There’s no doubt that email marketing is one of the pillars of establishing a loyal audience. 79% of marketers place email in their top three channels, and brands estimate they earn $36 for every $1 invested in emails. Clearly, there’s value in attracting subscribers and strengthening relationships.
The first message a new subscriber receives from you is the welcome email. A welcome email is like meeting someone new at a coffee shop. You may not be familiar with them, but you’re interested enough to start a conversation. Like a coffee shop meeting, a welcome email is your opportunity to provide a memorable introduction to your business, which will hopefully develop into a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship.
You can create a welcome email template for new customers that spurs engagement and interest. Use our guide to welcome email examples to start your journey.
- Why welcome emails matter
- Crafting your welcome email
- Types of welcome emails
- Examples of effective welcome emails
- Designing the perfect welcome email: What to consider
- Email customer onboarding templates
- A welcome email is the beginning of a lasting customer relationship
- Download: How to Automate Your Marketing Like a Pro
Why welcome emails matter
A welcome email sets the tone for future interactions with your brand. It’s an opportunity to thank your new subscribers for signing up for your emails and generate excitement by describing what they can expect from future communications.
Most subscribers expect a welcome email after joining a new mailing list. By sending one, you show them you care about developing customer relationships. Your brand isn’t simply collecting email addresses and never communicating.
A well-designed email marketing strategy can pay dividends over the long term, so starting your new relationship on solid footing with a welcome email is vital.
Crafting your welcome email
Designing a compelling welcome email starts with understanding its components and best practices. Here are some welcome email examples and best practices.
Key components of a powerful welcome email
Every welcome email should start with an interesting subject line. The subject line should be intriguing enough for recipients to open your message and not simply ignore it.
Most welcome emails are pretty straightforward. They don’t take a deep dive into the content you offer or services and products you hope to sell. Instead, they gently introduce the new subscriber to your company with an overview of the brand. You might start by thanking the new subscriber, then provide a few generalities — like a summary of future content they’ll receive or the benefits of subscribing.
It’s important to include identifying information about your brand, including its name and contact details, such as a phone number, website URL, and email address. You can also include an unsubscribe button so recipients can opt out of future emails if they decide your list isn’t a good fit for them.
How to write an engaging welcome email
The best welcome emails don’t try to make a sale in the first interaction. Instead, they serve as a polite and friendly intro. However, that doesn’t mean your message can’t be exciting. Find ways to make your message pop. Including fun graphics, a video, or links to interesting content can keep your audience interested in the early stages.
Remember, if customers like your first email, they won’t want to miss the second one. Or the third, fourth, or fifth. The more compelling your messages are, the more likely your readers will open every single one you send.
Best practices for a welcome email series
Sometimes, brands opt to create a welcome email series to speed up the introduction stage of the customer relationship in bite-sized messages. Instead of just one welcome email, you’ll send several — each with unique content designed to pique the reader’s interest.
If you try a welcome email drip campaign, it’s important to time it correctly and balance frequency. You might start with educational content and gradually build up to a crescendo — like a free trial or a discount on the subscriber’s first purchase.
Remember not to flood your recipient’s inbox; give them space to think about every message you send before moving to the next one.
Types of welcome emails
There are many different kinds of welcome emails. Choosing the right one for your business involves defining what you want to convey to your target audience and relating to their interests. Here’s a look at some different welcome email examples.
The confirmation email
A confirmation email is just what it sounds like — a verification that the recipient signed up for your list. It includes basic information about your brand and what subscribers can expect from future messages. Some companies also let recipients customize future communications so they can bypass messages that don’t relate to their interests.
The video email
A video welcome email includes an embedded video that subscribers can watch. Usually, it’s a short introduction to the brand that tells recipients about the company and its offerings. Some companies may include client testimonials or demonstrations of top products.
Videos provide a little extra personality to your welcome email and offer a more personal touch than text.
The thank you email
Customers want to feel that you appreciate their business — and what better way to show you care than through a thank you email? Thank you emails aim to convey gratitude and let recipients know you’ve added them as subscribers. Some brands include a freebie or a discount with the thank you message as a bonus.
The about us email
Some brands use their welcome emails to tell new subscribers about their history and vision. An about us email includes a brief commentary about the company and its mission. It may also include information about the brand’s products and links to learn more about them. About us emails are perfect for nonprofits that want to share their ideals with supporters.
The informational email
Magazines and content-driven businesses may use informational welcome emails to encourage subscribers to read more articles. The aim is to intrigue the customer from the get-go so they know what kind of exclusive content the brand offers.
