list, start with a lead magnet funnel. 

For nurturing relationships and building trust, try a webinar funnel. 

And if you’re preparing to launch a new product, the product launch funnel is your best bet.

At the end of the day, experimenting is key. What works for one audience may need tweaking for another. Using tools like beehiiv helps you simplify the process and dive into the data to refine your strategy.

Email marketing funnels are a versatile, effective way to engage, nurture, and convert your audience. With the right approach, they’ll not only save you time but also dramatically boost your ROI. 

So, which funnel are you going to implement first?