Welcoming subscribers

The importance of the welcome email

When someone signs up to your newsletter, usually via your website, they are – at that very moment – engaged with you. Don’t lose that moment by simply thanking them for subscribing and leaving them to wonder when they might hear from you. They’ve signed up because they are interested in what you have to say or what you have to offer.

The moment of sign up is the perfect opportunity to engage with your new subscriber right away and let them know how happy you are that they have chosen to subscribe to your newsletter. And happy you should be, because an engaged subscriber is a profitable subscriber.

There are many ways to welcome new subscribers. It all depends on your business and what you have to offer. However, the basic concept is the same for everyone and includes just a few simple steps – all of which can be automated by your email marketing platform.

Step 1: Ensure your sign up form is simple and quick to complete.

Step 2: Use the thank you page to let the subscriber know that they will be receiving a welcome email and ask them to check their junk folder in case it doesn’t land directly in their inbox. Be sure to let them know what “from address” to look for and remind them to add it to their address book/safe senders list.

Step 3: The welcome email should be triggered the moment the subscribe button is clicked. At a minimum it should be personalised with their name (if you asked for it at sign up), confirm the email address they used to sign up with, and include a welcome message and/or offer. You can also include a link to your last newsletter, particularly if it could be another month before they receive their first one. And finally, it’s a good idea to let them know how frequently they can expect to hear from you.

So what should you include in your welcome email?

That will depend on your business and the objectives of your email marketing program. If you’re marketing products or services to consumers, for example, consider putting a special offer in the welcome email that provides a strong incentive for the subscriber to go straight to your website to make a purchase or visit you in store. A special promotion code to use online, a percentage off coupon to print and take in store or a two for one meal deal – the choices are endless. Visit this site for some great examples of consumer-focused welcome emails.

If you’re a business talking to other businesses, you can still make the welcome email effective. Provide your latest whitepaper as a free download or offer a discount to attend your next seminar or event. Perhaps you could offer a free consult or assessment. Whatever makes sense for your business.

The main point of the welcome email is to start the relationship with your new subscriber right away by making a good first impression. You want them to be glad they signed up.

In addition to content, the design is also an important aspect of this email. As you can see in the examples provided above, this can range from simple text to full graphical design. Our design team can work with you to determine an effective design that’s right for your business.

What if I use double opt-in? Isn’t that good enough?

Double opt-in is a good practice and ensures your subscriber gets an email from you right away; however, this email has a specific purpose – to confirm that the email address used to subscribe is legitimate. The only action you want from this email is for the subscriber to click the confirmation link.

While you could include welcome information in this email, the two messages may interfere with each other and a welcome offer could potentially distract the recipient from clicking the confirmation link. Not the outcome you want.

Keep the welcome email separate and only send it once the recipient has confirmed their subscription.

Want to get your welcome email set up or fine-tuned? Contact us today.