What to Send a New Lead in the First 7 Days

The first week after someone signs up for your lead magnet is when they're most likely to open your emails. They remember the page, they probably haven't finished the resource, and they haven't yet filed you away with every other list they've joined. What you send in those seven days matters more than anything you send in month three.

This post covers what to send and how to get your leads into the tool that sends it.

First, a note on who sends what

Gatedleads delivers the lead magnet on the page itself: once someone enters their email, the content appears or the PDF downloads straight away. If you turn on double opt-in, Gatedleads sends one email asking them to confirm their address. It doesn't send follow-up emails or sequences.

That's deliberate. Your follow-ups should come from the email tool you already use for your newsletter or customers, so every subscriber lives in one list, with one unsubscribe link and one sending reputation.

Getting new leads into your email tool

There are two routes.

Zapier, on Pro. Add your Zapier webhook URL to the page, and each new lead is sent to Zapier as it arrives, with their email, name, the page it came from and its source. Build a Zap that adds them to your email tool with a tag for that lead magnet, and your first email can go out within minutes. The same webhook works with any tool that accepts a plain JSON webhook, see sending leads to your CRM without Zapier.

CSV export, on any plan. Export your leads from the Leads screen and import the file into your email tool. It works, but it isn't instant, so plan your sequence around it (more on that below). On the free plan leads are kept for 30 days, so export on a regular schedule.

Either way, tag each lead with the lead magnet they downloaded. It's what makes the emails below feel relevant rather than generic.

Day 0: the welcome email

Send it as soon as the lead reaches your email tool. They already have the resource, so this isn't the delivery. It does four things:

• Gives them the link to the resource again, for when they come back to it later.
• Says who you are in a sentence or two.
• Tells them what to expect, how often you'll email and about what.
• Asks one easy question they can answer by hitting reply, such as what made them download it.

That last point matters more than it looks. Replies are the best signal you have that someone is a real prospect, and a reply early on can help later emails reach the inbox. How to write a thank-you page that gets a reply uses the same idea on the page itself.

Day 1 or 2: help them use it

Most people who download a lead magnet never finish it. Pick the single most useful part and point them to it: "If you only use one page, make it this one," or the common mistake people make on step 3. This email is about the resource, not about you.

Day 3 or 4: show it working

Share a short, real example of the resource or approach in action: something you did, a before and after from your own work, or a question you get asked often and your answer. Only use client stories you have permission to share. Keep it to one idea.

Day 5 or 6: the next resource

Offer something that naturally follows. If they downloaded a checklist, send the guide that explains the hardest item on it. If they downloaded a template, send an example of it filled in. This checks whether they want more from you, and people who click it are telling you something.

Day 7: the soft next step

Now you can mention what you sell, framed as the logical next step from the resource: a call, a trial, a paid product. One clear link, no pressure, and an easy way to say "not now." Everyone who doesn't take it simply moves onto your regular emails.

Adjusting it by source

If you track which channel each lead comes from, you can use it here. The CSV export has UTM Source, UTM Medium and UTM Campaign columns, and the webhook includes a source field. Someone who found you through a partner's newsletter might get a first email that mentions that partner. Someone from a cold social post might need a bit more introduction than someone from your own blog.

If you're on CSV export

If you import leads once or twice a week, some people will hear from you several days after they signed up. Shorten the gap by importing more often, and write your welcome email so it still makes sense a few days late: "Thanks for grabbing the checklist earlier this week" reads better than "Thanks for signing up just now."

When people don't open

Some leads won't open anything in the first week. That's normal and doesn't always mean they've lost interest. What to do with leads who never open your delivery email covers how to tell a delivery problem from an ordinary non-open.

FAQ

Should I email every day?

Not necessarily. The plan above is five emails over a week, and you can spread them further. What matters is that the early emails arrive while the download is still fresh.

Do I need double opt-in for this?

It's your choice. Double opt-in makes sure the address is real before the lead is recorded, which keeps your list cleaner. It also means only confirmed leads reach your email tool.

Can I send these emails from Gatedleads?

No. Gatedleads captures the lead and delivers the resource. The sequence runs in your email tool.

Should the day 7 email be a sales email?

A gentle one. Mention the next step once, clearly, and let everyone else continue on your normal emails.

Build your lead magnet page free, or see how Gatedleads works first.