If you’ve been inside your Kajabi dashboard staring at the Email section, you’ve probably asked yourself: Should I send a broadcast or set up a sequence? It’s one of the most common questions course creators and online educators face, and getting it wrong can quietly kill your engagement rates.
The good news? Once you understand how each tool works and why it exists, the decision becomes almost automatic. This guide explains everything in simple terms, using real-world examples for educators, coaches, and knowledge business owners.
What Is a Kajabi Email Broadcast?
A Kajabi email broadcast is a one-time email you send to a specific group of subscribers now or at a scheduled time. It’s similar to a company-wide announcement.
Broadcasts are best for time-sensitive, moment-specific communication. They’re reactive by nature; something is happening, and you want your audience to know about it.
Common use cases for Kajabi broadcasts:
- Announcing a new course launch or product release
- Sending a limited-time discount or flash sale
- Sharing a new blog post or YouTube video
- Notifying students about a live webinar or Q&A session
- Delivering weekly newsletters or community updates
Broadcasts don’t repeat. Once sent, that’s it. If someone joins your list tomorrow, they won’t see the email you sent today, unless you repurpose it into a sequence (more on that in a moment).
What Is a Kajabi Email Sequence?
A Kajabi email sequence, also known as an automation or drip campaign, is a series of pre-written emails that are sent automatically based on a trigger. Triggers can include someone opting into a lead magnet, purchasing a course, or joining your membership.
Sequences are proactive. You create them once, and they operate automatically, guiding each new subscriber through the same carefully designed journey, no matter when they sign up.
Common use cases for Kajabi sequences:
- Welcome series for new email subscribers
- Onboarding emails after a course purchase
- A free email course or lead magnet delivery
- Nurture sequences for cold leads moving toward a sale
- Post-purchase follow-ups to lower refund requests and increase completion rate
The strength of sequences lies in their consistency. Every learner gets the same experience, the same encouragement, and the same value, delivered at exactly the right interval.
Broadcast vs. Sequence: The Core Difference
Here’s the simplest way to think about it:
| Broadcast | Sequence | |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Sent once, at a specific time | Automated, triggered by action |
| Purpose | Announcements, news, promotions | Nurturing, onboarding, education |
| Audience | Current list (at time of send) | Anyone who triggers the automation |
| Personalization | Same message to all | Time-based, behavior-based |
| Effort | Low setup, manual each time | Higher setup, runs forever |
Neither is better than the other. The best Kajabi email strategy uses both in tandem.
When to Use a Kajabi Email Broadcast
1. You Have Time-Sensitive News
If something is happening right now, a sale ends at midnight, a webinar is tomorrow, a new module just dropped, a broadcast is your tool. Sequences can’t react to real-world timing the way broadcasts can.
2. You’re Running a Launch
Kajabi broadcasts are the backbone of any course launch. You’ll typically send a series of broadcast emails over several days: a teaser, a value email, an objection-handling email, and a deadline reminder. Each of these is time-specific, which makes them broadcasts rather than sequences.
If you’re building out your Kajabi website and funnel strategy, a good onboarding sequence ensures students experience it.
3. You Want to Stay Top of Mind With Your Existing Audience
Regular newsletters, weekly tips, or “what’s new this month” updates keep your existing audience engaged. These are broadcasts; they’re sent to people already on your list, not triggered by any new action.
When to Use a Kajabi Email Sequence
1. You Have a Lead Magnet or Opt-In
Every time someone downloads your freebie or joins your email list, they should automatically receive a welcome sequence. This is the single highest-leverage email automation most course creators overlook. A well-built 3–5 email welcome sequence can double your email engagement rates.
2. After Someone Buys a Course or Joins Your Membership
Post-purchase sequences are gold. They reduce buyer’s remorse, set expectations, and guide learners to actually start the course. If you’ve invested time in Kajabi course design, a good onboarding sequence makes sure students actually experience that design.
A simple 4-email onboarding sequence could look like this
- Day 0: Welcome + access instructions
- Day 2: “Here’s where to start” + quick win lesson
- Day 5: Community invitation or support resources
- Day 10: Check-in email + progress encouragement
3. You’re Nurturing Cold Leads Over Time
Not everyone buys immediately. A nurture sequence over 7–14 days can warm up leads who weren’t ready on day one. This pairs perfectly with a well-optimized Kajabi landing page that captures emails from warm traffic.
