What is a welcome email?

A welcome email is the first message you send to new subscribers as a part of your broader email marketing strategy. It can be a one-off message or part of an automated email series called a “flow.” 

A great welcome email can:

  • Introduce your brand to potential customers
  • Establish trust and authority
  • Educate subscribers about your products
  • Encourage a purchase
  • Ask for more information so you can create personalized experiences

How to craft an effective welcome email

Learn how to create a welcome email campaign one element at a time:

1. Create a compelling subject line

Your subject line will determine whether your subscribers will open your email, so make it count. A compelling subject line should:

  1. Be clear and short—ideally 7 words long (including emojis), or 36 characters
  2. Include the recipient’s name
  3. Spark the recipient’s curiosity and compel them to open the email
  4. Connect well with the preview text below it

2. Write clear and engaging copy

Great welcome series copy:

  • Introduces subscribers to the value of your product
  • Offers something in exchange for a sign-up
  • Features social proof such as customer reviews and user-generated content to build credibility

Welcome emails are also an excellent opportunity to educate subscribers about how to best use your products. Link to product pages and helpful articles where they can learn more. 

3. Showcase your brand’s visual identity

Establish your brand’s visual identity for easy recall with:

  • Eye-catching product images
  • Behind-the-scenes photos and links to video
  • Educational how-tos
  • Your signature brand colors and logo

4. Offer incentives

Your new subscribers have already expressed interest in your brand, but they may need an extra nudge to take action. Consider offering a reward for signing up, such as a:

  • Promo code
  • Free gift
  • Free shipping
  • Contest entry

Make sure to keep the promises you’ve made to visitors in exchange for completing the sign-up form.

5. Create a compelling call to action (CTA)

Finish your welcome email with a short and clever call to action (CTA) geared toward people who have expressed interest but may not be ready to buy. For the best visibility, make sure to place it above the fold in your welcome email (meaning people should see it before they need to scroll).

Common CTAs for welcome emails include:

  • Take the quiz
  • Browse best selling products
  • Watch the video
  • Share on social to win

6. Include an unsubscribe link 

To comply with regulations,  it’s necessary to include an unsubscribe link at the end of your welcome email that allows people to easily opt out of marketing messages.

7. Provide your contact information

Your welcome email must include your contact information so subscribers can reach you with any questions. Include a customer support email address or phone number in the footer of your email.

6 best practices for successful welcome email campaigns

Follow these guidelines to give your welcome email the best chance to succeed:

1. Use a double opt-in

A double opt-in is an automated message sent after someone signs up for your email list. The message asks the recipient to click on a button or link to confirm their subscription, and it goes a long way to maintaining a clean list, avoiding hard email bounces, and making sure your sender reputation remains healthy.

2. Automate your welcome emails

Whether your business is booming with thousands of new subscribers or you’re just starting out with a few dozen, sending welcome emails doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The good news is—you don’t need to do it manually.

With automation, you can set up a welcome email flow that does the work for you. A flow allows you to automatically send a series of welcome emails tailored to guide new subscribers through their first interactions with your brand. For example, your flow could start with an immediate welcome message, followed by a second email introducing your best selling products, and then a final email offering a discount to encourage a subscriber to make their first purchase.

Once the flow is set up, your welcome emails will go out at just the right time, making sure every subscriber gets a warm, personalized welcome without extra effort on your part.

3. Tailor your welcome emails to your sales cycle

Think about how long it usually takes from the moment your customers discover your brand or product to when they decide to buy.

If it takes them a while to make a purchase, you can:

  1. Spread your emails out over a few days or weeks.
  2. Start with a warm welcome.
  3. Gradually introduce them to your best products.
  4. Offer a discount to seal the deal.

However, if your customers make decisions quickly, you don’t need to send that many emails—a few well-timed messages should be enough to keep them engaged and encourage that first purchase.

Your welcome series should focus on two main goals:

  1. Helping people get to know your brand
  2. Guiding them toward making a purchase

For budget-friendly and straightforward products, your customers are likely to decide quickly, so a shorter welcome series will often do the trick. For pricier items with a bit of a learning curve, you might need a few extra emails to cover all the details and help them make that purchase.

4. Use A/B testing

Conduct A/B tests to discover what works for your new subscribers. With these tests, you can try different versions of your welcome email by changing variables, such as:

  • Timing
  • Frequency
  • Content

Once you’ve completed your tests, select the winner and set that email as the automate welcome message that goes out to anyone who signs up to your list.

5. Track performance

Your welcome emails go out to new subscribers who are interested in your brand but may not yet be ready to buy. Measure the success of your welcome series by focusing on the following metrics:

  • Click rate: The percentage of recipients who have clicked on a link within the email—you’ll want to track engagement for your welcome series
  • Unsubscribe rate: The percentage of recipients who’ve unsubscribed after getting the welcome email—you’ll want to make sure your first impressions are hitting the mark
  • Deliverability rate: The percentage of emails that reached the recipients’ inboxes—to make sure your messages aren’t hitting spam folders and affecting your sender reputation

Automate welcome emails with Klaviyo

Creating and sending welcome emails doesn’t have to be a hassle with a marketing automation platform like Klaviyo. Add a pre-built welcome series flow to your Klaviyo account with just a few clicks, so you won’t need to start from scratch (even though you still can).

Klaviyo intuitive editor lets you customize your welcome emails so they match your brand’s style. With Klaviyo, you can automate the timing and delivery of your flows and make sure your emails go out exactly when you want.

Ready to impress your new subscribers? Sign up for Klaviyo and start sending welcome emails that leave a lasting impression.

Additional resources