Introduction: The goal of a well-crafted welcome email sequence is to ensure that new subscribers get fully acquainted with your business so that they are able to quickly recognize your newsletters and promotional emails as soon as they land in their inbox.
WHAT IS A WELCOME EMAIL SEQUENCE?
A welcome email sequence is a series of automated email flow you send out to new subscribers in the hope of establishing brand awareness and educating them about your product/service.
Talk about first impressions which only come once but can leave a long-lasting and life-long effect on your subscribers.
Without mincing words, you really need to nail your first opportunity in communicating with someone who just let you have their email address and you need to also build the foundation for a relationship with this person.
And a well-crafted welcome email sequence enables you do just that and more.
WHY USE A WELCOME SEQUENCE?
This stuff is one of the most powerful email automations that you can set up for your business —- because having a welcome email sequence helps your subscribers to remember your brand at a quicker pace than if you don’t have this email sequence.
Take for example, Mr. Fred stumbled upon your landing page where you’re currently advertising a specific item or offer and then he fills a contact form to submit his email address to get started —– and then he receives an absolutely stunning welcome email (in 24 hours max) that introduces your business and also presents him with a value-packed lead magnet (more on lead magnet later down in this article).
Mr. Smith, on the other hand, enters his email address on your landing page and receives absolutely nothing —- zilch—- except that you start to bombard his inbox with promotional emails almost immediately.
Well, who do you think is more likely to know your brand better and remain a stable, permanent customer who will reach out to you and make a purchase immediately when in need of what you’re selling (if we’re being totally realistic)?
Did I hear you say option A (Mr. Fred)?
Fantastic.
Are you convinced already on the usefulness of building a welcome email sequence?
If the answer is NO, here are more reasons why you should integrate this sequence ASAP.
- WELCOME EMAILS HAVE HIGHER OPEN RATES (50-60%) THAN OTHER EMAILS
You can look at this point from the perspective that: Anticipation will be high because they are already expecting to hear from you after submitting their email addresses. And it is something you should definitely capitalize on.
2. WELCOME EMAILS HELP WARM UP COLD LEADS.
Because not everyone buys immediately, this sequence nurtures leads until they are ready to make a buying decision.
3. WELCOME EMAILS REDUCE UNSUBSCRIBE RATES AND IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT.
This is because a well-written sequence makes subscribers more likely to stay engaged with future emails from your brand (especially if they loved and benefited immensely from your prior emails).
With that settled, how do you dust yourself off and start writing super-exciting and persuasive welcome sequences (if you haven’t been using it in the past) that make subscribers want to beg to buy from you?
That’s what I’ll be covering in the section below —– so stay put.
HOW MANY EMAILS SHOULD BE IN A WELCOME SEQUENCE AND WHAT TYPES OF EMAILS SHOULD YOU PUT?
Depending on your industry and the complexity of the products you are selling, a welcome sequence usually flows in a series of 3-5 emails sent over the course of 7 days.
For example:
Email #1: Welcome them + lead magnet offer (the email is sent in less than 24 hours after they subscribe).
- Thank them for subscribing.
“Welcome to our company’s email list. Thank you for subscribing. Here’s what you can expect over the next 7 days”.
2. Differentiate your business and scream your unique selling proposition.
“Here’s what our company does and how this act makes us better than anyone else”.
3. Offer a welcome discount, a free guide or any other lead magnet offer.
Email #2: Product education + social proof (which is sent after a day or two).
- Highlight your best-selling product.
- Share customer reviews and testimonials.
- Explain to them that you’re ready to help if they encounter any problems
“Do you need help with a particular problem? Reply to this email and share your issues with me. I’ll be elated to help”.
Email #3: Tips and engagements.
- Provide valuable tips related to your product.
- Send a new piece of content like a blog post or a new product to refresh your audience’s interest.
- Invite them to follow you on social media.
Also keep these in mind when writing your welcome sequence or that of your client:
- Keep emails short, clear, and visually appealing.
- On your email marketing platform, A/B test subject lines, CTA placement, and email timing to improve performance.
- Monitor email metrics like open rates, CTR, and conversions —- and adjust your sequence based on what is working.
HOW TO LEVERAGE A HIGH-QUALITY AND VALUE-PACKED LEAD MAGNET
A lead magnet is a free resource or incentive offered to potential subscribers in exchange for their email addresses.
In the simplest term, a lead magnet is what you promise to send to the subscribers (which could be either of: an ebook or free guide, discounts, or coupons) immediately after they submit their email address.
A welcome email helps you deliver on this promise as you smartly throw in more light about your business and what you have to offer in the long-term — to set the foundation for a rugged and reliable relationship with your subscribers.