Build Your Brand: Welcome Email Examples That Make an Impact

Picture this: You’re shopping for a new coat when a sales associate approaches you, welcoming you to the store and mentioning their current sale. Pretty run of the mill, right? You say you’re in search of cold-weather gear for an upcoming ski vacation, and before you know it, the two of you are discussing the benefits of different jacket styles and comparing your favorite ski spots! The associate takes you directly to a rack of jackets that meet all your requirements, and they’re on sale. You have such a good experience that you sign up for a store loyalty program at the register.

That’s the power of a first impression! From the moment a customer enters your space, you have an opportunity to start forming a relationship. If they engage online by signing up for marketing emails, it’s the perfect opportunity to kick things off with a welcome email.

A 2024 Statista report shows that welcome email open rates average nearly 57%. With so many eyeballs on your message, providing a memorable introduction to your brand is extra important.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know about welcome emails, from key best practices and email elements to powerful strategies that help you connect with new subscribers.

Why welcome emails matter

A welcome email sets the tone for your customer relationships. Like a sales associate walking up to a new customer, it gives subscribers a first impression of your business and provides the foundation for future interactions. You can use welcome messages to form an initial connection and drum up excitement with new customers.

The open rates for welcome messages are sky high, especially compared to the 15% to 25% open rate for standard promotional emails. Automation can boost open rates even further, since customers will receive the message immediately after signing up, when they’re already actively engaging with the brand.

By sending a welcome email, you show new subscribers that you care about nurturing your customer relationships. Your brand isn’t just collecting email addresses and never communicating outside of a sale. Subscribers will see you’re a trustworthy business committed to delivering a stellar client experience. Kicking things off with a welcome email sets client expectations from day one. 

Crafting your welcome email

What goes into a welcome email? Most follow a standard formula that includes several key elements, but customizing your message will help make it stand out.

Key components of a powerful welcome email

A trustworthy marketing email uses a recognizable sender name. That way, subscribers can easily identify a brand’s messages in their inbox. The email address usually ends in the brand’s website domain, such as name@XYZcompany.com.

Make sure your subject line is clear and compelling. Without this, welcome emails can get lost in your customers’ inboxes. Try experimenting with different wording, lengths, and even emojis to see what drives the most clicks.

Your message content should include a brand introduction and some product or service highlights, like bestsellers, customer testimonials, or new releases. Some brands use welcome messages to further set customer expectations by outlining the content and frequency of future marketing emails. Be sure to share the benefits of signing up, such as access to special discounts or unique content.

Make sure your message includes a call to action (CTA). Think of this as encouragement for new subscribers to level up their relationship with your brand. After reading your welcome email, they could visit your website, schedule an appointment, or sign up for a free trial.

How to write an engaging welcome email

The first step to building strong customer relationships? Show them who you are! A conversational, friendly tone that aligns with your brand voice helps new subscribers get a feel for your business’s personality. Be authentic and welcoming, but follow expectations for your industry. For example, professional service providers like accountants and real estate agents may use a more formal tone, while fashion boutique owners can take a laid-back approach.

Find ways to make your message pop. Include fun graphics, a video, or links to interesting content that engages your audience from the get-go. The more memorable your message, the more likely subscribers are to read your future emails!

Include personalized message elements that encourage further engagement. Go beyond first names and look for other personalization opportunities to connect with subscribers on a deeper level. For example, you might create different welcome emails based on how a customer joined your list, or use information collected during the signup process to customize your message content.

New customers often have questions about the brands they buy from. Use your welcome message to answer frequently asked questions upfront, so subscribers feel reassured and confident.

Best practices for a welcome email series

Brands with a more complex buyer journey may benefit from a welcome email series. In this type of campaign, you slowly guide new subscribers through each stage of the sales funnel, often over several days or weeks. After your initial message, each email shares bite-sized content to keep their attention without overwhelming them with information.

If you try a welcome email drip campaign, plan the timing strategically. Sequence each email so that messages build on previous content. Be sure to send messages when subscribers are most likely to open them, such as in the morning or early afternoon.

