Mastering ConvertKit

Go beyond the basics. Master how to use ConvertKit to fully automate your business.

You know how important email is for your business. After all – that’s why you became a ConvertKit customer.

But ConvertKit is a tool. A tool that can be used effectively and with massive results to show… or a tool that can be used wrong, or mediocrely at best.

Mastering ConvertKit is an online course that’s accessible to those new to email marketing and ConvertKit, while also being chock full of expert-level personalized automation strategies that are being used by the hundreds of companies I’ve trained.

These aren’t just tutorial videos on how to use ConvertKit.

Rather than just rehashing what you can already find in the help docs, this is a powerful in-depth resource that teaches a framework on how to strategically use ConvertKit to grow your list faster, get that list to trust you better, and to ultimately sell more of your products and services.

My name is Brennan Dunn, and I’m a programmer-turned-marketer who wanted to grow my business as much as possible without hiring a bunch of extra people, depending on big quarterly launches, and being stuck on the content treadmill.

Since 2011, I’ve sold millions of dollars of my own courses, workshops, software, and conference tickets by heavily investing in personalized automation. And as I’ve taken marketing automation to its limits, people started to notice. I’ve spoken at numerous conferences about what’s possible, and openly shared how automation is helping grow my business.

This led to numerous 1-on-1 engagements with companies who wanted to take their marketing to the next level, and also a bunch of small group Masterminds I’ve run where people like you have just wanted to bring some much needed sanity and clarity to how they build an online business.

But not everyone could hire me individually. And I could only teach so much during a 40-minute conference keynote.

That’s why I needed to create Mastering ConvertKit.

You’re looking to build a great, successful, and sustainable online business…

Where you’re not depending on big quarterly launches…

That allows you to focus on what you do best – creating great content – while offloading your nurturing and pitching to systems you’ve set-and-forget…

Where you’re able to sell more products to more people because you’re using smart personalization to better convey why someone needs what you’ve created.

Mastering ConvertKit includes everything you need to transform the way you do business online, and in it ConvertKit takes the center stage. You’re going to learn exactly how to better segment, better teach, and better sell to your audience – both current and future.

What's Included

Fundamentals

Database vs List

Understanding the difference between lists of subscribers and a database of contacts.

ConvertKit Terminology

Sequences, automations, rules, tags, custom fields, ...? Let's make sure we're on the same page

Importing Your List

Moving to ConvertKit? Awesome. Let's make sure you transition the right way.

Automations and Rules

What's the difference? And when should you use one vs the other?

Visual Automations

Everything you need to know about the new visual automations editor.

Sequences

Automated emails sent in ConvertKit are created in sequences. Here's everything you need to know.

Broadcasts

One-off emails have their place. Here's what you need to know about broadcasts.

Tags

Tags can be used and misused. In this lesson, you'll learn how to tag the right way.

Custom Fields

Most segmentation should be done via custom fields. In this lesson, I make a case for segmentation done right.

Liquid Templating

Go beyond {{ subscriber.first_name }} - learn all about how to transform text and data using Liquid templating.

Integrations

With ConvertKit being your "single source of truth", you're going to make sure you sync everything into your ConvertKit database.

Account Settings

These settings are the backbone of your ConvertKit account. Let's ensure you're up and running correctly.

Understanding Your Audience

Customer Personas

Learn how to understand how your audience identifies and what they need from you.

Developing A Segmentation Strategy

Once you've created your personas, it's time to start automatically segmenting your list.

Lead Scoring: Not All Subscribers Are Created Equal

Not all leads are created equal! We'll look at how to score your leads.

Creating An Offer Funnel

An Offer Funnel is a powerful worker automation that ensures you're pitching the right product to the right person – every time.

Using Trigger Links To Segment

Segment your list - entirely over email. Here's how to master segmentation using trigger links.

Using On-Site Surveys To Profile Your Existing List

On-site surveying is a great way to learn about your audience.

Using Hosted Surveys To Segment In Bulk

We'll look at how to segment your audience in bulk – while also making your surveying super appealing.

Segmenting People Before They're On Your List

Did you know you can segment people before they're on your ConvertKit list? Here's how.

Segmenting By On-Site Behavior

What people are reading and watching sends a strong signal about what they need the most help with. Here's how to segment by consumption.

Growing Your List

Forms

The ins-and-outs of how to use forms in ConvertKit.

Landing Pages

ConvertKit includes a suite of beautiful landing page templates. Let's ensure you're using them right.

Old Fashioned Opt-in Forms

Sometimes nothing beats a good ol' fashioned embedded form. Let's look at how to use them alongside ConvertKit.

Dynamic CTAs

Did you know that you can change your opt-in forms based pre-optin segmentation? Here's how!

Segmenting On Opt-in

An opt-in form is a great way to collect data about someone. In this lesson, I'll show you how (and even how to hide questions you already know the answer to.)

Creating The Perfect Confirmation Page

Your opt-in confirmation page is an essential part of your sales and marketing playbook. Let's ensure you're doing it right.

Glossary Automations

A glossary automation is a playbook that runs whenever segmentation data changes, giving you the ability to address people the way they expect to be addressed.

Integrating With WordPress

ConvertKit and WordPress play great together. Here's how.

Onboarding New Subscribers

Progressively Profiling

A new opt-in is just the start. Here's how to systematically profile subscribers over time.