The discount email
Product-based and ecommerce businesses find that offering an initial discount can encourage subscribers to make their first purchase. Combining the discount with details about your brand is an excellent way to drive client engagement.
Examples of effective welcome emails
Here are some welcome email examples of well-designed messages that meet customer expectations.
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. It’s helpful to clients who are just starting with Creative Cloud and want to learn more about its capabilities. Adobe’s message ranks among the best welcome email examples because it’s clear, concise, and useful to the reader.
Bloomberg: Subscription welcome email example
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.
Peachpit Press: Welcome new customers email example
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 welcome email example for ecommerce companies. Notice the discount only applies once a customer actually makes a purchase, so there’s an opportunity to build a relationship before the client benefits from savings.
Designing the perfect welcome email: What to consider
Crafting a welcome email may take some trial and error, especially if you’re new to email marketing. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Create compelling subject lines for your welcome emails
The email’s subject line is the first thing a client sees in their inbox — so you want to make sure it’s intriguing enough to inspire them to open your message. While a simple “Welcome to ABC Company” is direct and to the point, it may not be enough to get clicks. Instead, spice things up with a subject line that stands out.
Here are some examples of subject lines that offer a little more oomph:
- Welcome to the party! — Meet <Brand>
- A Welcome Offer: 20% Off Your First Purchase
- 5 Ways to Get Started With <Brand>
- This was a great decision — welcome to <Brand>
- You’re on the list! Bet you can’t wait to find out what’s next!
- Welcome to the <Brand> family
- Are you feeling lucky? Check this out!
Some brands include emojis in their subject line, which can help convey emotion or draw attention to the message. You can also incorporate some personalization by including specific information about the client, like their name.
Schedule an appropriate time for your welcome emails
When a customer first signs up for your mailing list, they usually expect a quick reply. If you’re using email marketing software, you can trigger your welcome mail to send at a specific time, like immediately after signup.
Going forward, it’s a good idea to schedule messages at a time when your client is most likely to open them. Analytics from your email marketing software can help optimize your send times, or you can rely on customer details to schedule your communications.
For instance, if you’re sending a business-to-business (B2B) marketing email, it makes sense to send it during business hours, not in the middle of the night. Knowing the customer’s time zone makes it easier to ensure your communications arrive at a reasonable hour.
Some businesses use a welcome email series, which benefits newer companies trying to build brand awareness. In a welcome email series, a company sends multiple emails to the subscriber over a set period, such as two weeks. Each email provides unique content and information about the business, helping build customer trust and credibility.
Provide content recommendations or personalized offers
Including relevant content about your business helps position it as an industry leader. You might provide short text clips about your services or links to some of your top blog posts. Videos can be fun to watch, but remember that your readers may not read your email in a place where they can view the video (such as their workplace).
You might also include recommendations for some of your best-selling products or services. If you know a little about your customer, you can personalize the recommendations according to their tastes or interests.
Allow clients to opt out
Most countries regulate email marketing and require companies to allow customers to opt out if they no longer want to receive your messages. While it’s always sad to see a subscriber leave your email marketing umbrella, it’s best to honor their request. Otherwise, you might receive complaints that can hurt your email sender’s reputation or land you in legal trouble.
Provide an easy way for your readers to unsubscribe directly within your email content. The link should be visible to your audience. If a customer sends a direct message asking you to remove them, do so and confirm they won’t receive any further messages from you.
Use analytics to optimize welcome email performance
Your email marketing software has analytics you can use to evaluate client engagement with your welcome messages. You can track open rates, click-throughs, conversions, and other metrics to determine how subscribers interact with your content.
Consider setting a few target benchmarks to meet and comparing your results. If they fall short of expectations, tweak your content to see if it improves your outcomes.
Email customer onboarding templates
Utilizing customer onboarding templates can streamline your welcome email marketing workflow, saving you time while lending a professional touch to your messages. Constant Contact offers a variety of customizable welcome email templates for your business.
You can insert your company’s logo, brand colors, and graphics to make the email your own. Plus, you can view automated welcome email examples from other successful brands.
Constant Contact includes various other features suitable for the marketing needs of most small and mid-size businesses, including automated workflows, list-building tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) that you can use to craft simple marketing emails.
A welcome email is the beginning of a lasting customer relationship
A welcome email is much more than a verification tool. It serves as the subscriber’s first introduction to your brand and tells them what they can expect from your future content. By crafting a compelling welcome message, you can begin a healthy relationship with new clients and encourage them through your customer journey. Use our welcome email examples for inspiration, or create your own compelling message! To see some welcome email sequence examples in action, check out “How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series.”
Download: How to Automate Your Marketing Like a Pro
