Imagine you go to your favorite website. A window pops up and asks if you’d like to sign up for their email list.
That’s an easy decision — of course! You enter your information and wait for an email (maybe even a discount code!) to arrive.
But nothing comes.
You’re disappointed, and you even wonder if the email list is still active.
This business just missed a great opportunity to nurture their customer relationship with you.
Why?
First, about 74% of people expect a welcome email. This means potential customers are essentially asking you to send them an email when they sign up for your mailing list.
Second, welcome emails had the highest conversion rate in 2020 (around 52%) of all email automation campaigns. A “conversion rate” is the percentage of customers who opened the email and followed through with the email’s call to action. The higher the conversion rate, the higher the number of people you’ve won over with your email!
Maybe creating a welcome series has been on your to-do list for a while, but you have no idea what content to include. We’ve outlined four types of welcome series to help you get started.
1. Lead Magnet Welcome Series
What’s a “lead magnet?” Let’s break it down. You want “leads” — or opportunities — to convert prospective customers, right? A lead magnet is 1) a means of capturing a prospective customer’s information with 2) an offer they can’t refuse.
Don’t miss the two important components of a lead magnet.
First, it’s an offer people can’t refuse. You’ve probably filled out an online form to receive a free Ebook, coupon code, or trial subscription. A lead magnet is usually a free item, service, or discount you give in exchange for someone’s name, email address, and other relevant information.
A good lead magnet makes people ask, “They’re giving that away for free?! Sign me up!”
Second, a lead magnet is a means of capturing a potential customer’s information. This is why a lead magnet is the perfect opportunity to trigger an automated welcome email series! You have a prospective customer’s information now — why not send them a series of welcome emails to nurture the relationship?
What can you give away for free? Answer that question, create your lead magnet, and build your welcome series around it.
2. Preview Welcome Series
Maybe you don’t have the margin to create a lead magnet right now — no worries!
Are you regularly producing blogs, podcasts, videos, or other content?
Have people sign up for your email list so they’re notified about your latest content. Then send a welcome series that gives them a preview.
If you’ve subscribed to our Marketing Monday blogs, you received a series of emails that gave you a taste of the digital marketing tips we share every Monday. In our welcome series, we include some of our favorite blogs and marketing secrets so you know what to expect every week.
A preview welcome series offers a window into the great content you regularly create. Choose some of your favorite content and highlight it in your emails.
3. Introduction Welcome Series
We’ve written about the power of storytelling in digital marketing. A welcome email series is a perfect time to tell your story.
Introduction emails are a great way to nurture customer relationships, especially if you offer a service where you’re working closely with clients. They want to know they’re investing in services and people they can trust. In a series of welcome emails, spend some time telling your story, introducing your team, and explaining what they’ll get if they choose your services.
You can also demonstrate empathy. What immediate, emotional, or philosophical need does your target audience have? Did you have this need or pain point too before you created a solution and started your business? Tell your story.
You can go in many directions with introduction emails — your main goal is to nurture customer relationships and build trust.
4. Prepwork Welcome Series
You probably didn’t leap at the opportunity to do homework in high school. But you might get more excited if it’s for a product or service you invested in.
Sometimes, a customer must put in additional effort to get the most out of their product or service. You can give directives in a “prepwork” welcome series.
For example, a service company’s call to action might be to schedule a call. The company can send a welcome email with a list of ways to prepare for the call so both parties maximize their time on the phone.
This works with products too. While a customer is waiting for your product, are there some ways they can “prep” for its arrival?
Imagine a customer purchases workout DVDs or exercise equipment. It’s safe to assume they’re beginning a new workout regimen. Can you send a series of emails with ways to prepare — maybe ways to exercise safely, tips on workout recovery, or recipes to boost energy?
How can you provide an experience along with your product or service? Write a prepwork welcome series based on your answer.
We know creating email marketing series can seem daunting and time-consuming. If you’re new to email marketing, a welcome email series is a great place to start. Remember, most customers are asking for a welcome email when they sign up for your email list — build trust by delivering on that expectation!
If you still need help creating a welcome email campaign, let our team at Sigl Creative take this off your plate. Schedule a call today, and we’ll craft and automate the perfect welcome series so you can focus on running your business.