Freebie Followups

Delivering a free guide or ebook? We'll look at how to setup an effective follow-up sequence.

At-Your-Own-Pace Email Courses

Down with drip email sequences! In this lesson, I'll show you how to create "at-your-own-pace" email courses.

Creating Elastic Email Courses

Not everyone who goes through your nurturing material is going to be ready to buy. Here's how to pitch at the perfect time.

Pitching To New Subscribers

Personalized pitches yield huge conversions. Let's ditch one-size-fits-all and supercharge your pitches.

"Why Didn't You Buy?" (And How To Rescue The Sale)

Learn why people didn't buy – and rescue the sale through smart surveying.

Pitching Made Easy

Product Launches Done Right

A Masterclass on building up momentum, segmenting by need, and then pitching a product that exactly matches what someone needs.

Personalized Sales Pages

Your pitch emails lead people to a sales page. Here's how to continue the conversation with a fully personalized sales page.

Evergreen Pitches

How to setup a pitch schedule based around when your audience is ready to buy – and not just when you're ready to sell!

The Ultimate Webinar Framework

How to use ConvertKit and personalized marketing to build up excitement for a webinar, get people there, and then close the deal.

Turning Your Webinars Evergreen

We'll look at how to automate your existing webinars.

Nurturing Your Audience

Shadow Newsletters

Get off the content treadmill. Here's how to automate your newsletter nurturing.

Dynamic P.S.'s

We'll look at how to include personalized P.S. pitches in all of your broadcast and newsletter emails.

Keeping Your Blog In Sync With Your Emails

If you're pitching a product or service over email, the CTAs on your site should pitch the exact same thing. Here's how.

Making Your Newsletters Personal

Now that you have sophisticated segmentation in place, let's look at how to tailor email content to increase opens rates and engagement.

Keeping Your List Clean

All about how to use reengagement campaigns to ensure a high-quality list.

Sending SMS Messages

Want to reinforce what you're pitching over SMS? Here's how to get ConvertKit to send text messages.

Optimization

Documenting Your Setup

Documenting your automation means that you'll be able to make changes (or hire them out) with confidence. Here's the best way to do document your setup.

Behavior-Based Up-sells And Cross-sells

Automate your entire lifecycle. We'll look at how to pitch and promote other products and services to your customers – entirely on autopilot.

A/B Testing

We'll look at how you to A/B test all of your email content – and not just broadcasts.

Reporting

Who are your most valuable segments? And how are your automations performing financially? I'll help you put a value on your entire automation stack.

Case Study: Behind-The-Scenes Of A $100k+ Email Course

In this case study, you'll see a start-to-finish walkthrough of an email course of mine that has yielded $100k+ in direct revenue.

Somebody needs to translate Brennan Dunn’s Mastering Drip course to ConvertKit because all of the existing “courses” are just for beginners.

Joel Hooks, Egghead.io

Who's behind this course?

I'm Brennan Dunn, and for the last decade I've been working with clients. I started out as a freelancer, and after 3 years my business grew to an agency of 11 employees and a $2 million in annual revenue.

I love freelance consulting, but I'm hell-bent on helping other freelancers learn how to master the BUSINESS of freelancing. A lot of us (myself included) started freelancing because we're technically solid... but end up learning the hard way being successful is much more than just being good at what we do.

In addition to this course, I also write and podcast weekly for my audience of over 50,000+ freelancers. I also host two worldwide conferences for freelancers.

("What's with the robe, Brennan?!" We hosted our last European conference at an all-inclusive Japanese resort. It was a blast – and a bit weird! – presenting on stage in a kimono.)

This Course Is Right For You If...

You use ConvertKit (duh!)
You have a website, and on this website you create content that leads people into opting in to your list
You sell products or services directly to your audience
You want to better understand your audience and their needs by segmenting them the right way
You love what’s possible with automation, and you realize that delivering the right message to the right person on their timetable is better for you AND them
You’re hands on and not afraid to get your feet dirty by implementing highly profitable strategies that permanently move the needle (or you have someone on your team who can implement what I teach)

It's Not For You If...

You use a more basic email marketing platform like MailChimp
You think broadcast newsletters are all you need to “do marketing automation”
You’re looking for a basic course that doesn’t include in-depth training

Still here? Here’s the backstory to Mastering ConvertKit…

About three years ago, I launched Mastering Drip, which has since blossomed into over 10+ hours of basic, intermediate, and advanced lessons on how to use Drip.

What emerged from that course was a practical framework for adding effective and profitable automation to just about any business (training, ecommerce, services, etc.)

With over 400 customers, Mastering Drip was a huge success – both for me and my customers.

Drip is now focused on ecommerce. I don’t run an ecommerce business and it was obvious that their product roadmap was going to continue to focus on ecommerce companies, so this change in direction was the writing on the wall for me and others like me to start looking elsewhere.

A few months ago, I decided to switch to ConvertKit (writeup here). And in doing so, I decided to port my Drip course to ConvertKit, and focus heavily on the needs of “audience-based” businesses (basically anyone who uses content to grow and nurture an email list, and then later sells that list on their products or services.)

I’m excited to get this course off the ground, especially since I’m working closely with the ConvertKit management team to make the right course that covers all the bases and presents a proven framework that just about any ConvertKit customer can use.