So, you have a new email subscriber. Congratulations on taking the initiative to increase your email list. Now what? Some businesses wait until they have some promotion or offer to engage with their subscribers. We’d recommend setting up a welcome email to engage right away.
It’s important that you make a good first impression with your new subscriber, and the most effective way to do this is through your welcome email. A welcome email is the first email your subscriber gets once they opt into your email list, whether through making a purchase, downloading a lead magnet, or making an account. A welcome flow (also called a series or journey, depending on the email service provider) is an automated series of messages that your subscriber gets, usually dictated by timed intervals.
Your very first welcome email is the most-read email you will ever send. Approximately 74% of subscribers expect a welcome email, which would account for why their open rates regularly exceed 50% — more than double the average for standard campaigns. Despite this, only 57.7% of brands have a welcome email or journey in place.
When a new subscriber joins your email list, they are almost certainly going to open what you send them. The question is: are you making use of this real estate?
What to Do When Crafting a Welcome Email
Whether you’re setting up your first welcome email or auditing one that’s already live, follow these best practices to make the most of that crucial moment.
1. DO: Deliver on your promise immediately
The first email in your welcome series should fulfill whatever brought them to your list in the first place. If someone signed up because you offered a discount code, a free resource, or any other incentive, lead with it. Trust is built or broken at this moment. A subscriber who has to dig for the offer they were promised will lose confidence in you and your brand. Following through on your promise not only encourages trust but sets the expectation of what your interactions can look like going forward. If subscribers aren’t coming from a lead magnet, then still be sure to send a confirmation email, so they know they’ve successfully landed on your email list. If you don’t have an opt-in, whether via form or otherwise, consider developing one as it can boost your engagement rates.
Tip: Check those coupon codes and links monthly. You’d be surprised how often minor issues crop up and result in frustration or lost revenue.
2. DO: Write like you’re face-to-face
This sounds obvious, but it’s one of the most common oversights in welcome emails. Generic subject lines like “Welcome to our newsletter” or opening lines like “Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list” signal that no one put any real thought into this message. Write your welcome email the way you’d introduce your brand to someone at a dinner party — warm, specific, and a little personal. People connect with people, not with companies. Consider the signature or headshot of the person sending the message (CEO, founder, etc). As a bonus, add a bit of personalization. ESPs like Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Mailchimp make it easy to add users’ names or even information based on their preferences and other information you may have collected from them.
3. DO: Briefly tell your story
New subscribers may not know you yet. Your welcome email is the perfect place to share a short version of who you are, why you started, and what you stand for. Briefly explain why your new subscriber should care about what you do. You don’t need to write a novel — two to three sentences that feel genuine will do more than a polished paragraph of marketing copy. If you have a founder story that’s compelling, this is where it belongs.
Tip: Two or three sentences, we mean it! Nobody will read those 4 paragraphs. Think about how you can distill your story. The best option here would be to have a longer version of your story somewhere on your website. Include a link in your email so those who want to read it can click through and do so.
4. DO: Set expectations
Welcome emails set the tone for how your subscribers will expect your brand to engage with them. Tell subscribers what they can look forward to. Let them know how often you’ll email, what kind of content you’ll share, and why it’s worth their attention. This reduces unsubscribes and primes people to look for your emails, which supports your deliverability long term. It also signals that you’re organized and intentional, which builds credibility before you’ve even asked for anything, an especially important tactic for any small business/industry.
Tip: Make sure you have a strategy and a team to follow through with these expectations. If you’re stretched thin and not sure where to start, an email marketing agency like Centric Squared can help you develop a strong strategy so your emails perform effectively.
5. DO: Include one clear call to action
Every email needs a next step. One next step, not five. Decide what you most want your new subscriber to do (browse your shop, read a key piece of content, check out your best-selling product) and point them there clearly in each of the emails of your welcome flow. Multiple competing call-to-actions (CTAs) create confusion and dilute action. Your CTA should be front and centre. Make it visually prominent and enticing so your subscriber not only knows what to do but why they should do it. It should be clear what’s in it for them.
Every business owner we work with initially wants to include 5 CTAs in their first email, but we always strongly advise against it. Not only does it water down the message, but it also leads to reduced click-through rates and conversions. Instead, decide on the one thing you want your subscriber to do for each email and make that the focus.
Sometimes, we recommend rotating CTAs in welcome emails. Here’s a structure you can follow:
- Email 1: fulfilling the promise to your new subscriber
- Email 2: seasonal CTA
- Email 3: bestselling services
- Email 4: seasonal CTA
What Not to Do in A Welcome Email
As equally important as it is for you to do certain things in your emails, it’s also important that you avoid some things entirely. These are our top don’ts.
1. DON’T: Go straight for the hard sell
Your welcome email is not the place to push a heavy pitch. Remember, the subscriber just met you. If someone came up to you and was salesy immediately, wouldn’t you be apprehensive?
Oftentimes, brands prepare a welcome email like it’s a brochure with every detail needed to make a sale. It’s not a one-and-done campaign on its own; it’s the very first impression of what will be a long relationship. Treat it as such. Instead, think of it as a hello, a warm smile, and a way to lead with value, connection, and generosity. Trust us, when there’s an element of trust and familiarity, the sale will follow. In fact, subscribers who receive welcome emails show 42% higher long-term engagement with brands compared to those who do not.
Brands that lead with “Buy now before this offer expires!” in their very first email tend to see high unsubscribe rates and lower long-term engagement. Focus on earning trust first.
2. DON’T: Write a wall of text
Long emails get skimmed at best, unsubscribed from at worst. Use short paragraphs, clear headers or section breaks, and enough white space that the email feels easy to read on a phone. Your welcome email should have one job. If you have a lot to say, spread it across multiple emails in your welcome series rather than cramming everything into one.
Tip: If you’re uncertain about this one, or your management team is uncertain, remember that the beauty of email is that everything can be tested. Offer to do an A/B test. Try it both ways (long vs condensed) and see for yourself.
3. DON’T: Forget about mobile
More than half of all emails are opened on a mobile device. If your welcome email isn’t optimized for mobile — small fonts, broken layouts, images that don’t load — you’re creating a poor first impression for the majority of your audience. Always preview your emails on mobile before sending. Designing mobile-friendly emails is also a great way to make sure your message is concise, too.
Tip: Depending on your audience, you might need to spend extra time on Outlook, too. It’s notoriously annoying to design for, but it’s worth getting right. Try tools like Litmus, Email on Acid, or Glock Apps for inbox placement testing (or hire an agency).
4. DON’T: Send just one email and call it done
A single welcome email is better than nothing, but a welcome series is significantly more effective. Spreading your introduction, trust-building, and conversion messaging across three or four emails gives subscribers time to warm up at their own pace and gives you multiple chances to connect before making offers. Take your top-performing content and spread it out. This also helps you ensure each email is just one singular CTA.
The Bottom Line
Your welcome email will always be a work in progress. Revisit it often and A/B test where necessary. We do this quarterly for our clients where we test, see what changes with the metrics, and optimize for performance. Have new creative assets? Include them. Recognize possible objections that subscribers may have? Address them proactively. Make your emails relevant, genuine, timely, and useful. Get these elements, and you’ve already outperformed the majority of businesses sending email today.
If you’re not sure where to start — or if you have a welcome email that isn’t performing the way it should — that’s exactly what we help with.
We build welcome flows for businesses ready to make email work. See how it works →
About Centric Squared
Centric Squared helps small businesses get more from their email marketing strategy with a CRM-driven approach. We build welcome flows for businesses ready to see how emails can become a revenue driver. See how it works →