Maybe you are easing into your email game, or maybe you sit down and write letters to your subscribers each and every week. Either way, I know you want your message to be heard. And if you don’t have a welcome email series, you could be missing out on connecting with people who need to hear what you have to share.
What is a welcome email series?
Welcome sequences are a series of emails that your email management system automatically sends to a chosen list of subscribers when they opt-in. Think of your email series like a great date. It starts with the initial spark or interest and attraction (aka a compelling opt-in). Then you have a long dinner where you get to know each other and see what each person brings to the relationship (aka your series of emails). By the end of the date, you’re sold on the person and know you want to spend more time with them.
A good email sequence will connect with the reader on an emotional level while also showing your expertise. It will build the “know, like, and trust” factor. This is especially important if someone joins your email list from a successful opt-in in an ad and they don’t know anything about you. At the end of your sequence, you want to have a reader who wants to hear more from you and invest in your products or services.
Why you need one
The purpose of a welcome series is to introduce new subscribers to your unique voice and business. You want your readers to realize that they can trust you to consistently deliver real value, so they will open your future emails. After all, it doesn’t matter how many people you have on your list if no one is reading your amazing content. But a small list with a great open rate of 50% or more can mean big sales when you launch new products or services. And the first step to getting this kind of impressive open rate? Hooking people on your content with a high-quality welcome series.
How to create a good welcome email series
First, think about the purpose of these emails. What is your intent? Do you have a course, challenge, or service that you want to sell? What do you really want people to know about you? Think about your ideal customer and how you can speak to their needs.
Email #1
In your first email, you should introduce yourself and let people know who you are, what you do, and who your clients are. You also want to let people know what to expect. What kind of content will people get from your newsletter? How often will you be showing up in their inbox, and why?
Finally, you want to lead into your brand story and set up the next email. For example, “Check your inbox tomorrow to hear how I went from [this place in my business] to [this place in my business] and get my [something of value that you’ll offer them]. ” Your offer can be advice, a download, or anything that aligns with your brand and what people can expect from your future newsletters.
Email #2:
This email is where you tell your business or life story as it relates to your ideal customer. What can people learn about their current struggles from your story of transformation? What is your expertise, and how you can help them? This email should connect with them on an emotional level, while still giving them value and showing your expertise.
Next, lead into the third email, which should be all value. Let people know exactly why they should open this next email.
Email #3:
Email 3 should deliver value in an actionable way, without the storytelling and emotional connection aspect of Email 2. The value you deliver here should be something people would pay for. If people are coming into this sequence from a particular opt-in, this email should complement the first offer. For example, if your opt-in was “10 Dinner Recipes Under 500 Calories”, your content could be “10 Snacks Under 100 Calories”, or “10 Ways to Save Money on Organic Groceries”. If they opted-in for nutritional information, you wouldn’t want to offer them business tips (even if that’s part of what you do), because it would confuse them and keep them from reading more.
Finally, lead into the fourth email, which should offer value plus information about your business offerings.
Email #4:
You’ve introduced yourself in a personal way. You’ve established that you are an expert by talking about your brand story and delivering value. And you’ve developed trust by consistently sharing high-quality content. Now, it’s time to ask.
Create something free related to the thing you want to sell. This can be a checklist, set of tips, a free portion of a product, service, or course, or a challenge that you want people to join. Then, give your readers a call to action by adding a button for them to purchase, download or sign up.
When you’re working hard to create content for your email subscribers, you want to reach as many people as possible with your message. A welcome series will help make your subscribers know, like, and trust you. This will translate into higher open rates in the future—and ultimately, more sales.
