What to include in your welcome program

Marketing automation is a fantastic tool in your overall email strategy. It allows you to create timely, personalized messages to customers, at scale.

Given the sheer quantity, and quality, of data brands are now able to obtain and link up to their marketing platform, automation programs are necessary to keep up with the pack.

Marketing automation can seem like an intimidating topic. It’s something that requires a lot of thought and an initial time outlay, so is easily overlooked in favor of quick wins for a busy marketer.

Automation doesn’t have to feel like jumping into the deep end, we all have to start somewhere. It makes sense to start at the beginning.

A welcome email comes right at the start of your customer journey, it introduces your brand to new subscribers and sets their expectations with regard to your email marketing; this is a great place to test the automation waters.

A warm welcome

As ecommerce has grown exponentially over recent years, your online experiences are super important, and people expect the same service and relevancy they get in store, online.

This is where your welcome program comes in. More than 8 out of 10 people open welcome emails, generating 4x as many opens and 10x as many clicks as other email sends. An email subscriber is super engaged right after signing up, so take this opportunity and send them an email right away.

This is your chance to offer a warm welcome and thank them for subscribing, highlight the USPs of your brand, and reaffirm what the subscriber will get from your emails.

Let's get to know each other

As much as you want to use a welcome program to introduce your brand, this is a two-way street.

A welcome program is also a great opportunity for you to get to know your new customers better. Highlight your preference center and have a clear CTA in your welcome emails that encourages these new subscribers to let you know what it is they are interested in. This should include options such as subject matter, frequency, and channel. Off the back of subscribers’ responses, you can put them into segments and opt them into different programs for targeting purposes.

It’s like the beginning of any relationship, whether it’s a colleague, a friend, or a partner: when we meet people, we want to find out more about them so we can understand their interests and begin to nurture a mutually beneficial relationship. Enriching your customer insight during a welcome series will help you to build a data foundation to ensure you continue to serve them what they want, thereby driving lifetime value too.

A hit of trust

Your welcome emails may be one of the first interactions someone has had with your brand. They may not be completely sure of you yet, so bring in a hit of trust at this early stage.

Depending on your brand and what you do, this will look different. Think along the lines of product reviews, brand reviews, accreditations and awards. Mattress brand Casper highlights their strong review rating and their 100-night trial to eliminate doubt. They also tap into social proof by sharing links to well-known publications who have reviewed their products.

You can also add in social proof in the form of customer reviews from social media. If your customers proudly promote your product online, showcase this. As it is a more organic form of promotion it’ll seem super authentic to the new subscriber.

By linking to your social media channels you are also subtly encouraging them to follow you on your other channels, thus creating a stronger brand relationship, and increasing the reach you have with them.

Build a connection

These days consumers are choosing brands based on more than just their product offering. In saturated markets, consumers are aligning themselves with brands based on their values, and whether they align.

Your welcome series is the perfect place to tell your brand story, and build that strong relationship and create longer lasting loyalty.

Share what makes your brand tick, why you exist, and what you’re passionate about. Brands such as Toms strike a chord with consumers as they openly talk about the charitable projects they support. In a world where we all feel we could be doing more, if a brand is supporting charities on your behalf, it’s a double win.

Summary

Welcome emails are extremely valuable in your overall email marketing strategy. As they are sent to the subscriber when they’re at the start of their journey and are eager to know more, the strong metrics that accompany them make sense.

Utilize this golden opportunity to engage by both sharing what makes your brand great, and learning what makes the subscriber tick. Get this balance right and you’re starting the relationship off on the right foot, with the foundations to continue to meet their needs and wants with your email content, leading to more conversions for you.