You’ve put in the hard work to give your ideal subscriber incredible content, whether it be a cute downloadable freebie, a wonderfully worded newsletter, or a webinar jam-packed with awesome information.
Then, it happens. They click. You have one new subscriber. Now what?
Your welcome series is the most important email of your marketing campaign. Studies show that welcome emails are 4 times more likely to be opened, and nearly 7 times more likely to get a click than other promotional emails. Moreover, welcome emails see over 9 times the transaction rate and revenue compared to other promotional mailings. And yet, research indicates only 39% of brands send a welcome email, with 41% failing to send a welcome email within the first 48 hours.
A good email automation series sets you apart from your competitors by putting your brand in your audiences inbox. A great one will transform your subscribers into consumers.
Email indoctrination is the process of welcoming new subscribers to build their relationship with your brand. There are three keys to email indoctrination automations:
- Allow subscribers to get to know you and what your brand is all about
- Build sender authority by providing them with valuable information
- Nurture the first conversion by taking them on the customer journey
Marketing automations are fundamental in fostering the relationship between consumers and brands. Your email welcome series will usually comprise of three to five emails, each with a well-defined purpose. Within every email, you should refer to the three keys of email indoctrination automations.
How to Build a Email Welcome Series
Email 1: Introduction and Expectations
Your first welcome email is your opportunity to introduce yourself as a person, and outline what they can expect as one of your subscribers. By being a real person who follows through on promises, your audience will learn that they can trust you as an individual and a brand.
When introducing yourself, be sure to be authentic. Use your words, and allow this to be an opportunity to create a meaningful connection to the person at the other end of the internet. Invite your audience to engage with you as an individual.
In the first email of the email welcome series, you should outline the expectations of being a subscriber. This should include how often they will hear from you, and when. You may even let them know what types of content they should expect in their inbox in subsequent emails. It is important at this stage to reiterate the value they receive as a subscriber – you don’t want people clicking unsubscribe after the very first email!
To foster that all important relationship, you should call your new subscriber to action. This could be to follow your social channels or directing them to your website. Whatever it may be, it is important to use this first email to promote a connection between the subscriber and your brand.
The first of your email indoctrination series is the most important because it will be one of your most highly opened and clicked on of any email in your system. It is important, then, that this email is simple to navigate, with lots of accessible clickables that will open a loop for the subscriber. By increasing your campaign click rate, you demonstrate your sender authority. This means your emails will land in subscriber inboxes, and they will be excited to open them because you can be trusted to provide them with value.
Email 2: Your Best Content
In this second email, you are going to get even more personal with your new contact. Outline your journey to how you got to this point, and explore the why of your brand. This in-depth look at your journey as an individual and a brand builds a rapport with your subscriber. You earn their trust through your honesty, thus solidifying your authority and connection with your new contact.
It is important that your second email follows through on the expectation that you will provide valuable content to your subscribers. This could be as simple as your top blog posts of all time. Additional exclusive freebies or even a free trial indicates to your contact that they are receiving content that is only gained by subscribing to your mailing list. Be creative in the content you provide, and make sure it highlights the very best of your brand. Take this opportunity to boost your authority as a true expert with highly valuable and engaging content that leaves them wanting more!
Email 3: Special Offer
Your final email should open by reminding the subscriber of who you are and what it is you do. Emphasize your expertise by referring to the awesome content you sent in your last email. Continue with the rapport you have established through your first two email indoctrination automations.
Then, you are going to offer them the greatest deal you have available right now. This could come in many forms and will vary from business to business. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- A free consultation call
- A coupon code for a new product
- A ticket to an event you are hosting
- An online course or mastermind
Whatever it is that you choose to promote, always ensure it adds value to your contacts life. The purpose of this email is to utilize the trust and authority you have built in your first two emails to convert them from a subscriber to a paying customer.
Beyond Email 3
At the outset, I told you an email welcome series could be anywhere from three to five emails. Your third email can lay the foundations for promotional automation. Subsequent emails might be a series of emails promoting the offer outlined in email three. Should your subscriber make a purchase from one of these emails, you can remove them from the welcome series automation so they no longer receive this type of email.
You could also use further emails to strengthen your relationship with your subscriber. One way to do this is with a “How Can I Help You” email. This is a great way to get to know your contact and find out what brought them to connect with you. It could include a quiz or questionnaire, or additional content they can click. These options provide you with data that will help you learn about your customers and provide them with the resources they are seeking.
Create Conversions with a Welcome Series Automation
Welcome emails have an open rate of up to 60%, which is higher than any other marketing automation. Your email indoctrination is the catalyst in building the rapport that transforms subscribers into consumers. A simple sequence using this guide should only take an hour or so to get up and running. Everything is editable, so remind yourself that progress is more important than perfection.
A welcome series automation is a great way to connect with your audience, build their trust and begin their customer journey. There is no reason that you couldn’t implement your email indoctrination automation today!
Have questions about how you can create a simple customer welcome series? Feel free to leave a note in the comments below!
