Have you ever joined a brand’s email list after signing up for their newsletter, purchasing a product or downloading a content offer and received a cheery welcome message in your inbox?
It feels good, doesn’t it? That’s what welcome emails are for – feel-good recognition and a thank you for choosing to further your relationship with a brand. Most people expect to receive some form of a welcome email after taking the next step with your business.
The welcome email can end there, or it can move the new email subscriber into a campaign or workflow, such as onboarding after they sign up for your product or service.
Although they seem little in the grand scheme of marketing, that’s why these emails can be so important.
You’re building the like, know and trust factor, deepening your relationship, and providing your new subscribers with a chance to learn what to expect from you as a brand!
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What is a Welcome Email?
A welcome email is your first impression for a new client, subscriber, or visitor. It’s usually your very first communication with the new subscriber, which is why it’s especially important. In this email, you can say a friendly hello, begin the onboarding process, or even provide something of value, like a discount or offer.
Why you Should Send Welcome Emails to New Clients
The first, and main reason that you should be sending welcome emails to everyone who joins your list or purchases your product, is that they expect you to! 74% of new clients expect a welcome email as soon as they subscribe to your email list.
And, they open them! Welcome emails have much higher open rates than a lot of marketing sends – a 91.43% open rate, in fact!
They also have a 26.9% click-through rate, which means that they’re more likely to open your first email, read it, and click on the links that you provide.
It’s a huge opportunity to put your best foot forward as a brand, deepen the relationship and begin providing the value that will keep your subscribers coming back for more!
Types of Welcome Emails
Although the idea of welcoming your new subscriber is the same across all types of welcome emails, there are a few differences in presentation and purpose depending on who you are and what you do.
Here are some of the most common types!
Onboarding Welcome Emails
An onboarding welcome email is designed to greet your new clients and move them through a tutorial of everything they need to know to successfully use your product or service. This is especially popular with apps and software programs.
This could be a single welcome email, but more often than not, it’ll be a welcome email series, where you provide useful information over a period of time – not all at once – to introduce your new client to your product and how it works.
New Subscriber Emails
If you run a blog or platform where you provide consistent content for your audience, you might send them a single welcome email.
In this email, you’ll most likely be thanking them for subscribing to your email list, introducing yourself, and letting your new sign-up know how often you’ll be communicating, how you’ll be doing it, and what you’ll be communicating about.
Offer Welcome Emails
A popular way to incentivize people to join your email list is to have them exchange their email for a download, perk, offer or discount.
If you use this method, then you’ll send a welcome email saying hello, thank them for subscribing and provide a link to the offer or the discount code.
Pro Tip: If you provide a discount code, also include a catchy button to take them to your storefront, where they can shop to their heart’s content!
How to Write a Winning Welcome Email
Ready to write a welcome email that wows? We’ve got you covered.
There are a few things to keep in mind when crafting the perfect missive to your new subscriber. You’ll want to catch their attention with a great subject line, give a warm greeting, introduce yourself, and tell them what to do (or expect!) next.
How to Write Welcome Email Subject Lines
The subject line may be the shortest, sweetest part of your email, but it’s surprisingly hard to get it right because it IS so short.
Your subject line should be no longer than 5-7 words. Most people view emails on their phones, which means lengthy subject lines are cut off, and they’ll have to click to read all of what you were trying to say.
So, to keep your subject line visible, readable, and click-worthy, limit it to 5-7 words, and consider using emojis. These tiny visuals will help your email stand out in a flooded inbox.
You can include the word Welcome in your subject line, and an even better trick to use here is the function that allows you to populate the first and last names of your subscriber on most email marketing platforms.
“Welcome, Kristen!” feels a lot more personal than “Welcome, and Thanks For Subscribing!” And, personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
The more your new subscriber feels seen and recognized, the more likely they are to keep opening further emails from you. In fact, welcome emails can have as much as an 86% lift on open rates for brand emails!
Greeting Your New Email List Subscriber
What would a welcome email be without a welcome? The first thing you want to do in your email is to thank your new subscriber for joining your list. This goes a long way towards nurturing your relationship, especially if you use the personalization trick we mentioned earlier!
If you’re unsure what to say, include the elements of “welcome, thank you, and we’re so glad you’re here.” Feel free to get creative with your brand voice – this is a fantastic opportunity to give your email subscriber a chance to see your personality!
