A welcome email is one of the most important emails you’ll ever send subscribers. After all, it’s the email that makes or breaks their first impression of your brand. Get it right and you’ll have a highly engaged subscriber from the word “go”.

Countless studies show that welcome emails drive higher open and click rates than standard emails. Yet despite this, a recent industry benchmark report found that 51% of brands do not use a welcome email.

5 reasons why you should send new subscribers a welcome email

When a website visitor signs up to your mailing list, they are telling you that they’re interested in your product or service. They’re also telling you that they want to hear from you.

If you’re not emailing them at this precise moment in time, then you’re wasting a golden opportunity. And these five incredible stats should help put that in perspective:

• Open rates for welcome emails are up to 86% higher than standard emails.
• Welcome emails generate 5x the click-through rate of a standard email marketing campaign.
• Welcome emails with an offer can boost revenue by 30% per email, compared to welcome emails without offers.
• 74% of consumers expect a welcome email as soon as they subscribe.

Subscribers who receive a welcome email show 33% more engagement with the brand

As you can see, subscribers not only expect a welcome email – they’re also going to engage more with this email than any other.

So now that you’re convinced you need one, let’s take a look at how to write a great welcome email.

The 10 elements of a great welcome email

1. Send it Immediately

Step one in delivering a great welcome email is to make sure you send it to new subscribers as soon as they sign up to your mailing list.

Studies have shown that subscribers are most engaged with your brand within the first 48 hours of signing up. Yet it’s really a case of the sooner the better.

Thankfully, email marketing automation makes it easy to send a welcome email to subscribers the instant they sign up to your mailing list. So take advantage of these features and start building a relationship with new subscribers straight away.

2. Write an Enticing Subject line

A good subject line is crucial to getting your welcome email opened. It should be enticing yet concise.

You can try inspiring curiosity by asking a question. Or use an emoji for fun and to make your subject line stand out in a crowded inbox. Or stick to a simple yet effective welcome message. Some reliable options include:

Welcome to the club!
Thanks for joining
Nice to meet you

If you’re going to include a welcome discount or an exclusive gift, mention this in the subject line. That’ll spark interest in what’s inside your email. And increase your open rates.

And when it comes to a good subject line, keep it short and sweet. Aim for no more than 10 words as the longer the subject line, the lower the open rate.

3. Make it Personal

Collecting names at time of sign up and greeting new subscribers by name is an easy way to add personalisation to your welcome email.

You can either address subscribers in the subject line. Or start your email with a cheery “Hi [name]” or “Welcome [name]”.

Think about the ‘from’ name too. Use your brand name so that it’s instantly recognisable to new subscribers. Or try using a real person’s name in the sender’s address so that it seems more human.

And avoid using noreply@yourbrand.com type emails – this will make your email seem robotic and unfriendly.

4. Say Thank You

Start showing your subscribers you appreciate them the moment they join your mailing list. And thank them!

After all, that subscriber began their journey as a website visitor and took the time to sign up for your newsletter. They’ve also made a clear expression that they’re interested in what your business offers.

So take a moment to say thanks.

It could be a simple line of text or a more creative image or GIF. However you do it, thanking new subscribers helps build a positive relationship with your brand and adds a human quality to your email.

5. Explain the Benefits

Now that you’ve got their attention, take a moment to remind new subscribers why they signed up. And tell them what they gain from being on your mailing list.

Focus on what matters to your audience. Whether that’s the quality of content you’ll be delivering to their inbox. Or the exclusive discounts they’ll be receiving as a subscriber.

Answer the question in every potential customer’s mind – “what’s in it for me?”

Do that and you’ll create a more positive image of your brand and encourage your subscribers to look forward to your future emails.

6. Tell your Story

Now’s the perfect time to explain to subscribers what your brand is all about. Remember, they’ve already told you that they’re interested in your business by signing up. So grow that interest by telling them your story, sharing your company values and highlighting your brand personality.

Start building that connection with your audience by helping them get to know you. It’s a good investment in the future as the more familiar someone feels with your brand, the more likely they are to purchase from you further down the line.

But always bring your story back to the customer and how it’s relevant to them – ask yourself, why should they care about your business? What do your company values say about the people that buy from you?

The impression is that there are actual humans behind this email. And other humans, like your subscribers, will find that far more engaging.

7. Provide Free Value

Nothing builds goodwill like a freebie. So give your new subscribers something that they’ll enjoy, for nothing.

That could be downloadable content or links to useful resources. It could be a free gift. Or an exclusive discount on their next purchase.

For your welcome email, think about what would delight your subscribers the most. And offer it to them.

Freebies and discounts are also a good way to get people to sign up in the first place. Offering a free resource or money off in exchange for contact details can quickly boost the size of your mailing list. Just make sure to promote the offer in your opt in forms and sign up bars.

8. Set Expectations

Now’s also a good time to define your relationship with subscribers. Let them know how often they’ll be hearing from you and what sort of emails you’ll be sending.

If they know what to expect from you, they won’t be surprised when they receive emails from you in the future. And this can help reduce your unsubscribe rate, as well as spam complaints.

The more trust you can build with your audience, the better engaged they will be with your content.

It’s also a good idea to make it clear that they can unsubscribe at any time. And tell them how to unsubscribe. This might seem counter-intuitive to marketers but you want engaged subscribers – quality over quantity. So make it easy for those that would rather not be on your list, get off your list.

9. Show your Brand at its best

A successful welcome email is all about making a great first impression. So show off what makes your brand so great.

Whether it’s a popular blog post, e-book or video, include a link to your best content. Or include a few suggestions of best-selling products new subscribers might like.

It’s also a good time to explain to subscribers what sets you apart from the competition. If you want to one day convert these subscribers into paying customers, use this opportunity to highlight your unique selling propositions.

Start building a stronger brand recognition by familiarising subscribers with the reasons why they should buy from you/follow you/donate to your cause – whatever your main business goal is.

10. Be Clear on your Goal

Finally, for your welcome email to be effective, you need to ask yourself – what do you want new subscribers to do once they’ve read this email?

And use the answer to decide what will be your main call-to-action.

Whether that’s asking readers to follow your social media channels. Or use an exclusive welcome discount on their next purchase. Or update their preferences. Now’s the time to ask.

Remember that it’s in those first 48 hours of signing up that subscribers are most engaged with your brand. So if you want them to take further action, your chances of a positive response are rarely going to be better.

Craft Captivating Welcome Emails that Convert with BuyersFlow

Welcome emails are the cornerstone of building strong subscriber relationships. They set the tone for future interactions and can significantly impact engagement and conversions.

• Personalize greetings to make subscribers feel valued.
• Showcase your brand story and build connections.
• Deliver valuable content to establish trust and expertise.
• Include irresistible offers to incentivize action.
• Optimize CTAs to drive desired conversions.

At BuyersFlow, we empower you to create exceptional welcome emails.