Creating Welcome Emails

Email marketing remains one of the most effective tools for customer retention and making sales. Next to your customer’s physical mailbox, the email inbox is a great way to stay connected long after they’ve clicked out of your website or been led away by the next attention grabber on social media. Email marketing is one of the last self-respecting, relatively non-invasive, yet direct modes of outreach. But, like so many things in life, how you start goes a long way toward how you finish. Consider the Welcome Email your first impression. Consider the Welcome Email, the neighbor who brings over a piping hot apple pie to someone who’s just moved into the neighborhood. Consider the Welcome Email the most important email you send to a new customer (or prospective customer who’s joined your mailing list.)

Here’s how to make that apple pie extra delicious.

According to Omnisend, welcome emails have an average open rate of 45%. Promo emails have an average open rate of 18%, so seize the opportunity. Similarly, while you may choose to send a series of welcome emails, which can be highly effective, engagement will never be as high as that maiden voyage.?

Show Gratitude

It’s human nature. Your customer will feel much warmer about letting you into their lives if they feel your appreciation. Whether they’ve just made their first purchase or may make one in the future, provide thanks (and value) right out of the gate. Save promotional messages for forthcoming emails. The welcome email is one in which you give, rather than receive. Consider offering discounts, expert advice, and links to customer-focused content that inspires your new subscriber to keep in touch. Personalize the message to solidify that you care. It may seem generous, but personalized subject lines have significantly higher open rates.?

Get Right On It/Set Expectations

Especially if your customer has been incentivized to join your mailing list with a promo code, make sure you’re set up to make good on that immediately. Your customer is busy, and your presence on their radar is finite. Send that email and promo code while you’re still fresh in their mind, and a sale is much more likely to result. Additionally, encourage readers to set their filters accordingly to avoid missing out on any content. Tell them you’ll only be sending high-quality content when you feel it will truly benefit them, and stick to that.

Keep Your Call-To-Action Strong

The CTA on your website likely got you this far, so keep it up. Is there some action you’d like to see your customers take, such as using the promo code to make a purchase or performing a survey to be entered into a drawing? Maybe you’d like them to learn more about your business by linking to a blog or web page. Keep it simple and straightforward. And even fun, if possible!

Make It Pretty And Compelling?

A Welcome Email is a great way to reinforce your branding with color, product photography, logos, and visuals that delight the user. Remember that many users will be on their phones, so make sure it’s mobile-friendly, too. Build in some intrigue and creativity when coming up with your subject line. A dry subject line simply stating confirmation implies that no further action is needed and that the content in the email's body will also be dry. If you’re unsure of your subject line, consider doing A/B tests to see which encourages the highest open rate.

Which One (or Combo) Are You?

Most successful Welcome Emails fall into one of three groups.?

1. They tell the story of your business to humanize, personalize, and build relationships.

2. They showcase your most popular products and services.

3. They make special offers to encourage a return visit.

It’s typically best to keep it simple, concise, and visually stimulating. You’ll have plenty more opportunities to wax poetic once you’ve built a solid foundation.?

If your graphic design budget is slim, look into some DIY editing tools such as Canva and PicMonkey to get creative with backgrounds, banners and collages. You have a couple of graphic-savvy people in your office. The Welcome Email is an excellent place for them to shine.

When in doubt, follow The Golden Rule. What would you welcome in your inbox? What would stand out and impress you? What would make you feel valued and what would inspire you to make a purchase? With those considerations in place you’ll be that much closer to connecting to your customers meaningfully. Celebrate customer relationships with a Welcome Email that creates a virtual neighborhood where customers will truly enjoy their residency.