Blog
Use the sidebar to search through our blog, it's really helpful.
Welcome Emails 101
by Frances Dugan in Media on Mar 20, 2009
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. And that’s what a welcome email is - it’s the first experience your subscribers have with your email marketing program. So why not create a welcome email that blows them away?
Since welcome emails are sent at the peak of your subscribers’ interest, they are the #1 most likely email to be opened. This presents a great opportunity to put your best foot forward, flaunt the benefits of your program, instill trust and engage your subscribers. Here’s how:
Timeliness
Somebody has gotten excited enough about your product or service to ask you to send them emails. Don’t leave them hangin’. Send the welcome email immediately after the sign-up. The longer it takes to get the welcome email, the less likely it is to be opened.
Rendering
Like all emails, the welcome email needs to look as pretty in Gmail and AOL as it does in Outlook 2007, Yahoo!, Hotmail…and the list goes on. Broken images and unreadable text are not going to make them hungry for more.
Establish Recognizability
Use a recognizable Sender Name and Sender Address, preferably one that you will be using throughout the email program. (This is also an opportune time to ask them to whitelist you.) Subject lines and design elements can also be used to get subscribers familiar with your emails.
What’s In It for Me?
Make no mistake - this is what your subscribers are thinking when contemplating whether or not they want to get your emails. No welcome email is complete without a strong, compelling benefit statement.
Set Expectations
When they sign up, your subscribers should know what they are getting into, but use the welcome email to reiterate what you’ll be sending and how often. Instill trust with a privacy statement (and link to your email privacy policy if you have one). Remember: The most important part of setting expectations is STICKING TO THEM. If you say you will email once a month, email once a month.
Engagement Opportunities
Email is a two-way medium. Think about the best way to grow the relationship with your subscribers and get them involved. Provide a feedback channel because you value what they have to say. Give them an exclusive offer because you appreciate their interest. On Facebook and Twitter? Link to them.
So instead of boring them to death with a generic “You’ve Been Added to Our Email List” message, take advantage of being top of mind and get subscribers excited about what you’ll send them next.
Got other ideas about how to make a welcome email great? We’d love to hear ‘em!
Sorry! This entry is no longer accepting comments.
Some great points, thanks Frances. I would also add making sure your email does not trigger any anti-spam filters. Sometimes even just having some text in ALL CAPS is enough to send it flying into the spam bin.
@Ben B, agreed! deliverability is always a challenge