email-nurture

name	email-nurture
description	Write multi-email nurture sequences for lead-gen, onboarding, re-engagement, sales, and lifecycle marketing using the Hook Model (Nir Eyal) to architect the sequence arc and PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution) to structure each email body. Use when the user asks for an email sequence, drip campaign, nurture flow, onboarding emails, re-engagement campaign, "write 5 emails for X", welcome series, or any multi-step email program. Reads brand voice and ICP from knowledge/.
reads	["knowledge/brand/voice.md","knowledge/icp/personas.md","knowledge/services/","knowledge/markets/positioning.md"]
writes	["output/email-nurture/"]

email-nurture

Writes coordinated email sequences. Different from one-off emails (use /content-writer for those). Sequences have a narrative arc across emails, built on the Hook Model to systematically increase engagement and investment over time.

When to use

• "Write a 5-email nurture for our ebook download leads"
• "Draft an onboarding email series for new signups"
• "Build a re-engagement campaign for dormant users"
• "Write a sales sequence for trial conversions"
• "Welcome series for new newsletter subscribers"

Sequence types this skill handles

Type	Length	Cadence	Goal
Lead nurture (post download)	4-6 emails	day 0, 2, 5, 9, 14	Qualify, educate, convert to demo
Onboarding (post signup)	5-7 emails	day 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 30	Activate, drive first value
Re-engagement (dormant)	3 emails	day 0, 4, 10	Revive or sunset
Sales sequence (trial conversion)	4-5 emails	day 0, 3, 7, 12, 14	Convert to paid
Welcome series (newsletter)	3 emails	day 0, 3, 7	Set expectations, drive engagement
Win-back (churned)	3 emails	day 0, 7, 21	Resurrect lapsed customers

Inputs needed

• Sequence type (from table above)
• Trigger event: what causes someone to enter this sequence (download, signup, X days inactive, trial start)
• Conversion goal: book demo, upgrade, complete onboarding step, reply, click CTA
• Audience persona: from knowledge/icp/personas.md
• Length and cadence: default per type, override if needed
• Sender identity: founder, AE, generic company, or rotation

Framework: Hook Model + PAS

Hook Model (Nir Eyal, Hooked)

Every sequence must move the subscriber through four stages in order:

Stage	What it is	Email role
Trigger	External cue that starts the behavior. Subject line IS the trigger. Must tap an internal trigger: anxiety, curiosity, FOMO, or identity.	Email 1
Action	Simplest behavior done in anticipation of reward. One CTA. Zero friction.	Emails 2-3
Variable Reward	Unpredictable value that satisfies and creates craving. Not "tip #4". Something that surprises.	Emails 4-5
Investment	Ask the user to put something in: reply, complete a step, share a result. Investment increases future hook likelihood.	Email 6+

The sequence as a whole must escalate investment. If email 6 asks for less than email 2, the arc is broken.

PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution)

Every individual email body follows this structure:

• Problem (1-2 sentences): open with the specific problem this email addresses. Name it precisely, not generically.
• Agitate (2-3 sentences): make the pain feel real and immediate. Vivid, concrete, specific to the persona's situation.
• Solution (2-3 sentences): introduce the solution - but only after the pain has been established. Never lead with the solution.

Process

1. Load context. Read knowledge/brand/voice.md, knowledge/icp/personas.md. Stop if voice is missing. Confirm persona match before proceeding.

2. Map the Hook Model arc. Before writing, map each email to a Hook stage:

   Hook Model Map - <Sequence Name>
   
   Email 1 (Day 0)  - TRIGGER
     Internal trigger tapped: <anxiety | curiosity | FOMO | identity>
     Subject line strategy: <explain how it triggers the internal cue>
   
   Email 2 (Day X)  - ACTION
     Action asked: <single micro-CTA>
     Friction removed: <what you did to make it dead simple>
   
   Email 3 (Day X)  - ACTION
     Action asked: <single micro-CTA>
   
   Email 4 (Day X)  - VARIABLE REWARD
     Reward type: <informational surprise | social connection | achievement>
     Why it's unpredictable: <not "here is tip #4">
   
   Email 5 (Day X)  - VARIABLE REWARD
     Reward: <what it is>
   
   Email 6 (Day X)  - INVESTMENT
     Investment asked: <reply with answer | complete setup step | share result>
     Why this increases commitment: <explain>
   

   Show this map to the user and get confirmation before drafting.

