Did you know that 74% of users expect to receive a welcome email as soon as they subscribe?
Or that welcome emails have an astonishing open rate of 91.43%?
The moment a user subscribes to your newsletter is the moment you need to start fostering and investing in your relationship with them. And showing them your gratitude through a welcome email is a great way of doing so.
The question is, what makes a good welcome email?
How can you make sure that users notice your email in their busy inboxes but also follow the steps you want them to?
The 11 brands we’re going to list today have found the recipe for success when it comes to welcome emails. And we’re going to let you in on all their secrets.
But first, let’s answer the most essential question…
… What Are Welcome Emails and Why Are They Important?
A welcome email is a piece of communication that you send to users once they become your subscribers. First impressions count, so welcome them into your contact list and get them excited for the next stages of your relationship.
Think about welcome emails as the moment you meet someone new.
If they’re friendly and make a good first impression, you’ll want to develop your relationship with them. Who knows? You might go from acquaintances to friends. To besties. Maybe even invite them to your socially distanced parties! But it all starts from that first impression.
In marketing and business terms, this would mean that your welcome email is your chance to show your brand’s personality. And make a good first impression.
Ultimately, this will lead to higher customer retention.
With this initial email, you can turn a new subscriber into an actual customer. And from there, if you play your cards well, into a loyal one.
Plus, saying ‘Thank you’ is politeness 101, so why wouldn’t you?
Now that you know why you should definitely send your new subscribers a welcoming…err welcome email, it’s time to get you inspired. And what better way of doing so than by showing you 11 brands that have absolutely nailed their welcome emails?
Read on!
11 Great Examples of Welcome Emails
No matter which industry you’re in, if email marketing is a part of your digital strategy, you need to be sending out welcome emails.
At first, it might be tricky to understand which approach you should take when drafting this type of communication. Especially if you’re not a retail or e-commerce business and sending out a promo code to your new subscribers isn’t an option.
But worry not!
There are (excellent) ways you can do this, even if you work in tech, healthcare, design, real estate, finances… you get the drill. As long as the welcome email is good, it doesn’t matter the niche.
Pact
Saying ‘thank you’ – plain and simple
Every business’s ultimate goal is to make sales and users know that.
Consumers are constantly bombarded with all sorts of CTAs. Anything ranging from “Buy now!” to “Download our app!”, “Schedule your appointment today!” and many more.
So when a brand takes the time to say the two magical little words, as Pact does, they almost automatically stand out.
Pair your gratitude with a nice “20% off your first order” and there you have it: a simple, yet incredibly welcome email.
Sukin
Gifting the subscriber with an (irresistible) offer
Users will only subscribe to you if they gain something from the relationship, so why not reward them from the get-go?
That’s exactly what Sukin (and many, many, many other brands) do and it’s also what can increase your revenue by 30% per email.
Our recommendation is that you place a CTA under the code. So, if the user wants to find out more they can click to their heart’s desire.
Note: You don’t want to be the brand that doesn’t deliver what they promised! If you offered them a coupon, give them one.
SproutSocial
Letting the subscriber know about the next steps they should take
Users won’t know what you want them to do unless you tell them clearly – and what’s clearer than a quick step-by-step guide?
Making the message inviting and showing your subscribers why they should follow these steps is crucial for this type of welcome email to work. And you can do so by including some benefits in the copy, which is what SproutSocial does when they mention their “weekly training”.
Remember, as well, to include at least one CTA, so that users can easily take the action you want them to.
Ace & Tate
Being original with the subject line
“Welcome to [your brand’s name]” or “Thank you for subscribing” work for welcome email subject lines.
But in terms of creativity…
Taking a completely different approach, like Ace & Tate does, will make your email stand out among your competitors. And it will spark enough curiosity for the subscriber to open it.
Alternatively, you can:
- Mention the discount you’re offering, if applicable
- Include an emoji to make the subject friendlier and unique
- Personalize, by mentioning the subscriber’s name
Domain
Sharing helpful resources
Domain is a real estate portal and it’s clear to them that, if someone subscribes to their product, chances are that they’re actively looking for a new place.
Now, we all know that house hunting typically requires a lot of research about the market, home loans, insurance plans, and much more.
For this reason, the company figured that the best way of welcoming a new subscriber is to provide them with useful resources on all those issues. And it’s a winning strategy!
If the same logic applies to your business, this is a great opportunity to boost traffic to your blog, social media pages, and digital tools.
