First impressions never die…
Businesses who send welcome emails will see on average a 50% open rate, making them 86% more effective than email newsletters. So, if you haven’t included a welcome series into your email marketing strategy, you probably should start doing so.
Since email is one of the most easy and cost-effective marketing channels to build relationships, sending a welcome email can set the tone after someone has shown interest in your business. Most importantly though, it makes for the perfect opportunity to introduce your business and create trust with your new subscriber. Because as the saying goes “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Another great thing about a welcome series is that it is easy to set up. With the convenience of marketing automation (when an email is automatically sent to a subscriber after a triggered activity), you can provide a well-timed hello within seconds after a new subscriber has signed up to receive your emails.
Here are some tips to help you write an effective welcome email:
1. Be recognizable
Let’s be honest – people receive a lot of email and can forget what they have signed up for. Therefore, you don’t want your email to get overlooked in an inbox or marked as spam.
Be sure your sender name is recognizable in the ‘from label’ and that your company’s name is in the subject line. Also, your welcome email (and all emails for that matter) should reflect your branding for added recognition and legitimacy; this will help increase your open rates.
2. Forgo the “do not reply” receipt
If you are sending a welcome email to your subscribers, you want them to be able to interact with your company. That’s the point, right? With a ‘do not reply’ email you convey a message that says “thank you for signing up for our newsletters, but please don’t contact us.” Always allow for your subscribers to be able interact with you.
3. Personalize your message
Since your welcome email goes to anyone who signs up for your newsletters, you want to make each subscriber feel special. And what better way to do so by greeting them by name in your message. The awesome thing is that all email service providers have this feature, and all you have to do is drop a data/dynamic tag into your greeting and it will go from generic to more personal.
4. Thank the subscriber
Obviously your new subscribers find your company worthy enough since they have requested to receive emails from you, which is great!
Acknowledging that you appreciate them becoming a subscriber with a simple thank you – it will go a long way.
5. Let subscribers know what they can expect from your emails
You can never go wrong with a little clarification to remind the subscriber what they signed up for. A welcome email is the perfect place to tell them what content they can expect to receive in future emails from your company.
Remember – there should be a purpose or value to the email marketing campaigns that you send out. By letting your new subscribers know the benefit for having signed up for your newsletters, they will not have a reason to ever unsubscribe.
6. Provide a link to your email preference center
Always give your subscriber an opportunity to modify their subscriber preferences. Linking the email preference center in your email will allow your subscriber to have control over the frequency at which you will be emailing them or opt-out if they have changed their mind.
7. Add a Call-to-Action
Adding a relevant call-to-action in your welcome letter helps direct the subscriber to take the next steps. Whether that be a special coupon, a link to register for an event or a link to download your latest whitepaper, your subscriber will know to take a specific action. Also, adding a call-to-action will greatly improve your click-through rates and overall email performance.