3. Write each email using PAS structure:

   ---
   email: 1 of N
   day: 0
   hook-stage: TRIGGER
   internal-trigger: <anxiety | curiosity | FOMO | identity>
   trigger: <event>
   sender: <name|company>
   ---
   
   Subject: <under 50 chars, no clickbait, no all caps>
   Preview text: <30-90 chars, complements subject, never repeats it>
   
   [PROBLEM - 1-2 sentences: name the specific problem]
   
   [AGITATE - 2-3 sentences: make the pain vivid and immediate]
   
   [SOLUTION - 2-3 sentences: introduce it after the pain lands]
   
   <CTA - one action, low friction>
   
   <Sign-off>
   <Sender name and role>
   
   P.S. <optional but high-performing. One line. Reinforce the CTA.>
   

4. Subject line as trigger - internal trigger checklist. For each subject line, confirm which internal trigger it taps:

   • Anxiety: "Are you making this mistake with X?"
   • Curiosity: "What most teams get wrong about X"
   • FOMO: "What [peer segment] is doing that you're not"
   • Identity: "You're the kind of person who cares about X"

   If the subject line taps none of these, rewrite it. A subject that doesn't tap an internal trigger is just an announcement.

5. Voice rules:

   • Match knowledge/brand/voice.md
   • Conversational, like writing to one person
   • Second-person ("you"), not third-person
   • One CTA per email. If you have two, the second should be a soft "or just reply"
   • No "Hope this email finds you well"
   • No "I just wanted to reach out"
   • No "Circling back" unless this is intentionally a follow-up

6. Subject line rules:

   • 30-50 chars (most clients truncate at 60)
   • No emojis unless knowledge/brand/voice.md says they are part of the voice
   • Curiosity, specificity, or self-interest. Pick one.
   • Lowercase or sentence case (matches conversational tone)
   • Test variants: provide 2 alt subject lines per email

7. Self-check for the full sequence:

   • Each email earns its place (no filler emails to hit a number)
   • The Hook Model stages are present in order: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, Investment
   • Investment escalates over time (later emails ask for more than earlier ones)
   • Every email body follows PAS - solution never leads
   • The CTA escalates over time (low-friction first, direct ask last)
   • No two emails repeat the same hook
   • No two emails share the same internal trigger tap
   • Total reading time across the sequence under 5 minutes

8. Save to output/email-nurture/<DD-MM-YYYY>-<sequence-name>/:

   output/email-nurture/25-04-2026-trial-conversion/
   ├── README.md          (sequence overview, hook map, cadence, goals, A/B test ideas)
   ├── email-1-day-0.md
   ├── email-2-day-3.md
   ├── email-3-day-7.md
   ├── email-4-day-12.md
   └── email-5-day-14.md
   

9. README.md template:

   # <Sequence name>
   
   **Type**: <type>
   **Trigger**: <event>
   **Audience**: <persona>
   **Goal**: <conversion goal>
   **Length**: N emails
   **Total window**: N days
   
   ## Hook Model Map
   | # | Day | Hook Stage | Internal Trigger | Subject | Job | CTA |
   |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
   | 1 | 0 | Trigger | Anxiety | ... | ... | ... |
   
   ## A/B test ideas
   - Test subject line A vs B on Email 1
   - Test PS variant on Email 4
   - Test send time (Tue vs Thu)
   
   ## Success metrics
   - Email 1 open rate target: >40%
   - Sequence reply rate target: >2%
   - Conversion to <goal> target: <%>
   

Rules

• Never write emails that don't have a clear job. Each email earns its place.
• One CTA per email. Two CTAs = no CTA.
• Subject lines must reflect what's actually inside. No clickbait.
• PAS is mandatory for every email body. Do not open with the solution.
• If the user is sending from a real person (founder, AE), include a check: "Confirm this matches how writes before sending."
• Every sequence ends with a clear off-ramp: either a clear ask or "we'll stop emailing you about this."
• If the sequence has no Investment-stage email, it is not a Hook sequence. Add one or tell the user why it was omitted.

Quick Reference: Hook Model

Stage	Goal	Question to ask
Trigger	Get them to open and engage	What internal emotion does the subject line tap?
Action	Get one simple behavior	Is the CTA the simplest possible next step?
Variable Reward	Deliver surprising value	Would someone forward this unprompted?
Investment	Get them to put something in	Does this email ask them to give something back?

Quick Reference: PAS

Section	Length	Rule
Problem	1-2 sentences	Name the specific problem. Not generic.
Agitate	2-3 sentences	Make the pain vivid, real, and immediate.
Solution	2-3 sentences	Only introduce it after the pain has landed.