How To Craft An Engaging Welcome Email: The Ultimate Guide

Did you know welcome emails generate four times more opens and 5 times more clicks than any other email sent?

Source: Experian

Whether it is an automated opt-in confirmation or a branded welcome message…

…the first email a new subscriber receives, sets the stage for developing a stronger customer relationship with your audience.

Get this:

The purpose of an average welcome email is to;

• Deliver your opt-in incentive
• Move users through your onboarding process
• Share your most popular posts
• Explain where they can find you on social media
• Share testimonials or links to places you’ve been featured

According to a Hubspot study:

Most welcome emails end up falling flat.

The reason?

They make mistakes like:

• Sending a mindless “here’s your free stuff” email with nothing else
• Promote, in an attempt to monetize the lead from day 1
• A complex message trying to do it all i.e deliver incentive, promote, share popular posts

 

3 Things Your Welcome Email Must Do (Probably Doesn’t)

1. State why you are the best person to help

Even when someone loves your brand, blog, or business…They may regret offering you their email address.

This is why the best welcome messages acknowledge the right choice was made.

Here’s how:

• Explain why you are the best person to educate, inspire or teach about your topic
• Share what they can learn or what change they can expect by reading your content
• Show them they joined an established community that offers value

2. Tease and Intrigue

Prospects are pretty picky on where they squander their precious time and attention. it’s smart to hold a little something back in your marketing…

…to tease and fascinate the reader, to seduce them with a little bit of a mystery… and make them anticipate your next email.

Here’s how:

• Rather than signing off with your name – close your email with a question and close the loop in the next email
• Use a postscript to preview what they’re going to find in the next email
• Use the power of storytelling to educate or share your past experiences

3. Invite your new subscribers to converse with you

To make email marketing work, you must think of it like a two-way conversation.

Make a conscious effort to encourage new subscribers to talk to you rather than lecturing or shouting at them.

Here’s how:

• “What is your biggest struggle/problem with [your topic] right now? Let me know by replying to this email.” (or ask another specific question that relates to your business)
• “We’re finishing up a new [free report, podcast episode, course lesson, webinar] – can I send it your way so you can let us know what you think of it?”
• “Just hit reply to ask me a question, your message will come directly to my personal inbox”

 

7 Keys To Creating The Perfect Welcome Email

1. Choose the right ‘from line’

Think about it: How likely are you to open an email from an unknown source?

Not very likely, right?

Right.

Studies confirm: The sender’s name and the subject line are two clear triggers that lead to an email being opened.

Source: Superoffice

Few ‘from lines’ you can (and should) use:

• Company/Brand name
• Product or service name
• Your personal name (If well known)
• Combination of your Company/Brand – with your name e.g ‘John Doe from Cloudy’

2. Use a clear, engaging subject line

The subject line is the first thing users see or notice…

While they may seem like a small part of your message, they’re one of the very first impressions you have on your email recipients.

Take your time, and write a compelling subject line users can’t help but click.

Here’s how:

• Make it short and sweet
• Use personalization tokens
• Do tell them what’s inside
• Don’t make false promises
• Start with action-oriented verbs
• Make them feel special e.g “An exclusive offer for you” or “My gift to you”

3. Say ‘thank you’

Welcome new subscribers and tell them how grateful you are that they decided to opt-in and join your community.

It can be as simple as a line of text, branded images, or GIFs.

Here’s a great example of a company showing appreciation to new members of their community:

4. Connect on a personal level

While email personalization may seem complex…

Modern tools have made it incredibly easy to make your emails targeted and personal.

According to a recent study by Chargify: Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.

Source: Chargify

Here’s how:

• Include your new subscriber’s name in the subject line
• Choose the right ‘from line’ [as discussed above]
• Get the right fields in your sign up forms
• Segment your list by gender, age, industry, interests, and more

5. Set clear expectations

Clarity about your intentions is crucial in the welcome email…

Give as much context as you can and let them know what the future holds if they choose to remain in your email list.

Here’s how:

• Mention how often you’ll be sending out emails
• Explain that they can change the frequency of your emails or turn them off completely
• Include details about the type of content or service they’re likely to receive

6. Add an unexpected bonus

Adding an extra, unannounced bonus to your welcome email will make your new subscribers feel psychologically in debt to you…

Furthermore: Giving away unexpected bonuses can help add value and make potential customers feel like your main offering is do-able.

Few types of bonuses you can give your new subscribers:

• Community focused bonuses such as Facebook group, Slack groups
• Value-focused bonuses such as Webinar recordings, e-books, workbooks or cheat-sheets
• Time focused bonuses such as group coaching, Q&A calls, one-on-one coaching
• Some sort of “audit” or “review” (of the new subscriber’s website, workout routine – whatever the product leads to)

7. Add a call to action

Don’t babble or try to ask your new subscriber to do everything at once…

Too many choices and too much text can make your welcome email confusing or difficult to digest.

Think about all the times you’ve signed up for things in your life…

Chances are, you were drawn in by the copy or design of the CTA, or simply been guided so eloquently through your sign-up process.

For example, GrowHack does this well:

Here’s how:

• Have only one call to action
• Make it short and tell them exactly what to do next
• Get creative and make it stand out from the rest of the copy

Final Thoughts

The welcome email is the first message someone receives after subscribing to your email list.

This is when your relationship starts, so it is extremely crucial for you to do a good job with it.

Spend an extra time to polish and write a killer welcome email that keeps your recipients interested and ready to take action.

Moreover, new subscribers are a delicate bunch – you must go the extra mile to treat them like a valued member of your community.

Over to you – Did I miss any tips for crafting an engaging welcome email you’d like to share?

Let me know in the comment section below…

I’d love to hear your thoughts!