Let me make this clear: there will NEVER be a better time to talk to a new subscriber than via a ‘Welcome’ email.

Welcome stranger

It makes complete sense – as soon as someone signs up and joins your list they are flagging their direct interest in your product or services.

They’re waving their arms saying “I’m over here!”. A new subscriber is a hot lead and they are telling you they want to hear more about what you can offer them.

Warm and fuzzy

If I’m not making this clear – here are some stats that will.

• Welcome emails have an average open rate of 58 per cent.
• Welcome emails have an average click rate of 14 per cent.
• Welcome emails have transaction rates 9x higher than promotional emails.
• Welcome emails deliver 8x more revenue per email than promotional emails.

These stats should drive home the fact that these newly acquired contacts are ripe for the picking. Don’t miss out on this prime opportunity to say hello, help them find what they are looking for, and start building a relationship.

Top tips

Here are my top tips to optimise your Welcome message.

1. Send it instantly (or at least on the day they join). Real-time Welcome emails sent on the day of sign up have the best open rates and deliver higher revenue per email versus weekly or monthly welcome emails.

2. Make it personal. Your subscriber has (hopefully) given you some clues as to what products they are interested in so make sure you utilise a comprehensive email marketing and web analytics suite of products to send them a dynamic and personalised first email.

3. Be consistent. Your first email should have a clearly recognised “From Name” and “From email address”. You should also set some expectations and benefits of what they will receive now that they have agreed to let you contact them.

4. Include an offer. The average conversion rate from a Welcome email is many times that of a regular email and can assist with getting them across the line. The offer should be relevant to the products they are researching and consider making it time sensitive to drive home a sense of urgency – Don’t Miss Out!

5. Offer free shipping on their first order. Welcome emails offering free shipping have the highest conversion rates (5.3 per cent).

6. Request more information. Your signup process should be simple – collect basic info and now see if you can request some further details. New subscribers are the most receptive to giving you more information. Just ask them gently and explain the benefits to them. It will help you send relevant, targeted content to them going forward.

That's a wrap

If you have a lot to say, consider developing a Welcome Series of emails to help educate them about your brand and gradually build a relationship with them before you start to push promotional offers to them.

Get it right and your Welcome email could turn out to be your highest-performing email ever you will send – so make sure it delivers a great first impression every time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Scott has over 12 years digital marketing experience and is currently Co-founder of The Orchard, a Melbourne based email marketing agency. The Orchard work closely with some of Australia’s best known brands in developing tailored email marketing programs focused on delivering solutions based on three core principles: Growth, Conversion & Retention.

The Orchard provides email marketing services, including creative, strategic and campaign management.

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