10 Simple Steps for an Effective Welcome Email

You may be more accustomed to marketing through social media outlets these days, but make no mistake – email marketing continues to be a valuable, effective way of making people sit up and take notice of your brand. The trick, of course, is getting their attention right from the get-go. If you don’t make a good first impression, it may take a while before you get a second chance.

We’ll be looking at the 10 steps you need to take in order to deliver an email that will grab attention from your potential or existing customers.

Step #1: Don’t Delay

The best way to make someone feel welcome right from the beginning of their relationship with your company is to send them an email as soon as they’ve signed up. Not only does this make you seem professional and on top of things, but they also won’t have to wonder if the sign-up was successful in the first place. This part of the process can be automated, so all you gotta do is set it up once and change the content from time to time.

Step #2: Write an Engaging Subject Line

Your goal with every email you send out is to come up with a fun and inventive way to ensure that each recipient opens it. A bland subject line is likely to be ignored, and this is especially true with the welcoming email. We suggest that you start by putting “welcome” in the title, which is both easy and direct. Then, grab their attention with something that truly stands out about your company.

Step #3: Make It Personal

This is your first opportunity to make a real connection with a potential or existing customer. They already went to the trouble of signing up for your email list, which means the interest is already there. This is the perfect time to really make them feel special. A great way to do this is to use their name in the subject line, which has shown to increase the likelihood of an email being opened. From there, address the email to them as well and follow up with a line that seems as if you’re talking to them and only them.

Step #4: Provide Valuable Content Right Away

Don’t just send a barebones email that doesn’t really say anything except “Welcome to our company.” Create a welcome email that shows what your company and its site has to offer – things like links to your best previous newsletters, blogs, videos, etc. Also be sure to highlight products and services that match the recipient’s buyer persona. This is your chance to put your best foot forward. Don’t waste it!

Step #5: Give Them Something Special

Everyone knows that people absolutely love gifts, and this is the perfect time for you to get started the right way with your customers. This doesn’t have to be some kind of grandiose gesture where you’re giving away the farm. A simple offer is perfectly fine – something like a discount for an initial order or free shipping. Creating members-only content that they can access after subscribing is a fantastic idea, too.

Step #6: Mention Your Social Media Connections

Social media continues to be a huge driving force behind the successful marketing of millions of businesses. Knowing this, you definitely want to take the initiative to get email subscribers connected to the social media platforms that your company is utilizing on a regular basis. All you really need to do is include links to each of your social media profiles and ask subscribers to follow you on those specific platforms. People love social media so much that they’re likely to follow you with no real incentive, but it doesn’t hurt to tell them what they’ll get by doing so – whether it’s special news, sneak peaks, special offers, and anything else.

Step #7: Make Sure You’re Not Treated as Spam

Even legitimate emails will sometimes get marked as spam by email providers due to the usage of certain words. Very often, it’s impossible to tell exactly why a specific email gets flagged – it just happens. You can help avoid this by asking your new subscriber to add your email address to their “safe list” to ensure that they don’t miss any of the emails you send to them. Make sure to mention that if they miss an email, they might miss out on a great deal.

Step #8: Include an Unsubscribe Link

It sucks whenever someone decides to unsubscribe from your email list, but you simply can’t force them to keep getting emails when they no longer want to. All that will do is annoy them each time an email comes in and give them a resentful and negative view of your company. The worst part of this is that they’ll often tell their friends about it. The best solution is to provide a link at the bottom of each email with an unsubscribe link that is easy to follow and utilize.

Step #9: Ask About Referring a Friend

Word of mouth continues to be one of the most powerful marketing tools on the planet. When someone is happy with a product, service, or company, they are likely to tell their friends about it. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt to give new subscribers a little push in that direction. They could know quite a few people who could find your products and services valuable, so why not nudge them along from the get-go?

Step #10: Don’t Forget the Visuals

Every email you send out should feature eye-catching visuals that highlight your message without distracting from it. This provides an engaging experience for the subscriber and gives them the idea that your company is fun to be connected with. Matching your business’s typical color scheme is a good idea, but you should never be afraid to switch it up from time to time so that you stand out a little more.

Marketing is an essential part of any business’s plan for success. The 10-step plan described in this blog and the previous one is a great way for you to connect with your email subscribers right away, but that’s only the beginning. When you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, reach out to the professionals at Madison Taylor Marketing and we’ll start working for you and your company.