Do You Need A Welcome Sequence? Yes, Yes You Do.
Emailing is incredibly important to your business. Not only is it a great way to keep in touch with your customers or supporters, but it also serves as an effective way to bring more people into the fold and see a better return on investment for your business.
According to a study done in 2015, results found that for every dollar spent on an email, one saw a return on investment of $38.1 That’s huge. It can be key to making money for your business. Emailing also gives you insights into what your audience likes or dislikes, keeps them in the loop, and gives you a way to reward them.
But you can’t just send out emails randomly asking for donations or purchases. You need to build the relationship between you and your audience. The way to do that is a welcome sequence.
How Email Marketing Works
To get started with email marketing, you need a few things: an Email Service Provider (ESP), like Mailchimp, Flodesk, Constant Contact, and an opt-in opportunity. ESPs are the platforms which enable you to keep track of your list, build your emails, customize them, and get those emails into the inboxes of your subscribers. Opt-ins are how you get subscribers onto your email list in the first place.
Permission is required when building your email list. You can’t just add people to your list without them giving express permission. This is where an opt-in comes in. This is usually an offer of some kind, like a discount code, a free workbook, training, anything that might be useful for your customers. Whatever your offer is, you’re giving it to your customers for free in exchange for their email address.
You’ll often see these in the form of pop-ups on websites you visit that promise 15% off your first purchase. The same goes for Instagram ads where you might see life coaches offering a free training or a worksheet to get you to sign up.
When someone fills in the form with their name and email address to get your freebie, they are giving permission for you to have their email and come into their inbox.
What happens behind the scenes is this: you already have a sequence of emails that are ready to go and automated to be sent out to new subscribers. The first will usually be the free offer and the rest will be your welcome sequence.
Once you have subscribers on your email list, it’s much easier to stay in contact with them. You can let them know about any special updates, tell them about new products, share helpful information, and even build a community of your customers.2
Why Email Marketing is Effective
Email marketing is so effective because it’s still used regularly. New social media apps may pop up, but not everyone is going to jump on those bandwagons. Older customers may not have TikTok, but they sure do have email. In fact, a 2018 study found that email marketing is the most effective way to market.3
Like I mentioned before, it’s easier to stay in contact with your customers when they’re on your email list. Emails help bring about purchases, establish relationships with your customers, and ensure you stay relevant. For example, an automated email that is sent out when someone leaves your website with products in their cart that they haven’t purchased yet is a great way to remind them of their abandoned purchase and get them to go back and buy. This is called an abandoned cart email.2
When it comes to welcome sequences, they are a prime way to connect with your customers and build their trust. No one likes to buy from someone they don’t know or aren’t sure they can trust. When you offer value, like your free opt-in offer or other helpful information they might need, they’re more willing to give you a chance and spend their money. When they trust you and what you have to say, they’ll stay loyal.
Email marketing is also cost effective. There are many ESPs that will let you start for free if you’re just starting out building your list, or with the ones you need to pay for, the cost is still relatively low for the return on investment you’ll see.
What is a Welcome Sequence?
A welcome sequence is a series of emails that go out automatically to new subscribers on your list. The amount of emails is up to you, but I personally love to stick with 3-5. These emails lay the groundwork for what subscribers can expect from being on your email list. People like to know what’s coming, so it’s important you let them know what they’re in for.
For example, if you are planning on sending out emails everyday, you should let your audience know that so they don’t get annoyed and unsubscribe. If they expect you to be there, they’ll respond to your presence each day more kindly. The same goes for if you only send out an email once a month. Let them know you didn’t forget about them, that they can expect to hear from you on the first of each month, the third Friday of each month, what have you.
When people know what to expect, you’ll have more success keeping them on your list.
Welcome sequences are a perfect opportunity to provide value to your customers, let them know about your brand, and get to know them, too.4 People like to buy from people they trust and know. Think of your welcome sequence as an introduction to your brand. Let them know how you got started, what your mission is, why it’s important, and why you’re so excited for them to be along for the ride. Figuring out what your audience likes will also make your life easier when it comes to creating content for them and launching products.
The welcome sequence is a step you don’t want to miss because it’s a window of opportunity. Think about it – when someone signs up for your email list, they want to hear from you. They’re already interested in what you have to say.4 So don’t waste it!
Send out your free offer right away, because they’ll be looking for it, and capitalize on their interest in your business to teach them more about you. Without a welcome sequence, they’ll probably download your freebie and then move on, which throws any momentum you had out the window (along with that opportunity).
A welcome sequence helps you stay at the top of a potential customer’s mind. People need to see things about seven times before they act on it. This doesn’t mean you need seven emails, but it does mean that you need to make sure people remember your brand so they aren’t asking Who is this? What did I sign up for again? when they see you in their inbox.
Welcome sequences set you up for success in all your future email campaigns.
Email Marketing Services
Whether you already have an email list or are just beginning to build one, if you’re ready to take things to the next level with your email marketing strategy, I’m here for you.
I help with:
Newsletters
Welcome sequences
Opt-ins and freebies
Email me here to set up a time to chat about your email goals and let’s figure out a game plan for how I can help!
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