You probably know by now that I’m a big fan of email marketing. I’m not alone! An estimated 54% of small business owners use email marketing as a part of their content marketing strategy.
While a lot of time and energy is poured into sales sequences and curating a monthly newsletter, there is one important email that you shouldn’t overlook – the welcome email.
Let’s take a look at what a welcome email should look like and why it’s an important part of nurturing your list.
What is a Welcome Email?
A welcome email is the very first email you send a new contact when they first sign up for your newsletter list. It confirms that their sign-up went through and introduces them to the type of content that they can expect to see from you.
Why Do You Need a Welcome Email?
Welcome emails are important for a number of reasons. It’s the first communication between you and your new connection. It’s a time for you to show them how excited you are to have them on your list. Their connection is valuable, and you’re thrilled to have them here, so make sure to let them know!
Not only that, but welcome emails have a high open rate. On average, most welcome emails see an open rate of about 69%, which is four times higher than other marketing emails.
They have exceptional click-through rates, too. Often, it’s about five times higher than the average email. That’s a ton of opportunities to get new eyes on your content!
What Should You Write in a Welcome Email?
Since you’re going to get a lot of clicks out of your welcome emails, it’s important that they’re well-written and engaging. Let’s break down the anatomy of the perfect welcome email.
First things first – you need an awesome subject and preview line! After all, the body of your email doesn’t matter if they don’t open it! Feel free to test different subject lines to see which one gets you the highest open rates.
As for the body of the email, start with a warm hook. Let the reader know how happy you are to have them join your list.
Here is the opening graphic of the Emily Writes welcome email. It’s clear and easy to read, but it’s also formatted in my brand fonts and colors so the content is recognizable and easy to connect to the content they’re used to seeing from me on social media and in my blog.
Next, confirm their connection, explain what your business does, and how you can help them. If you follow the StoryBrand method, this is your “one-liner.” Here is an example of the next section of my welcome email:
After that, add in your freebie or share some popular resources that your current list subscribers enjoy. Give your new readers tangible examples of the kind of quality content they can expect to see from you. Use this as a place to remind them why staying on your list is valuable to them.
You can also use this section to pitch your product or service. If you’re advertising a sale, this is a great place for that coupon code!
Finally, wrap it all up with a nice bow. Connect with them on a humanized level and share different ways that they can connect with you. Hint – this is the perfect place to share your social media links!
That’s it! As important as a welcome email is, it’s also important to keep it super short, simple, and to the point! You’ll be sharing a lot of content with them in the future, so the welcome email should be just that – a warm and welcoming message from you to them!
Form a Connection with a Strong Welcome Email
Your welcome email serves a number of purposes, but the most important one is to start forming that connection between you and your new subscriber. You want them to feel important and valuable, while still sharing all of the ways you are valuable to them!
Welcome emails can be one of those things that’s really easy to overthink and overcomplicate. If you need an expert team to help you set up your welcome sequence and write an email your whole list will resonate with, request a consultation with me. I’d love to talk more about how my team can help you start nurturing those important connections!