We all know how important it is to make a good first impression.
Not just on a job interview or a first date – making a great first impression with your email marketing is pretty important, too. For a marketer, an automated welcome email campaign is the perfect way to make one.
They build a relationship with your customers from the get-go. A welcome email is your first friendly interaction. It sets the tone for your future communications, as well as encouraging new members to engage with your brand.
No matter how small or big your business may be, first impressions count. Don’t waste the opportunity! You’ve got one email to show your audience what you’re about and why they should buy from you, so make it count.
To make sure you’re making the best first impression possible, we’ve listed 10 top tips for creating the perfect welcome email campaign.
1. Be quick
Sending your welcome email swiftly is really important here. If it’s received and opened while the lead is still “hot”, you’re much more likely to encourage positive engagements with your brand.
Wait a few days and their interest in your brand might fade. If you promised subscribers an incentive of 10% off after signing up and you don’t email their promotion code straight away, you could potentially lose the sale altogether.
2. Get the subject line right
A subject line can make or break a welcome email campaign.
Split test different subject lines to find out which will perform best. It should catch the reader’s attention and make them want to open the campaign straight away. Keep it short and sweet. Try something like “Welcome to our world” or “You’re in!”
Don’t get thrown in the junk. Try to avoid using words that might get your email flagged as spam, such as ‘buy’, ‘order’, or ‘as seen on’.
This welcome email campaign from Lily’s Kitchen had the subject line ‘Hurrah! Welcome to Lily’s Kitchen!’, which is really fun and friendly. It instantly sets a positive tone.
Keep your subject line conversational and word it as if it’s coming from a friend.
3. Say thank you
Remember being a child and repeatedly getting told to “use your manners”? Well, the same rule applies to your email marketing. Make your new subscriber feel valued by thanking them for signing up.
Whether they’ve simply given you their email for your newsletter or they’ve signed a 12-month contract, they’ve given you something. Make your parents proud and say thanks!
This email campaign from Michael’s tells their subscribers how grateful they are and explains what’s in it for them. It marks the beginning of their relationship with the reader.
4. Introduce yourself
Rather than just saying thanks and slapping your logo in the top corner of your campaign, why don’t you tell them a bit about your company?
Not everyone who signs up to your email list will be a returning customer. Help the newbies get to know you and let them get familiar with your brand. It will also make your readers feel more emotionally invested in your company, people feel connected to a real story.
We like this one from Food52 because in a few sentences it covers: why they started, how far they’ve come and what they offer. A simple, friendly paragraph is key for your introduction.
5. Make it personal
Email personalisation works.
It works so well, in fact, that more and more businesses are starting to use artificial intelligence to create highly personalised emails.
Make use of whatever data you have to personalise your welcome email campaign. If you have a first name, use it, like this one from Getting Personal.
6. Create a sense of community
Make your new subscriber feel like part of the family.
People instantly feel more positive and loyal towards a brand that makes them feel like they’re part of something. Your welcome emails are a place to nurture your leads and make them want to stay tuned.
In Nike’s welcome email campaign, they involve images of real people. Saying ‘You’re now in the game with athletes worldwide’ makes their subscribers feel united and like they’re part of an exclusive group.
7. Tell them what to expect
Tell your audience what they can expect from your future email marketing, so they know to keep an eye out for your next emails.
What kind of emails will you be sending? How often will you be sending them?
Spelling this out for your subscribers will motivate them to engage with your email campaigns, as well as gaining their trust. They don’t want to risk being surprised by any uninteresting emails that aren’t relevant to them.
Since GDPR, consumers are savvier and don’t want to be receiving loads of emails from a brand. Firebox informs their subscribers that they’re not going to be bombarding them with their newsletters and they do this in a really funny, personal way.
Set expectations and make sure you stick to them.
8. Deliver on your incentive
Shoppers like to feel like they’re getting something out of it when they give you their information.
If you offered a discount or a special offer in exchange for your subscriber’s email address, then include this in your welcome email campaign. Give your new subscriber their discount code or instructions on how to claim the offer.
Consider letting them know when their offer expires to create a sense of urgency. This will motivate your readers to make a purchase while their interest in your brand is at its peak.
Topman offers 10% for new customers to encourage them to make a purchase after making ‘the best decision’ of their lives. It’s a small incentive but it gives value to the customer and to the business. Not bad, hey?
9. Show off a little
Don’t be shy – brag a bit!
Your subscribers don’t want to be sold to, they want recommendations.
Social proof is now one of the most powerful influences of our everyday behaviour. People are more likely to buy something if they know that someone else has bought it.
If your customers have made positive testimonials, reviews or case studies, tell your audience about it!
This one from I Just Love It included a five-star rating and a review of ‘Excellent’ which they’ve received. Their welcome email doesn’t just tell their subscribers about how great they are, it shows them.
To find out more about including social proof in your email marketing, click here.
10. Get social
Introduce your new subscribers to your social channels.
Your welcome email campaign is the perfect time to tell them about other ways they can connect with your brand and increase your social reach.
Include social sharing links and buttons in your email, as well as call-to-actions such as ‘Follow us’ and ‘Tweet us’.
Lou & Grey promote their Instagram account as having ‘outfit inspo’, as well as encouraging their subscribers to promote their brand by posting their own photos and tagging the company in it.
Is a welcome email campaign right for you?
No matter what industry you’re part of or whether you’re B2B or B2C, a welcome email is a winning marketing move to encourage people to engage with your brand more.
Whether your campaign includes all of these elements or just a few, the most important thing is that you’re nurturing your new leads and making sure that they return to your website, and you’ll soon be growing your conversion rate.
You can create your own email campaigns using powerful marketing tools such as Wired Plus. Our platform has a drag-and-drop email builder so you can design and send knockout emails in minutes. See it in action with a free demo.