4. You Want to Deliver a Free Email Course
Free email courses (also called “mini-courses by email”) are a fantastic lead generation tool. You set up 5–7 emails, each delivering one lesson, and the sequence runs automatically. Every new subscriber gets the full experience, whether they join today or six months from now.
Combining Both for Maximum Engagement
The highest-performing Kajabi users don’t choose one over the other, they build a system where both work together.
Here’s a simple example:
- Someone finds your Kajabi course template content through search or social media.
- They opt into a free checklist → Sequence triggers: Welcome email → 5-day email course → soft pitch for your paid offer.
- If they don’t buy right away → Broadcasts keep them engaged: weekly tips, a behind-the-scenes update, a new blog post.
- You run a launch → Broadcasts announce the limited-time offer → they eventually convert.
This is the full cycle, sequences handle the automated journey, broadcasts handle the ongoing relationship and time-sensitive moments.
Quick Tips for Better Kajabi Email Engagement
- Segment your broadcasts. Kajabi lets you filter by product, offer, or tag. Sending relevant emails to the right people dramatically improves open rates.
- Write subject lines like a human, not a marketer. “You might want to see this” outperforms “🔥 LAST CHANCE 50% OFF ENDS TONIGHT” more often than you’d think.
- Keep sequences short and punchy. Each email should have one goal. If you’re writing sequences as dense walls of text, learners will stop opening them.
- Test your sequences before going live. Send yourself every email in the sequence to check formatting, links, and timing.
- Track your open rates and click rates. Kajabi’s analytics dashboard provides this data. If one email in your sequence has a low open rate, rewrite the subject line.
FAQs: Kajabi Email Broadcast vs. Sequence
Q: Can I convert a broadcast into a sequence email?
Yes. You can repurpose broadcast content as sequence emails, just copy the content into a new automation email. This is a great way to build sequences from your best-performing broadcasts.
Q: How many emails should a welcome sequence have?
A good starting point is 3–5 emails over 7–10 days. Start with a warm welcome, deliver your promised value, share your story or credibility, and end with a soft invitation to your core offer or community.
Q: Does Kajabi support conditional logic in sequences?
Kajabi’s native sequences are relatively linear; they don’t offer advanced branching logic like some dedicated email platforms. However, you can create multiple sequences triggered by different tags or actions to simulate segmentation.
Q: What’s a good open rate for Kajabi emails?
For course creators and educators, 25–40% is solid. Welcome sequences typically perform highest (often 50%+). Broadcast open rates vary widely based on subject line, list size, and audience warmth.
Q: Should I use Kajabi email or a separate tool like ConvertKit?
For most Kajabi users, especially those just starting out, Kajabi’s built-in email is more than enough. It keeps everything in one place, which reduces complexity. As your list grows and your needs become more advanced, you can evaluate dedicated email platforms.
Q: Can sequences and broadcasts be sent to the same subscriber?
Yes. A subscriber can receive both automated sequence emails and manual broadcasts at the same time. Just be mindful of email frequency, too many emails in a short window increase unsubscribes.
Final Thoughts
Kajabi gives you two incredibly powerful email tools. Broadcasts keep your audience connected to what’s happening right now. Sequences build the automated journeys that turn strangers into students and students into loyal community members.
The key is knowing which job each tool is built for, and then building a system where both play to their strengths.
If you’re ready to take your Kajabi setup to the next level, TheEduAssist specializes in helping course creators, coaches, and L&D professionals build high-performing Kajabi ecosystems, from membership site development to full website and funnel setup. We don’t just set things up, we build learning experiences designed to engage and retain.
References
- Kajabi Help Center. (2025). Email broadcasts overview. https://help.kajabi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044526192
- Kajabi Help Center. (2025). Creating email sequences. https://help.kajabi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043981271
- Mailchimp. (2024). Email automation best practices. https://mailchimp.com/resources/email-automation/
- Campaign Monitor. (2024). Email marketing benchmarks. https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/
- HubSpot Blog. (2025). Email marketing statistics. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-stats
Authorized By
Hifza Naeem