Introduce Your Brand
In your welcome email, you’ll want to reintroduce your brand and what you provide, and the ways that subscribers can get value out of your continued emails. If they know what to expect from you, and what need you’re filling for them, they’re more likely to keep opening further emails from your company!
Tell Them What to Do Next
Now that you’ve greeted your subscriber and told them all the ways you’re going to make their lives better or easier, it’s time to tell them what comes next!
This may look like providing a link to your website or storefront, directing them to a landing page where they can consume your latest content, or if your welcome email is part of an onboarding series, providing them with the next step in onboarding, as well as the frequency with which you’ll be sending next steps and tips to them over the coming weeks.
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Welcome Email Examples to Inspire You
Now that you know what a welcome email is, what role it plays in your email marketing funnel, and the types of welcome emails that exist, let’s take a look at some of the best welcome emails out there.
You can use ideas from these great welcome email examples to craft your own message unique to your brand or business.
Let’s take a look!
1. Lyft
Ride-sharing app Lyft has a great branded welcome message that introduces its mission statement, and how Lyft is going above and beyond for its customers in difficult times for traveling.
2. Target
Target’s welcome email is branded with graphics and clear CTA buttons. Their subject line “Welcome! See how your new account makes shopping easy” is backed up by a clean, easy-to-navigate email.
3. Rise
This welcome email is a fast favorite. From the enthusiastic greeting to the embedded GIF of the founders, this welcome email is warm, personalized, and fun. It also details the next steps for set-up, and what you can expect from the community.
4. Movie Fan
Movie Fan congratulates new members on joining the program and reminds them what the benefits of joining their program are in a handy chart listing all of them. They also tip off the subscriber on what they’ll find in future emails!
5. Desygner
Desygner’s welcome email is full of details about the features new members can take advantage of. They also share their mission statement, and how their software solves a problem for the people who use it (no design background.)
6. Peacock
Peacock’s streaming service welcomes new signups to the flock and clearly states the value of the app. The welcome email also features suggested picks based on popular categories, and users can click on any of these to begin watching immediately (which is a heck of a CTA!)
7. Tailwind
Hey, we have one of these too! In our welcome emails, which are part of an onboarding series, we share the value we provide, and the features of our app, like Tailwind Create and our social media scheduling tool.
8. REI
REI’s Co-op program shares upfront what types of emails they send and encourages people to update their preferences to tune into the things they’re most interested in. Further on in the email, they provide a coupon code and ask what the next adventure is for the outdoor enthusiasts subscribing, taking them to categories of the store.
9. Clever Girl Finance
Clever Girl Finance immediately reaffirms the value that they add by mentioning their community. The personalized welcome email immediately explains how the program works and the next steps, with clear CTAs to log in and get started!
10. Firebase
And finally, Firebase clearly outlines the next steps for different goals and purposes for their software with easy-to-read graphics and CTAs.
How To Write A Great Welcome Email?
Now that you’ve seen some great examples of what a welcome email looks like, it is time to create one yourself.
You can use the examples above as inspiration or a welcome email template to get you started, but, of course, it goes without saying that you need to tailor it to your needs.
Here are some tips on how to write a great welcome email:
Have A Clear From Field
The first thing that recipients will see when they open your email is the “from” field. This plays a very important role in the email opening process as it establishes credibility and trustworthiness.
If you’re sending a welcome email from a personal account, make sure that your name is in the “from” field. If you’re sending it from a company account, use the company’s name. Either way, make sure it’s clear who the email is from.
You can go the extra mile and make it pop out a bit from fields like:
- Steve Williams, Virtual Assistant
- or Jenny Collins, PetShop Customer Support
It combines the personal approach yet at the same time gives the recipient an idea of what the email will be about.
Hook Your Audience with the First Sentence
Apart from the “from” field, the first thing that the reader will see is the initial sentence of your welcome email – they see it in their email preview. So make sure it’s eye-catching and irresistible to click.
You can go about this in a couple of ways:
- Use an emoji in the opening sentence – but do not overuse it!
- Start with a question – this engages the reader right away and makes them want to find out more by reading on.
- Make a statement that will shock the reader, but be careful here, do not overdo it.
Your introduction sets the tone for the rest of the email, so make sure it is strong.
