It goes without saying that every time a potential customer enters your brick-and-mortar store, you greet them and try to be friendly and helpful. So, why behave any differently when planning your email marketing strategy? Email marketing is a valuable asset for your business and starting on the right foot is key to success.
That’s where welcome emails enter the picture, helping you create a long-term relationship with your new leads. But first things first, let us discuss what exactly is a welcome email and why it is vital for your overall email marketing goals.
What is a welcome email?
A welcome email is the first email you send to new leads after they have subscribed to your mailing list. It’s designed to welcome email recipients and encourage them to engage with your brand. This type of email sets the foundation for customer loyalty – if done correctly.
And while most business owners think of welcome emails as their brand’s first impression, that’s far from true. People signing up for your email list are already interested in your brand and their positive sentiment for it is what led them to subscribe in the first place.
What they need now is you to consolidate that positive feeling by sharing valuable content. It could be many things from product demo videos to lead magnets or special discounts. No matter the material you choose to share, make sure your welcome email is precise, focused on certain actions, and informative.
Why are welcome emails important?
As already mentioned, welcome emails help you approach new prospects and make a lasting impression. Apart from that, there are various reasons for all brands to employ this type of email. But let the statistics speak for themselves:
And there are more benefits to using welcome emails:
- They inform subscribers about your products and services and provide additional information about your brand.
- You can use them for storytelling purposes: telling your brand story, sharing your vision and challenges, showing behind-the-scenes footage.
- A welcome email might give you more touchpoints with email recipients by asking them to follow you on social media.
- They are effective in converting email recipients to buyers through incentives like first-time discounts or free shipping.
- Your welcome email can guide prospects towards a first action such as downloading educational material, visiting your online store, reading your blog content, participating in surveys, and more.
- This type of email forges relationships through personalized content and subject lines which serve to create a sense of belonging.
Now that we’ve covered what welcome emails are all about, we’ll go through some of the most compelling welcome email examples and why they delivered the desired results.
10 Best Welcome Email Examples
The examples shared in this article cover a range of approaches. Some of them may be aligned with your brand image and overall marketing strategy and some won’t.
So, make sure you perform some A/B testing first and use the data gathered to figure out what best suits your business needs.
1. BBC
Subject line: “Emails made for you”
No need for introductions for one of the most famous broadcasting channels in the world. BBC does a great job in its welcome email.
It starts by informing email subscribers as to what to expect from the platform, setting the email frequency, and giving them the option to take control over the material they’ll receive in future communications.
BBC’s welcome email uses program references to build up recipients’ excitement. It also displays different program categories, making it all that easy for users to navigate through the content and find their favorite programs.
But the element that sets the bar even higher is the email closing with the promise of more personalized suggestions based on subscribers’ browsing and viewing preferences. And that’s how the email concludes with a promise that matches the one made in the subject line.
2. Outer
Subject line: “Looking for an outdoor sofa?”
Outer’s email features an image of the perfect outdoor setting centered around its beautiful and practical furniture. It employs simple and actionable copy and a friendly tone to make recipients feel welcomed.
What makes this email really effective, though, is how it urges recipients to send feedback regarding their yard through a powerful CTA and a compelling offer.
Based on those data, Outer commits to getting back to them with product recommendations that are customized to fit their outdoor space needs.
Not only that, but the email offers an extra incentive by promising prospects they will receive a pair of outdoor coasters once they complete the action required.
Outer’s marketing team has also made sure to include social media buttons, urging subscribers to engage with the brand on social media too.
3. Trello
Subject line: “Welcome to Trello”
Trello is a notorious project management platform, enabling team members to collaborate with each other and successfully manage their workload.
Trello’s welcome email starts with a brief overview of its service’s benefits. The layout is simple and clean, focusing on the platform’s features and links to its most popular resources demonstrating how you can make the most out of its usage.
Also, the email copy informs recipients of the type of email marketing material they will receive in the future, which will include personalized emails according to their activity. It also provides information regarding the email frequency, as well as the option to change the frequency.
