20 Tips to Create a WOW Worthy Email Welcome Sequence
First, let’s start off with what an email welcome sequence is and why you need one.
An email welcome sequence is a series of emails that are sent to new subscribers on your email list in exchange for your free lead magnet (also known as your freebie, opt-in, or free gift).
The purpose of a welcome sequence is to:
Introduce yourself and your brand
Build a relationship with your new subscribers
Encourage them to engage with your content and offerings
Establish that know, like, and trust factor
Showcase your personality
So you first need a juicy and compelling lead magnet that’s a quick win for your specific audience. Check out this blog on 10 MUSTS to Create a WOW Worthy Lead Magnet to decide what yours should be.
Once you have your lead magnet and your prospect signs up for it with their name and email address, they automatically receive the lead magnet. It’s then followed up with nurture emails to welcome them into your audience.
A welcome email series typically consists of three to five emails that are sent over a period of a few days or weeks.
Each email should have a specific goal and build on the previous email. This allows you to establish a deeper connection with your subscribers and encourage them to take specific actions.
Here are some strategies for creating a WOW worthy email welcome sequence:
Personalize the first email: The first email in your welcome sequence should be sent immediately and be personalized and welcoming. Use the subscriber's name and thank them for joining your list. Even though they’ll receive your lead magnet immediately, it’s good practice to include the link to it again in your first email.
Set expectations: Let subscribers know how often they can expect to hear from you and what kind of content they will receive. You’ll also want to let them know you’ll be sharing both free and paid resources and offers. This helps manage their expectations and lets them know from the start that you will at times be “pitching” them with your paid offers.
Provide value: Use the first few emails in your sequence to provide value to your subscribers. In other words, don’t sell to them immediately. Share helpful tips or insights related to your niche or industry. This helps establish your brand as an authority and builds trust with your subscribers.
Encourage engagement: Throughout your welcome sequence, encourage subscribers to engage with your brand. Include a Call to Action (CTA) in every email. Your CTA could be asking a simple question they can reply to, encouraging them to share their experiences with your products or services, or inviting them to connect with you on social media.
Use storytelling: Use storytelling techniques to engage your subscribers and build a connection with them. Share your brand's origin story or tell a story that illustrates the benefits of your products or services. Storytelling helps you to connect more deeply with your subscribers and makes your brand more relatable and memorable.
Use images, videos, and GIFs: Using these in your emails will break up the text and make them more visually appealing. This can help increase engagement and keep your subscribers interested in your content. Just be sure not to over do it, and make sure they don’t slow your email load time.
Keep it concise: Keep your emails concise and to the point. Most people receive a lot of emails every day, so you want to make sure your emails are easy to read and don't take up too much of their time. Aim for no more than 300 words per email.
Make it mobile-friendly: Before you hit “send” be sure to check that your emails are mobile-friendly and easy to read on your smartphone or tablet. More and more people are checking their emails on mobile devices, so it's important that your emails look good on small screens; particularly avoiding long paragraphs.
Use social proof: Use social proof, such as customer reviews or testimonials, to build credibility and trust with your subscribers. This can help persuade them to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a free trial. Social proof also allows your prospect to connect more deeply with what’s possible for them and strengthen their belief they can get similar results as seen in your testimonials.
Use a clear and compelling subject line: Your subject line is the first thing your subscribers will see, so it's important to make it compelling and relevant to your content. Use clear and concise language that communicates the value of your email and encourages subscribers to open it. A great resource for ensuring you have compelling subject lines is the Headline Analyzer from Advanced Marketing Institute. Want a list of compelling subject lines right at your fingertips? Check out my “40 Juicy Subject Lines to Boost Your Email Open Rates.”
Don’t forget a P.S.: Including a P.S. at the very end of your email is prime real estate (in fact it’s the second most looked at part of an email, behind the subject line) to include a very quick summary of your email, to remind them of the CTA again, or to seed something you have coming up, like a webinar or a program launch.
Use social media integration: Incorporate social media into your welcome sequence by including links to your social media profiles or encouraging subscribers to follow you on social media. This helps you build a stronger relationship with your subscribers and reach a wider audience.
Use urgency and scarcity: Use urgency and scarcity strategies, such as limited-time offers or limited quantities of a product, to encourage subscribers to take action. This can help increase conversions and drive sales. However, be sure there really is urgency or scarcity; in other words don’t use it if it’s not true.
Use gamification: Use gamification techniques, such as quizzes or challenges, to make your welcome sequence more interactive and engaging. This can help increase retention and build brand loyalty. Plus, people love quizzes!
Use feedback, polls, and surveys: Ask for feedback and conduct surveys to gather insights from your subscribers and improve your welcome sequence over time. This helps you better understand your audience and tailor your emails as well as your services to their needs and preferences.
Use edu-tainment: This is a combo of educating them (like providing tips or stats) and entertaining them (like using humor, personal photos, GIFs, videos, stories, etc.) in your emails to make them more engaging and memorable. This can help establish your brand's personality and make your emails stand out from other marketing messages in your subscribers' inboxes.
Share behind the scenes: Tell your audience what you’re up to personally (if this is on brand for you) and professionally. Share personal pictures and stories or pictures of you working or of various activities throughout your day. Video is even better!
Use triggered emails: Set up triggered emails, such as abandoned cart emails or re-engagement emails, as part of your welcome sequence to encourage subscribers to take specific actions. This can help increase conversions and drive revenue.
Use a clear unsubscribe option: Make it easy for subscribers to unsubscribe from your list if they no longer want to receive your emails. This helps maintain a positive relationship with your subscribers and ensures that your email list is filled with engaged and interested subscribers.
Test and optimize: Test and optimize your welcome sequence to improve its effectiveness. Track open rates and click-through rates, and adjust your messaging and content accordingly. Over time, you'll be able to refine your welcome sequence to better engage your subscribers and drive conversions.
There you have it, 20 ways to make a WOW worthy email sequence!
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