Clearly Formulate The Goal
When you start writing the body of the welcome email, make sure that you know its purpose. Pick any welcome email sample in this list, and you will notice that there is a goal that the writer had in mind.
What is yours?
Maybe you want to increase engagement with your brand, or you want to boost loyalty among customers.
It could be that you wish to introduce a new product line or service to your audience.
Whatever it is, make sure that you know why you are writing this welcome email, as this will help you to formulate a clear goal.
And if you are still unsure, think about what you would like your recipients to do after reading your email. Do you want them to make a purchase? To sign up for something? To download a white paper? Knowing the answer to this question will help you to create a punchy and actionable copy!
Do Not Fear The CTA
Many people are timid about their intentions. They do not want to appear too sales-y, and so they avoid using calls to action (CTAs) in their welcome emails.
But the truth is that a CTA can be one of the most effective tools in your arsenal! Just make sure that it is relevant to the interests of your recipients. For example, if you sell products for newborns, your CTA might be something like, “Shop our latest collection of organic baby clothes.”
On the other hand, if you offer a service like web design, your CTA could be, “Get a free quote for your next website project.”
While the main goal of a welcome email is to start building a relationship, it is also a marketing opportunity!
Create A Sense Of Urgency
Sure, this is not a part of your usual welcome email, but you can already start pitching those cross-sell opportunities! You’ve just got a new lead, which means they are interested in what you have to offer. You can use this opportunity to introduce them to your other products or services that might be of interest to them.
If you sell women’s clothing, you could include a link to your latest collection in the welcome email. Or, if you offer home cleaning services, you could include a special discount for first-time customers.
The key here is to create a sense of urgency – make your new lead feel like they need to take advantage of your offer right away!
Personalize The Email
Every email si better when it is a bit personalized! In your welcome email, be sure to address your new lead by their first name. This will make them feel special and appreciated, and it will start building a relationship with them from the very beginning.
If you have any other information about them – such as where they’re from or how they found you – be sure to include that in the welcome email as well!
You do not have to get into too many details, but a little personalization can go a long way.
Keep It Short
Keep your welcome emails short and to the point! You want to make a good impression, but you do not want to overwhelm your new lead with too much information.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your email under five sentences. If you can say what you need to say in fewer words, even better!
Your welcome email should be a quick read that leaves your lead feeling excited about your product or service and also feeling good that you reached out to them.
Keep it short and to the point. Let your contact know that you appreciate them and tell them what will happen next.
Be Friendly But Professional
Chances are that you are not bound by corporate rules (like Oracle or Amazon) so you can be a little bit more casual in your communication.
You are not writing a cover letter for a job application, but you still want to be professional. Make your email sound like it’s coming from a friend – so use contractions (e.g., can’t, didn’t, won’t)
And avoid sounding too stiff or sales-y.
Keep it tasteful. You want to establish a relationship, but at the same time, you don’t want to come across as too pushy or even creepy.
Don’t Overdo The Design
You want your welcome email to stand out, but do not make a design that’s so complicated that it takes away from the message.
But not only that, some email services will send your message into spam if the visuals in it are too big.
Some email campaigns go with a minimalist welcome email design, having just one large image or a video. Others use several images to tell a story. It’s really up to you. But just make sure you keep it simple and clean.
Avoid Spam-Triggering Keywords
If you think you will emphasize your point by saying that something if Free, Once In a Lifetime, Make You Rich – think again.
Most of these are so-called spam-triggering keywords. One spammy keyword here and there will not send your email into spam, but if you use too many of them – beware.
Your best bet is to stay away from these words altogether, or at least use them sparingly.
Key Takeaways
- A/B Test everything. That is the only way to improve your campaigns!
- Make sure your welcome email is personal and relatable.
- Welcome emails should be sent soon after someone subscribes or makes a purchase.
- Do not overuse images, and stay away from spammy keywords.
- Be clear about your CTA, and do not be afraid of cross-selling.
Focus on the event that triggers your welcome email. This could be signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or expressing interest in your service. This will be the base for your email. Build around it by adding a little extra to make your email more personal (but not too much!)
For a “warmer” email, be a bit more personal and relatable. You could tell a short story or anecdote that’s related to your product, or share a picture of yourself. The important thing is to make a connection with your reader.
A welcoming email is an email sent to new subscribers or customers, typically to introduce them to your brand. It’s a way of building goodwill and establishing a relationship with your audience from the get-go.
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