This article explains why a welcome series for new subscribers is important and how to create one.

The average open rate for welcome emails is a whopping 50%, making them 86% more effective than regular email newsletters. In fact, lots of studies show that welcome emails are performing well above other types of bulk emails when it comes to opens and click-throughs.

Targeting subscribers when they're most engaged (like when they signed up) has been known to increase long-term engagement with a brand by 33%, and welcome emails have transaction rates ringing the register 9 times more than other transactional emails. In short, welcome emails are winners. Yet only 57.5% of companies surveyed are sending a welcome email.

3 kinds of content to share in a welcome email

Not quite sure what to say in your welcome email? Here are three easy ideas to get you going. Best of all, you can set up your welcome email or create a welcome series to send automatically, right when a new contact signs up.

1. Send a coupon or discount code

Welcome emails that include a coupon or discount code typically see higher open and click-through rates than those that do not.

2. Request an opt-in confirmation

Our personalization tool allows you to add a confirmation link in your message to help ensure your list is squeaky clean.

3. Share links to your social sites

A welcome email or a series is the perfect place to link to your other channels. It's an ideal place to begin to integrate your email and social marketing.

Watch a quick video tutorial on setting up a welcome series

In this short video, you'll learn how to create an automated workflow that will send a welcome email to new subscribers for you.

What's so great about new subscribers?

There are lots of great things about new subscribers: They're more engaged, they haven't seen your content before, and they're statistically more likely to click and open your emails. Not to mention they give you that warm, fuzzy feeling that your email program is working.

Trouble is, the story you're telling your long-time subscribers in your main marketing emails may not make sense to your new subscribers just yet. Think of it this way. When someone walks into your store, do you immediately ask for their credit card number? Of course not. First, you craft an experience that creates connection and warmth — a helpful associate, a gorgeous product display, a cool video tutorial, etc. The email equivalent to this is a welcome series; it puts you in control of how your subscribers are introduced to your brand. It creates trust and helps you establish a relationship with your customers. First impressions are crucial, and sometimes, a single welcome email isn't enough to set the stage. When this is the case, we always recommend creating a welcome email series and here are some examples of that.

Checklist for an effective welcome series

Here's a common mistake to avoid: Don't start with the number of emails and then decide what goes in each one. Instead, start with what you need to say, and then determine how many emails it'll take to say it.

1. Decide what the key messages are for new subscribers

Just think of it like this, if someone is new to your email list, what do they need to know about your brand?

If you sell a product or service, it might be this:

• How our product or service works
• How we're different from our competitors
• People rave about us
• A special offer

If you're a nonprofit, it might be this:

• Our history and mission
• Stories of impact we've made
• Exclusive perks for donors / members
• A calendar of this year's events featuring Instagram photos

2. Create a framework for those messages

After you know what you want to communicate, it's time to set the number and schedule of welcome emails. The key messages you outlined in Step 1 will be a big factor. You might send 4-6 messages every few days, so it feels random. Or for more structure, you might try a daily tip or a weekly top 5 countdown.

The length of your sales cycle matters, too. If people are most likely to buy your product in the first 48 hours, you may want to front-load your welcome series. If your sales cycle is longer, make sure you're creating touchpoints over the course of a few weeks.

3. Decide whether to keep new subscribers off your main list until the series is complete

In the event that the next email in a series mentions campaigns or promotions that your newest subscribers aren't ready for yet, you can create a segment to find those on your list who joined in the last, say, 14 days so they don't receive your main emails.

4. Create and schedule your email campaigns

What gets scheduled gets done. Depending on the scope you've laid out, set aside the time to create your email campaigns. Chances are, you can repackage existing content and save some time. After you've created the campaigns, you can set up a workflow automation that will allow your plans to unfold on their own.

5. Monitor your results on the Response page

Now that you've done the heavy lifting, all that's left is to monitor your results on the Response page, where you can see what's working and adjust what isn't.

Ⓘ	If you love the idea of a welcome series but don't love the idea of finding the time to do it, our Professional Services team can help.