Email marketing is widely accepted as the best way to get your message and brand across. Imagine what you can do with a list of 100,000 subscribers and how quickly you can promote new content published within seconds. However, before you get into a full-fledged email campaign, it’s important to understand the dynamics of what makes a high converting campaign. For example, you have to ensure you have the right landing page, follow-up sequence, call-to-actions, etc. I like to switch the order and start with a “Welcome Message” because this is where you can really showcase what the subscriber can expect to receive. The funny thing is, many people don’t pay close attention to the “Welcome Message” because they think it’s not important as the visitor has already subscribed. I’m here to tell you, as the “1st” initial email message, you can use this time to build a connection with the subscriber.
Let’s go over some important elements of a “Welcome Message”.
What Is It?
A “Welcome Message” is the first message sent in your email sequence, which is initiated when someone subscribes to your list. For example, when I land on your opt-in page and subscribe to your newsletter, then right away, I receive a confirmation message. I’ll confirm my subscription and would expect to receive a “Welcome Email”, telling me what I can expect. Many people make the mistake of NOT having an email after confirmation and this can hurt your overall connection with your reader. In short,
A “Welcome Message” is initiated right after someone confirms opting into a newsletter. It’s that simple!
It’s done right away to entice the subscriber by giving them a glimpse into what to expect from your blog.
It Sets Expectations
One of the biggest benefits of a welcome message is to reiterate the expectations. If someone opts into my newsletter, I can showcase what my blog is all about by going through the foundation of my blog. For example, I can tell them about my publishing frequency and what I write about. I can reiterate my case studies and the purpose of my blog. Finally, and most importantly, I can tell them about FREE products and services I’ll offer on my blog that I know will be vital to my subscriber’s success. I can promise you that if someone is serious about their online business and niche, then your welcome email can definitely help build loyalty.
This is a great way to divide your landing page and purpose of your blog. A landing page needs to be simple and having too much text can push the visitor from opting in. However, once they’ve opted in, you can use a “Welcome Email” to go into more detail about your blog. This is why it’s important to send one out right away so you can quickly let them know about elements you could not discuss during the landing page phase.
Deliverability
By letting the subscriber know EXACTLY what they can expect, they’ll be keen to open your email message. For example, if someone says they’ll be sending a discount coupon every week, then I’ll be more tempted to open each and every message. It’s a great way to increase open rates by building excitement about what’s to come in the near future. However, you have to be careful when enticing your visitors. Whatever is listed in your “Welcome Message” must be followed through because, if not, it’s a poor way to lose credibility in the industry. Your subscribers will NOT trust you going forward and this can be very harmful to your brand.
Going forward, you can set expectations and increase open rates by simply outlining the following:
“Welcome to our blog and we’re happy you joined us” Here’s what you can expect in the next couple of days…
- Number 1
- Number 2
- Number 3
Make sure your clear and you always give them EXACTLY what they are expecting to receive. Next, always check statistics over the next couple of weeks to check how open rates are doing. You want to ensure they stay steady or increase, but never fall because then you know there’s a problem. I think keeping an eye on statistics is very important in tweaking your campaign for success in the long run.