Many brands kick off welcome email drip campaigns with educational content. Then, future messages highlight product benefits or include testimonials from previous customers. Towards the end of the campaign, you’ll reach a crescendo, which is where you encourage subscribers to take action, whether that’s to make a purchase or sign up for an event. 

Take care not to flood your customer’s inbox with a welcome series. Five to 10 messages spaced out over a week or two are generally enough. The pace should give your readers time to think about each email before you send a new one.

Types of welcome emails

What type of welcome email is best for your brand? It depends on what you want to convey to your subscribers! Here’s a look at a few formats and what they usually include.

The confirmation email

A confirmation email is exactly what it sounds like — a verification that the recipient signed up for your list. It typically includes introductory information about your brand and what subscribers can expect from future messages. 

Confirmation emails can also serve another purpose: double opt-in. You can ask new subscribers to verify they want to receive future emails from you by replying to the message or clicking on a provided link. Always store the verification with your customer data for legal compliance purposes.

Some brands include a preference center in confirmation messages. Subscribers can set their preferences so they only receive content on topics they’re interested in, like new releases, newsletters, or local events. This is a good option if you send a wide range of marketing emails that some customers may not need.

The video email

A video welcome email includes an embedded video that welcomes new subscribers to the mailing list and gives more information on the brand. It’s an easy way to add some flair to a welcome message and get a bit more personal than text. For example, a realtor might use a video welcome to showcase their personality and highlight their impressive sales record.

While video offers a lot of benefits, there are some technical considerations to be aware of. Subscribers who don’t have a strong internet connection may not be able to view the video, and mobile devices may display the video incorrectly. And if a reader is somewhere quiet — like an office — the sudden noise of a video email could distract others around them. Consider turning off the video’s autoplay feature so readers can watch it at an opportune time, and include subtitles to ensure accessibility.

The thank-you email

A new customer joining your email list is always a big deal, no matter how long you’ve been in business! Their action signifies they trust your brand enough to share some of their personal information with you. Demonstrate your gratitude by including a kind, genuine thank you in the welcome message. You can add even more value with a freebie or discount for new subscribers.

Thank-you messages can help you form an emotional connection with new customers. This trust often leads to higher engagement and retention rates from your subscribers.

The about us email

Got a cool business backstory? Share it with subscribers through your welcome message! Give customers a brief overview of how you got started and what your vision is. Your email can help subscribers understand your background and company mission.

The about us email is also a great way to introduce the team. Spotlight some of your client-facing staff so subscribers get to know the people behind your products and services. For example, a law firm could use its welcome email to showcase its attorneys’ credentials and case results, helping new clients put faces to names (and successes!).

About us messages are a great way to build trust through transparency. Customers see that there are real people behind your website and digital content. This is especially important for companies that don’t have a physical storefront where they interact with clients.

The informational email

Do you use email to share educational content like how-tos or deep dives? Informational welcome emails could be a good fit for your brand! Use this format to set expectations early by explaining the kind of content you share and how frequently subscribers will hear from you. 

Say you share a biweekly newsletter with recipes and food-related content from your cooking website. In your welcome email, you could lay out your sending schedule for new subscribers and give a preview of the types of recipes they’ll receive. 

Brands that offer a broad range of content can leverage a preference center to ensure subscribers receive content they care most about. For example, the same cooking website could ask if subscribers would like to see recipes for different meals or that accommodate certain dietary restrictions.

The discount email

For product-based businesses, adding a discount within a welcome email is a great way to get a new customer’s attention. Discounts offer special savings that a customer can use on their first purchase. They may make a difference to price-sensitive customers who are on the fence about trying a product.

While discounts definitely give subscribers an incentive to buy, it’s essential to use them strategically. Including a time limit on their use can create a sense of urgency without being overly pushy. For example, you might offer 10% off to customers who make a purchase within the next 72 hours. 

Another consideration is profitability. Discounts reduce your profit margin, and frequent or high-value discounts can affect your brand’s bottom line. Do some market research to learn how competitors use discounts and use their strategies to inform your own. 

Examples of effective welcome emails

Ready to write a welcome email? Use these examples to inspire your very first interaction with a new subscriber.

