First impressions are everything, and in email marketing, they are a determining factor in building long-lasting, loyal relationships. For business owners and email marketers, your first email is the initial interaction you will have with many of your customers, so avoid making it your last with vibrant and engaging Welcome Sequences.
Welcome emails offer a chance for businesses to generate interest around their product, service, or brand in general. It’s the first pitch – but could be the only one – so it’s important that it’s both memorable and practical for the consumer. If you get it right, it will help drive a consistent source of new customers and revenue for your brand.
The key to finding success with a Welcome Series is being consistent and steadfast in your roll-out, because the sequence won’t drive any significant amount of results if you’re not continually sending people through it. Whether they are subscribing through a pop-up on your website or through making a purchase, ensure they receive the same quality Welcome emails to keep them coming back for more. Below are some useful tips to guide the infrastructure of your Welcome series:
- Keep your first message short and sweet. The customer is looking for the “goods” (aka the discount,) so instead of providing too much information about how amazing your company is, configure the email so the most enticing bit is prominently displayed. A brief thank you or welcome introduction can follow, but keep it to a minimum. You don’t want your new customer to think that every message is going to be a novel.
- Use second and third emails to really introduce your company. Provide useful information on your company, including social media pages and a guide of frequently asked questions, and begin to establish the one you’ll be using for all future communication.
- Ensure your smart automation is actually smart. Let’s say a new subscriber uses an introductory offer discount code to make a purchase, but then they continue to receive emails reminding them to use the offer code. Mistakes happen, but avoid annoying new customers with more mail in their inbox. Though smart automation is critical for the long-term success of your email marketing plan, take a slow and steady approach by only sending necessary information and reminders at first.
- If new subscribers aren’t taking the bait and making purchases, send them social proof. Customer testimonials, especially those with a photo or video, go a long way in showing how your product or service has helped solve a particular problem.
Though Welcome Series look similar across brands, it’s important to find the right formula that works best for you and your subscribers. Routinely factor in time and resources to test your series, including factors like content, subject line, frequency, and discount offerings to determine the most effective strategy.
Most importantly, there is no shortcut to be taken when it comes to Welcome emails. Apply thought and strategy to the entire roll-out, and continue refreshing automated emails and offerings so your communication stays relevant.
Let ResponseGenius help take your email marketing to the next level – hello@responsegenius.com
