Welcome Emails are automated transactional emails sent after a specific action is taken by a customer or prospect (such as a subscription). Typically, they’re sent right after a new subscriber opts in. These emails are one of the keys to managing your email list and strategy, and should eventually be incorporated into a larger Welcome Campaign.
We recommend you send your Welcome Emails in real time (not in batches) for best results and engagement. Once the subscriber signs up for your list, they are ready to receive communications from you or your company. Don’t miss your opportunity, make sure to have this automation set up using a Marketing Automation Platform (MAP) like Oracle Eloqua!
It’s been shown that Welcome Emails generate more revenue per email than promotional emails and have unusually high open rates. We encourage you to try these 10 things to ensure success:
Familiar Subject Line
Many companies treat their email subject lines as an afterthought. What they don’t realize, is this could get them trapped in spam or even ignored. Choosing a subject line that your recipient recognizes will determine if they actually open your email. What we don’t want to happen is they choose to not read your email based on this simple thing. Make sure to use the company name somewhere as well as the action the recipient took. Test. Test. Test. Test your subject lines to determine which will result in the most opens.
For example, you might use something like this:
Thank you for Subscribing to Relationship One’s newsletter! Your Next Steps…
Recognizable Sender Name
Your subscribers have trusted you enough to sign up for your emails, they also need to recognize and trust the sender. Consistency is key as well – don’t keep changing it. Examples are the company name or the product or service people have signed up to learn about. Avoid no-reply email addresses and make sure to use a valid email address to collect replies.
Personalization
Adding in the subscribers first name will be much more personal than Hi! or Hello. Your recipient will know you care if the email is actually addressed to them personally: “Hi Kelly.” It shows you took that next step (which as marketers we know is as simple as using a field merge).
Thank You
This first email will be the start of your relationship with this contact. Make sure to make them truly feel valued and welcomed with a thank you message somewhere in the email copy.
Expectations – Timeline & Frequency
It is very important that you set expectations on what the subscriber will receive after opting in and how often. This will ensure they will not opt out because they received something they did not sign up for or more emails than they had anticipated.
Actionable Call-to-Action (CTA)
The biggest mistake companies make with CTAs is that they tend to use passive words or phrases that do not inspire action like “read more” or “learn more.” With these CTAs, how does the reader know what they will get when they click? To increase engagement and clicks try to use words and phrases that illicit action and give readers something they want. Provide them with a relevant offer or include a next step you want them to take in their Welcome Journey.
Ability to Opt Out
We always think our customers and prospects want to hear what we have to say, but unfortunately that is not the case. You need to provide them with a way to opt out to your communications. Better yet, you should have a preference center set up where they can sign up for which types of emails they would like to receive and how often.
Personal Signature or Closing
Add a personal touch to the signature of the email by sending it from an actual person with a signature. Again, this makes it feel like the person or company who sent you the email actually cares about you and is making a true connection with you. Plus it gives them someone to reach out to if they have any questions or concerns.
Social Opportunities
Social is another avenue to connect with your subscribers. If they want to hear more from you, make sure you give them the opportunity to. Throw some social follow buttons into your email design or in your email footers.
Here are some examples of some Welcome Emails:
- https://reallygoodemails.com/category/inaugural/welcome/
- https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/welcome-email-examples
- https://www.pinterest.com/akingkiwi84/welcome-emails
If you already have a Welcome Campaign in place, make sure your emails include these 10 things. If you don’t have a Welcome Campaign set up yet, make sure to get one launched as soon as possible. Don’t miss out on communicating with, up-selling and keeping these new subscribers or customers engaged and coming back for more! Even a simple automated Welcome Email is better than nothing. Start welcoming your customers and prospects today!
If you need support with building emails, campaigns, marketing strategy, or anything related to Oracle Eloqua, please contact us! We love helping companies get the most out of their marketing automation efforts.
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About the Author: Kelly Sardino
