People like instant gratification. When someone signs up for your mailing list, they need more than a simple pop-up saying “thank you for subscribing.” They just signed up to receive emails from you. They want an email (74% of subscribers expect an email when they subscribe). They need a Welcome Letter.
The Welcome Letter is the start of a conversation that your subscriber asked to have. Think of the conversations you’ve had when networking and you’ll have a better idea of what your Welcome Letter should and should not be. You should be engaging, you should set expectations and you should include a pleasant surprise.
In the past, the Confirmation Letter was important. We wanted to confirm the decision of the person who subscribed, make sure they were authentic. And then we wanted them whitelist us, like us on social media and other bits of housekeeping. But all of that is not as important as making a good first impression. Don’t ask them to do work, instead engage and build trust.
The Welcome Letter should begin building that trust by setting expectations and then following through. Tell them how many times you are going to email them. Tell them what these emails are going to contain. And then give them a context for why you are sending these emails.
Welcome Letter Example
“Dr. Smith’s Beauty News is a resource for women who like their beauty information validated by 20 years of medical experience. From simple health tips to FDA advisory announcements, Dr. Smith’s Beauty News gives you advice you can actually use.
You can expect 2-3 emails a month with summaries and links to our Beauty News blog posts. Plus, you’ll be the first to know about any special offers from Dr. Smith’s practice.
As a thank you for subscribing, show this email to Lucy when checking out to receive 20% your next skin care purchase.”
This example underscores the emailer’s brand proposition (20 years of medical experience), while explaining the benefit of being a subscriber. Then, as endorphin-inducing clincher, it offers a surprise benefit, a discount. The subscriber will look forward to Dr. Smith’s medically-validated beauty news. Dr. Smith will get that first open on his next email, and if he fulfills the expectation of 2-3 informative emails a month, he will enjoy a very good open rate.
Almost all modern email campaign software includes automation features. If you are unsure about how to use yours, talk to your rep about how to implement a Welcome Letter. Advantage Mail has many advanced automation features and beautiful templates that can be used as welcome messages. If you are interested in a custom Welcome Letter template that reflects your brand’s look and feel, talk to us today.
Welcome Letter Example:
