Each new email subscriber is really valuable, so it goes without saying that your next interactions with that person are vital. A series of welcome emails will increase their knowledge, awareness and loyalty to your brand, ultimately leading to their custom. (you hope.)
Making a great first impression is crucial, so put some serious thought into them. The welcome emails should cover the following topics:
- Introduce yourself
- Tell your brand story
- Reinforce the benefits of being a subscriber
- Emphasise why you differ from your competitors
- Set expectations for your relationship moving forward
- Segment your new subscribers
These six steps cover a lot of information, which is why it is advised to spread it out over a series of welcome emails rather than one, single large email.
The first step in planning your welcome email strategy is to map the journey that you want your subscribers to take. To do this, ask yourself what you want your subscribers to learn about you and your business during the welcome period, and more importantly, what actions you want them to take after reading your welcome emails.
Your answers to these questions will help decide three things: the number of emails that you will need in your sequence, the content of your emails and the order in which you will send them.
The order should have a natural progression. A personal introduction and your brand story will always form the first email in the series, but the rest of the emails will depend on the actions that you want your subscribers to take. As a rule of thumb, it is best to start with calls-to-action with the least resistance. Choose a call-to-action that is easy, less pushy – such as signing up to view a product demo.
Something to keep in mind is that each subscriber will have signed up for a different reasons and your email sequence will need to be tailored to tie into that reason. This is one of the best things that you can do for your email list, so start with segmenting your new subscribers based on what incentive they opted in for, as well as their interests. This will also allow you to split test the creative elements in your emails so you can understand what works best for whom.
So how do you go about writing them? Here you go:
The perfect subject line
Whether you prefer a subject line that is straight to the point, or prefer something with a bit more character or creativity is personal. There are no hard and fast rules here, however it is advised that the first email in your series has a more straightforward, factual subject line that indicates exactly what the content of the email is.
Personalisation
Personalisation is not simply about adding a name. Addressing your customers by their name often leads to a more positive experience, and a more emotional response – however it is equally as important to tailor your emails to them in other ways.
A gripping opening line
After crafting a subject line that has persuaded your subscriber to open your email, it is vital to follow it with an engaging opening line. Write copy that is concise, persuasive and authentic to your brand’s voice.
The thank you
A warm thank you to your subscribers is always appreciated. Show that you are grateful for their trust, which can be in the form of a simple ‘thank you’, or by offering a gift or discount as part of your thank you message.
Your brand story
A well told brand story is a powerful tool. Subscribers will feel more emotionally invested in you and your business if you can tell them what you are about in an engaging and authentic way.
Incentives and Benefits
It is most likely that email subscribers joined for a particular free resource, so it is good practice to address this issue at the very beginning of your email. Providing instant gratification for signing up can have a great impact on how subscribers perceive you and your business.
Set expectations
Let your subscribers in on your future plans – let them know what content and offers they can expect in the future as a subscriber. Tell your subscribers how often you will email them and what gifts they can expect and when – for example, offering a generous discount on their birthday.
The micro-commitment
Try to get your subscribers in the habit of saying ‘yes’ to your emails – this could be anything from connecting with you on social media, reading more of your content or whitelisting your emails. Inviting people to watch a video or demo can be another way of achieving a micro-commitment from your subscribers.
Primary and secondary calls-to-action
The most effective call-to-action (CTA) strategy for your welcome emails is to have both a primary and a secondary CTA. If there are two objectives that you have for your email it is most effective to select one, and include several CTAs for it. After emphasizing your primary CTA several times throughout the body of the email, the second CTA can be almost as a P.S. at the bottom of the email.
The tease
A teaser will build anticipation and increase your subscribers engagement and interest in your content. A teaser will increase the likelihood of them opening your subsequent emails – this can be something as simple as saying that you have a few surprises in store, that they’re going to be good and subscribers should stay connected so that they don’t miss out. Keep them hooked!
Visit Sleeknote for more on how to craft the perfect welcome email