There are social media buttons and a link to Trello’s blog in case subscribers require additional communication channels. The email even goes as far as to have links for users to perform certain actions such as managing their accounts or checking Trello’s privacy policy.
4. Portrait Coffee
Subject line: “Thanks For Joining Us In Pouring A New Narrative”
From the subject line to the warm message and joyful group photo at the beginning, this welcome email from Portrait Coffee does a great job of making the subscriber feel like part of a beautiful community. The brand takes pride in being a small BIPOC-owned company and uses its welcome email to highlight it.
The email copy is aligned with the brand tone and its specialized products. This welcome email is effective because it offers a 10% discount on the first purchase, providing subscribers with an incentive for a first interaction with the company and creating a sense of exclusivity.
Beyond that, it points out the nature of future communication so that readers know what to expect from following emails.
Portrait Coffee benefits from social proof, including satisfied customer reviews who describe how the products improved their daily routine and that they feel like supporting a special cause at the same time. This tactic is one of the most solid ways to build trust between your brand and potential prospects.
5. Bite
Subject line: “Welcome! You’re one in a billion ⭐”
Bite is an oral care brand known for creating sustainable products. As such, its welcome email highlights the problem – plastic toothpaste tubes ending up in the oceans -, while also showing how its products are the solution.
Bite’s sustainable solutions are focused on solving a serious environmental issue. So, it seems perfectly natural that its welcome email urges recipients to join its mission and help end plastic waste.
The subject line serves the email objective, making recipients feel unique because they belong in a special community.
The email provides complete clarity on product ingredients and packaging and assures prospects they’ll receive automatic refills every four months. Both elements are crucial to building trust with potential customers.
A note by the founder is included, showing how recipients are part of the company culture and how they can save the planet as one. The email copy contains a CTA for recipients to join Bite’s Instagram group too.
6. Knickey
Subject line: “Hey, it’s Cayla and Lauren”
Knickey’s welcome email is as personal and friendly as it gets. Featuring a photo of the brand’s founders and a welcome note from them, it grabs readers’ attention and makes them want to read more.
The email is written in a casual tone while the colors are soft so that recipients don’t get distracted from the objective.
The email takes advantage of the powerful technique of storytelling. Sharing personal facts and the idea behind the brand makes your company more relatable.
Cayla and Lauren don’t limit themselves to that but also explain their vision of creating products that make a difference and are better both for the consumers and for the environment. That way, they manage to stay true to their purpose and build brand awareness.
This welcome email is all about laying down the benefits of wearing certified organic cotton underwear, showing the value proposition throughout the entire email copy.
What’s really clever about this email is that instead of leveraging customer reviews, it’s actually the founders that present their favorite products and how they prefer to match them.
Right below comes the playful but actionable CTA, urging subscribers to find their own favorite combination.
Final Words
Welcome emails take different approaches to achieve unique objectives. It could be anything from introducing your brand to displaying your products or offering one-time offers.
What you should never forget is staying loyal to your brand identity and generating positive emotions.
Make sure you benefit from their excitement of joining your community and find the most compelling copy to celebrate their subscription. Here are some elements to take into consideration when crafting your welcome email:
- A compelling subject line is an essential element to intrigue your recipients and helps you boost your email open rates.
- Personalized copy provides subscribers with content they really value and makes them remember your brand.
- Your CTA should be strategically placed, actionable, and clear as to the action you want recipients to take.
- Go for a concise message that is wrapped around your value proposition.
- If there is an inspiring brand story behind your business idea, don’t leave it out – storytelling paints your brand as more authentic and human.
But whatever you do, always remember that cherishing the relationship formed should be your top priority rather than just promoting your brand or going for the sale right from the start.
Welcome emails are an amazing opportunity to build a trusting relationship with your recipients and make them think of you as a friend they can count on in the long run.
About the Author!
Maria Fintanidou works as a Copywriter for email marketing automation software Moosend, having created the Help Articles (FAQs) and overseen the platform’s translations in Greek and Spanish. She loves exploring new cultures and ways of thinking through traveling, reading, and language learning.
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