Adobe: An effective about us email

Adobe’s welcome email introduces new subscribers to its Creative Cloud products and includes links to some of its most popular features. This is helpful to Adobe’s newest clients, who may not be familiar with the full capabilities Creative Cloud offers. The message ranks among the best welcome email examples because of its clarity and value to the reader.

Bloomberg: Confirming a new subscription

Bloomberg’s welcome email encourages new subscribers to download its app, which includes newly published content about global business and finance topics. Subscribers who take advantage of the app get real-time access to Bloomberg’s exclusive content — and might upgrade to a paid subscription.

Note how Bloomberg’s email includes a personalization center where subscribers can select topics that matter to them. The preference center helps Bloomberg cater the user’s feed to their interests.

Peachpit Press: Welcoming new customers

This email from Peachpit Press includes a special discount subscribers can unlock after their first purchase. It also highlights exclusive benefits to new subscribers, such as weekly ebook deals and future savings. 

This is a great example of a welcome email for ecommerce companies! Notice that Peachpit takes care not to apply a discount on the subscriber’s first purchase, allowing the retailer to build a relationship with the subscriber before they benefit from savings.

Additional industry examples

Sometimes, a brand’s industry impacts how it structures a welcome email. Let’s take a look at a few different approaches you can use as inspiration.

Ecommerce welcome email breakdown

Product-based businesses often use images and videos to catch a subscriber’s eye. In this example from Phlur, the brand tries to evoke the subscriber’s senses with minimalistic photos and descriptive product names. It also includes a discount for the customer’s first order, enticing readers even further.

SaaS onboarding email

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies provide specialized software with a recurring subscription payment. One example is Duolingo, the free language learning app that’s loved around the world. Its paid subscription includes extra tools that benefit learners, which Duolingo describes in its welcome email. It also notes its auto-renewal policy, so subscribers understand when the next payment is due.

Service-based business welcome strategy

Progressive insurance includes a video in its welcome message that features Flo, their iconic brand mascot. The video allows the brand to introduce its services and give an overview of its policies with an already familiar, trusted spokesperson. The email also includes a CTA to download the Progressive app so clients can review their policy information.

Designing the perfect welcome email: What to consider

Welcome emails are your chance to make a great first impression, so show off the best of your brand! The message should inspire readers to take quick action, whether that’s visiting your website or learning more about what you offer. Here are a few elements to consider as you create your first welcome email.

Create compelling subject lines

The first thing subscribers see when your email arrives isn’t the content — it’s the subject line! Those few words can be the deciding factor behind a customer’s decision to click on the message. 

Try leveraging psychology to write an effective subject line. Consider what your subscriber may be thinking about when they sign up for your emails. Are they looking for more information or savings on a future purchase? Tailor your subject line to align with their current needs.

As an example, assume you run a children’s daycare service. New subscribers may want information about your availability, childcare credentials, and facility. Including a subject line such as “Welcome to ABC Daycare: FAQs for Parents” tells new subscribers they’ll find answers in your email.

When in doubt, try A/B testing different subject lines to see which performs best. In an A/B test, you send small groups of subscribers the same email with varying subject lines. The one that gets the most clicks is the subject line you’ll likely want to use with your remaining (and future) subscribers.

Some examples of high-performing subject lines you can use as inspiration include:

• Welcome to the party! Meet <Brand>
• A Welcome Offer: 20% Off Your First Purchase
• 5 Ways to Get Started With <Brand>
• You made a great decision. Welcome to <Brand>

To make your subject line pop, consider using a relevant emoji or two if it aligns with your brand. They add a touch of color that immediately draws a recipient’s eye to your message. 

Schedule an appropriate time for your welcome emails

When a customer first signs up for your mailing list, you have their full attention. They’re perusing your website or social media accounts, and they see something they like. Take advantage of the moment by sending them an immediate reply.

Email marketing software like Constant Contact includes automation features where you can trigger emails to send based on a customer’s actions. In this case, when someone joins your list, a welcome message would automatically send minutes or even seconds later.

Timing is a big deal for other emails, too. Knowing the customer’s time zone makes it easier to schedule communications when they’re likely to be awake. Analytics from your email marketing software can help optimize your send times, so email delivery occurs when clients are likely to be active on their accounts.

If you plan to use a welcome email series, organize your content sequentially. Space messages a few days apart so you don’t overload a new subscriber’s inbox.

Provide content recommendations or personalized offers

Get personal right away by asking new subscribers to provide information about their interests as part of the signup process or in the welcome email. Having some data about your newest subscribers is helpful, since you can use it to tailor your email content. 

Another way to personalize email content is through behavioral tracking. For instance, you could use your website data to learn what a customer shopped for, and include those items in future messages.

While automation can certainly help inform your messaging content, try not to rely on it entirely. Clients crave authenticity, and the occasional handcrafted email can stand out in a sea of automated ones.

Allow clients to opt out

Various countries have marketing regulations that require brands to honor opt-out requests. In the United States, it’s the CAN-SPAM Act. While it’s always sad to say goodbye to a customer, you must honor their request immediately. Not removing them may spell legal consequences for your brand — or make the customer even less likely to want to re-engage with your company in the future.

Give customers an easy way to unsubscribe within your email. A link placed strategically at the bottom usually works. If a customer sends you a direct unsubscribe message, you may need to remove them from the list manually.

It’s good practice to send one final notification letting a subscriber know you removed them from your list. Think of it as a confirmation. Keep a positive tone in your goodbye, and let them know they’re always welcome to return.

Use analytics to optimize welcome email performance

Email marketing software comes with helpful backend analytics to evaluate campaign performance. Some useful metrics to track include:

• Open rates: The percentage of recipients who open each message
• Click-throughs: How many people click on links you include in the email
• Conversions: The percentage of recipients who act on an email’s CTA

As your subscriber list grows (and you collect more data), set up target benchmarks to aim for with each email campaign. For instance, you could aim for a 20% open rate. Performance that drops below your target goals signals a potential opportunity to tweak your campaigns.

Customer onboarding email templates

Welcome email templates provide a skeleton draft for you to work with. They include the basic elements of most messages, including subject line and content suggestions. Constant Contact offers a wide variety of customizable email templates for nearly every business type to streamline your process even further. Whether you’re in ecommerce, run a nonprofit, sell B2B services, or own a local store, you’ll find suitable templates that can help.

Our templates allow you to insert your company’s logo, brand colors, graphics, and copy to make each email your own. Plus, we include automated workflows and artificial intelligence features that can save you time in your marketing campaigns.

When using a template, always customize it for your business and run your final draft through a spelling and grammar checker to catch any errors. Consider a test run to view the message on different devices, such as a PC and a smartphone. If possible, ask an employee or trusted friend to review your message beforehand to catch any mistakes you might miss (it happens!).

Welcome email automation and technology

Several providers offer email marketing software for businesses. However, features differ, so consider your brand’s needs before settling on a provider. 

One element to look for is automation. Automated workflows allow you to preplan and send messages to subscribers. For instance, you can set up a welcome email sequence, abandoned cart reminders, and product suggestions based on a user’s interactions. Every time a subscriber takes a specific action, the designated email hits their inbox.

Another consideration is integration. You likely use multiple systems to manage client relationships, social media accounts, and more. Email marketing software that integrates with the tools you use eliminates manual back-and-forth between different systems and consolidates all your data in one place. 

Email lists can grow quickly — even if you’re starting small, you may have hundreds or thousands of subscribers within months, so you want a system that scales with you. Compare pricing structures of different systems to understand their limitations and choose the best option for your current state and future goals. 

Also, review each platform’s approach to testing. Systems that support A/B testing and include built-in checks can help you optimize every message you send.

Build lasting customer relationships with powerful welcome emails

A welcome email is much more than a verification tool! It serves as a subscriber’s first introduction to your brand and tells readers what to expect from your future content. By writing a compelling welcome email, you lay the foundations for a fruitful relationship with your new clients. Over time, you can ease them through the buyer’s journey and guide them toward a purchase. 

Sounds pretty exciting? Get started by drafting your first welcome message today. Use our examples for inspiration, or come up with your own unique copy that speaks to your audience. Once you’re ready, download our free guide to marketing automation. It can help you set up your first campaign, saving you hours while delivering real results!