How to write an effective welcome email?

A welcome email is much more than just an email: it is the first point of contact between your company and potential customers. When written well, it lays the foundation for a strong relationship and engages your subscribers as soon as they sign up. Find out how to make it as effective as it is attractive.

WHAT IS A WELCOME EMAIL?

A welcome email is a message you send to someone when they subscribe to your mailing list. That first point of contact is the foundation of the relationship you'll build with any subscriber. As the user is just starting to interact with your company through this channel, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to your brand and your universe.

Take advantage of this opportunity to introduce your products or services, but above all to share your values and mission. The main goal of this email is to drive immediate engagement by building trust and giving the subscriber a clear overview of what they can expect from future communications.

Welcome emails should definitely be part of your marketing strategy. They stand out for their open rate of 36.9% (source: Statista), well above the average for other types of email newsletter. This is because new subscribers actively wait for this message when they sign up. And that's not all! Welcome email sequences also have a higher conversion rate than any other automated newsletter.

BEST PRACTICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL WELCOME EMAIL

Despite promising statistics, your welcome email is not magic! It requires a thoughtful strategy to achieve your goals. Here are some tips to optimize your emails.

Capture the user's attention from the subject line of the email

The subject line of the email is the first thing your subscriber sees. It is what makes the user want to open your email or not. It must therefore capture attention and make people want to know more, while reflecting the vibe of your brand.

You can thank the person for signing up, confirm their subscription, or briefly introduce the content of the email. Remember to write a catchy but short subject line, as mailboxes display very few characters and will cut it off if it's too long.

Automate your email

If you think that sending a welcome email to every new subscriber is a very energy-intensive task, think again! Most email platforms offer automation features. Welcome emails are sent automatically as soon as a subscriber meets certain criteria. Once set up, the automation will run on its own, without you having to think about it!

Create an email sequence

Why settle for a single welcome email. With automation, you can design a sequence of emails to better introduce your brand. There is no perfect formula: some companies opt for two or three emails in about ten days, while others choose to send a dozen over several weeks. It all depends on what you have to say to your community. Feel free to experiment with campaigns of different lengths to see what works best for your audience.

Make a special offer

Offering a discount or an exclusive promotion is a common practice to motivate people to subscribe to an email. Many companies use this tactic, it works! This incentive can also encourage a first-time purchase, as consumers are often more likely to take action when they have an immediate benefit.

In addition to boosting online sales, this approach helps strengthen the relationship with the subscriber from the very first few exchanges, increasing the chances of long-term loyalty.

Personalize the welcome email

Speaking directly to your subscriber, addressing them by their first name, can have a positive effect on the performance of your emails. If you collected the information during the subscription to your email, why not include it in the subject line of the welcome email or in the body of the message?

You can also use the welcome email to give the recipient the opportunity to customize their subscription. For example, if you offer several different types of products, let them choose the ones they are interested in and only send them information about that particular product. Better targeted communication reduces customer loss.

Add a clear call to action

Every welcome email should contain an obvious call to action to guide the subscriber. Whether it's with a button or a hyperlink, direct them to a specific action. That could include following you on social networks, discovering your products or services, filling out a form... There are many opportunities for engagement. This fosters an active relationship and encourages your follower to interact more with your brand from the beginning.

Request to be added to your subscriber's address book

To prevent your future emails from ending up in spam, invite your subscriber to add your address to their contact book. This simple step ensures better visibility for your next posts and improves your open rate.

4 COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

Pushing a sale

Unless you're offering a promotion or a discount, avoid adopting an overly commercial tone in your welcome email. Its goal is to welcome your new subscriber to your community, so favor a friendly approach. Remember: you are at the beginning of your relationship with this person, they are still at the beginning of the conversion funnel. Give them time to get to know you and get attached to your brand.

Sending the email several hours (or even days!) after subscribing

When someone signs up to receive your email, their interest in your business is at its peak. The longer the time between their subscription and your email, the more likely their engagement will decrease. It is therefore crucial to take advantage of this initial enthusiasm. To be effective, a welcome email should be sent within minutes of subscribing.

Not stating what the subscriber will get with your emails

What content are you going to share in your emails? Is it exclusivities, access to early promotions, information about your products or services? How often are you going to send emails? These are things to include in your welcome email, as subscribers like to know what they will receive in exchange for signing up. This transparency sets clear expectations and builds trust from the start.

Always having the same email

Your sequence of emails isn't set in stone. So, take the time to regularly analyze the statistics of your sequence. At what point does the open rate drastically decrease? Do users unsubscribe more at a certain point in the sequence? This data is essential to adjust the number of emails and their content. Adapting your strategy will allow you to optimize your results.

A well-crafted welcome email is a great way to start a lasting relationship with your subscribers. To go further and optimize your strategy, find out what should be in each of your emails to create content that captivates every time.