Why you need an email welcome series
/Hey Alexis, how long will it take me to implement the awesome suggestions that I'm about to read?
Take less than 5 minutes to create your free MailChimp account (or, use your favorite email marketing provider ... you do you).
Got a copywriter on the team? It'll take her about 3 hours to create a 3-part series.
No copywriter? No problem! Use this welcome email template to get started.
Pro Tip: Don't be hasty! You'll want to take ample time to proof and test your email.
Photo by Mabel Amber, via Pexels
Whether you're a business owner, digital content manager, email marketer, or a one-woman-communications team, an email welcome series is an easy and automated way to make new subscribers feel all warm and fuzzy about their first experience with your brand.
What?
A welcome series is an automated email series (or, you can start with a single email) written in a way that offers new subscribers a clear entry point to your business' unique story.
Why?
It's all about first impressions. Consider the experience of a new subscriber. He signs up for your email list and a month later, receives his very first email. No matter what your message, this new subscriber won't have the appropriate context, and is far less likely to respond to your email's call to action (and may not even remember that he subscribed to your list in the first place).
Now consider what happens when you introduce a new subscriber to your website, brand, and products via a well-timed series of emails that bring him into the fold, effortlessly introducing your brand story. The result? Good feelings abound! In fact, open rates for triggered emails (such as a welcome email) could be as much as 70.5% higher than the open rate of a more traditional mass email.
What's your story?
Now it's time to get into the nitty gritty. Trying to figure out the right story arc for your welcome series? Here's a basic welcome series that would work for most businesses:
Email #1: Kick off the series by thanking subscribers for trusting you with their email address, and go on to offer a little tour of your website via handy links and small descriptions of the most useful features of your site. This way, while newbies await your next communication, they'll know where they can find plenty of useful resources in the meantime. Automate this email so that it sends within 6 hours of a new subscription.
Did you know that 41% of consumers expect an email response within six hours of the initial email, but only 36% of retailers respond that quickly? http://bit.ly/1z66ZI4Email #2: This email should offer some more emotionally engaging content. This can be done with a great quote or a brief story of somebody positively impacted by your product or mission. Automate this email so that it sends one week after Email #1.
Email #3: Finally, introduce a member of your team. Offer your subscribers a name, face, and some fun details. Skip the resume and opt for something a little quirky instead. For example: "Meet Georgio! He's been manning the phones like a BOSS for three years, and tells us that if he were a pasta shape, he'd choose bowties because his style errs on the side of all business, all the time (with a pocket square for good measure)." You get the point. Automate this email so that it sends one week after Email #2
#Pro Tip: Wrap up Email #3 by offering a quirky question and inviting your new subscriber to respond via social media. Wait! Could it be? A new social media follower, engaging on day one? Yup.
Boom! This subscriber now knows your business, some success stories, and at least one member of your trusted team, making him that much more receptive to future offers, products, and communications.
Launch a welcome email recently?
Let me know when you've taken these recommendations for a test drive. What works? What doesn't? Share specific successes and data-backed challenges here and be entered into a monthly drawing for free coffee (seriously).