Honey
Setting expectations
Your welcome email can be to your product or service what a trailer is to a movie.
You use it to tell your subscribers a bit of what they can expect from you. That way they know what to expect and may want to know more about what you have to offer.
Take a look at Honey’s welcome email, for instance. You learn exactly what to expect from the product and, let’s face it, you’ll definitely be using it next time you do some online shopping.
Keep in mind that you need to live up to what you promise. There’s no point in setting unrealistic expectations, even if they make you look better in the subscriber’s eyes. Once again, promising and not delivering is a big no-no!
Superga
Telling your brand’s story
Did you know that users are 55% more likely to purchase a product if they like the brand’s story?
People want to connect with brands at a deeper level.
They want to learn about a brand’s personality and values to make sure they align with their own before they even think about buying.
Your welcome email is a fantastic opportunity for you to use some storytelling and properly introduce your business. And our tip is that, like Superga, you keep the copy brief and invest in the design and visuals.
The Action PAC
Asking for more information
Using your email to gather more information about your subscribers is a smart idea. Not only because it will give you valuable insights on which direction to take with your brand, but also because it will help you further personalize your newsletters.
Depending on what you want to know, you can:
- End the email with a question and encourage the user to email you back, or
- Include a CTA to a survey, just like The Action PAC did
Pro tip: Remember to mention how “super-short” your survey is. People are busy and never-ending forms are simply a no-no.
Wix
Using striking visuals
Wix’s promise is to help you create stunning websites that you’re proud of, so it only makes sense that they make sure their email design is top-notch.
You can do so as well by:
- Using images of real, happy people
- Using high-quality photos of your product/service
- Including your color palette
- Ensuring a good balance between text and visuals
Another great option is including a video in your email, as it can increase your CTR by up to 300%!
Princess Polly
Keeping it friendly and conversational
We mentioned before that sending a welcome email is like introducing yourself to someone new, so it’s clear why you need to be friendly in your communication.
However, the way you demonstrate this friendliness will vary, mostly on who your audience is and what tone and language works best with them.
Princess Polly, for example, is a clothing brand targeted at young women, so using the word “babe” and including heart emojis makes sense. They communicate with their audience as if they were a close friend, and that humanizes their brand and helps them build stronger connections.
Having said that, if you had a tech or healthcare company, this approach wouldn’t work.
The trick is in finding the type of language your target responds to.
Stan
Keeping it short and sweet
Sometimes, less is more and with the streaming company, Stan, that’s definitely the case.
Users subscribe because they want to watch movies and TV shows. Thus, there’s really no need to mention more than their support page, a few trending shows, and a CTA.
When you write your welcome email, make sure you don’t include any fluff just for the sake of it. If you end up with a short email, don’t worry. Just make sure it’s engaging and offers value.
A Few Extra Tips for Creating Welcome Emails
Use A/B testing to your advantage
You can’t send out emails and not use the power of A/B testing to your advantage. It’s like an unspoken rule of email marketing.
As such, remember to test, at least:
- Timing of your welcome emails
- Design
- Location and copy of CTA
- Subject lines
- Personalization and segmentation
Remember to personalize
Marketers have reported a 760% boost in email revenue from personalized campaigns. Need we say more?
Promote your social media pages
When you want to learn more about a brand, where do you look for information?
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… right? By including your social media pages in your welcome email, you make it easy for users to learn more about you and what you have to offer. And that’s an opportunity you shouldn’t miss.
Don’t write from a no-reply email address
As the name suggests, sending out emails from a no-reply address means that your subscribers won’t be able to reply to it.
After reading your welcome email, the new subscriber might have a question for you, which can end up leading to a purchase decision in your favor. So why would you hinder the communication between them and yourself?
Make opting-out possible
Having a never-ending list of subscribers who never open your emails means zero. Nothing. Nada.
By making it possible for users to opt-out, you won’t have as much work cleaning your lists. As loyal, engaged subscribers will stay and the others will leave.
Ready to Create Your Own Welcome Email?
With the examples, tips, and tricks we gave you in today’s article, the answer is yes, you are more than ready!
You’ve managed to turn a visitor into a lead, and now you have to focus on developing an authentic connection with them. With trust, they can soon become a loyal customer. Sending out an engaging, well-written, branded welcome email is a great starting point.
If you need a hand drafting your welcome emails, you can always get in touch with us!
