Email marketing platform Get Response report that their customers’ average open rate for automated welcome emails was an amazing 94% with a click through rate of 31%. There are several factors at play here of course, the main one being that the content email has to be valuable to the subscriber. But it does show the huge potential of welcome emails.
Why are welcome sequences so effective?Because they are sent right when your subscriber or customer most wants to hear from you. Maybe they’ve read your blog or social post that nailed the exact problem they are struggling with or they have just bought a product they can’t wait to have delivered to their door. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with your subscriber.
Welcome sequences are easy to set up, too.All email marketing platforms give you the ability to set up automations and you can start with just one automated email. You could have the email written, set up and tested in an hour. The content of your welcome sequence will vary a lot depending on the type of business you run and your brand.
Here are some welcome sequence content ideas:
– A single thank you email – thank you for buying or thank you for subscribing – with a paragraph or two that gets across what matters to you. The story of why you started this business, your values, how you are different to other businesses out there.
– A thank you email that prompts their first purchase. Decide on a really tempting offer that will prompt a new subscriber to make their first small purchase with you. This could be a discount code, but you could also be more creative and design a package just for new subscribers.
– If you are selling a service or product that is more complex and needs some education to fully understand, you could begin this education process in a welcome sequence by offering more concise information in the emails but linking to more detailed reports or case studies for those readers who are ready for more.
– Welcome emails are often used to deliver a lead magnet or free gift. But it’s easy for subscribers to download a PDF, save it and then forget all about it. You could use a welcome sequence to prompt them to read it, reflect on it and implement any practical advice you give in it.
– If you’re sending a physical product, there’s a gap between the order being placed on your website and the product arriving at the customer’s door that you could fill with a welcome sequence. You could use a short sequence to build excitement, have some fun and encourage them to make another purchase.
Whichever style of welcome sequence you choose, make sure it flows smoothly with the experience your subscribers have had before they join your list and what they can expect from you in future. And think about it from the subscribers’ points of view. What’s on their minds? How can you best connect with them or meet their needs at that point?
If you need some help with your email marketing please get in touch. I can do everything from helping you plan out your strategy to setting up and managing your email marketing for you.