First impressions matter—especially in email marketing! When someone signs up for your emails, they’re raising their hand and saying, “Yes, I want to hear from you!” This is your golden opportunity to connect while their interest is at its peak. But attention spans are short, and if you don’t engage them right away, they may lose interest before they even receive your newsletter. This is why you need an automated welcome email series to greet your new subscribers properly!
A welcome email series ensures your destination or organization stays top-of-mind. It’s more than just a hello—it’s a strategic first impression that provides value, builds trust, and encourages future engagement. Whether you’re a destination marketing organization (DMO), a digital marketing agency, or any other kind of business, an automated welcome series helps turn curious subscribers into engaged travelers or customers, ready to explore what you have to offer. Let’s dive into what an automated welcome series is and why your organization needs one!
What Is An Automated Welcome Email Series?
An automated welcome series is a sequence of emails that are triggered to send automatically when someone subscribes to your email list for the first time. The purpose of a welcome email series is to welcome new subscribers (of course!), but also to introduce your destination or brand, provide immediate value, and encourage an ongoing relationship.
Why Is A Welcome Email Series Beneficial?
A welcome email series is beneficial to the new subscriber as it confirms the successful sign-up and typically offers an incentive to further engage such as exclusive offers, helpful content, or personalized recommendations. But it’s just as valuable to you, the marketer. Unlike a single email, a series gives you multiple chances to get your most essential content in front of these new subscribers when their interest is at its peak. This approach not only boosts open rates and email engagement but also nourishes these new relationships, leading to long-term active subscribers. In fact, brands that use a welcome email series see 51% more revenue than those that send just one!
Why Do I Need More Than One Welcome Email?
Think one email is enough? Think again! Here’s why a series is far more effective than a once-off welcome email:
Information Overload:
If you cram too much content into one email, readers will get overwhelmed, disengage, and miss key points. Instead of bombarding them with everything at once, a welcome series allows you to deliver value in digestible steps they can easily skim—keeping them engaged over time.
Bridges the Gap Between Newsletters:
What if someone subscribes right after your latest newsletter was sent? Without an automated welcome series, they may not hear from you again for weeks. With inboxes more crowded than ever, new subscribers can easily forget about you if they don’t hear from you soon after signing up. A multi-email sequence will keep them engaged and build anticipation for your next regular send.
More Touchpoints:
A single welcome email is a major missed opportunity! When someone signs up, they’re at peak interest—don’t waste that moment! A welcome series ensures your brand stays top of mind, giving you multiple opportunities to introduce key content, inspire action, and turn new contacts into active subscribers.
What Should I Include In My Welcome Email Series?
1. The Welcome Email
This is your first impression-make it count! This email should be inviting, on-brand, and immediately valuable to your new subscribers. Your welcome email should feature content such as:
Familiar Branding:
Keep the look and feel consistent with your website, ad campaigns, and newsletters they will soon receive. This will build trust in your brand!
Thank You:
Let new subscribers know you appreciate them joining your community.
Set Expectations:
Briefly outline what they can look forward to in their inbox. Think of this message as a sneak peek into your monthly newsletters. Include featured content blocks linked to your most important website pages with strong CTAs.
Pro Tip:
Make it personal! Check with your email platform’s personalization features to make this message even more effective! Using first names and conversational language helps build a connection right away.
2. The Value Email
Now that you’ve welcomed your new subscribers and told them what will be featured in your future messages, it’s time to provide some real value. This email is all about reinforcing why opening your email will always be worth their time! Here’s some content to consider featuring:
Your Best Offers:
Use this opportunity to make your new subscribers feel exclusive, highlight your best deals and discounts!
Valuable Information:
For example, if you’re a destination marketing organization, highlight the biggest upcoming events, and provide planning tools such as recommendations for where to stay, eat, drink, things to do, itineraries, or visitors’ guides.
Pro Tip:
Frame this email as “Here’s what we’ve got for you!” and avoid making it too salesy.
3. Stay Connected & Engage
This is your final touchpoint of the welcome series, so use this as an opportunity to get your new subscribers to engage with you! Feature content such as:
Social Media Feature:
Show subscribers where to connect with you elsewhere and tell them exactly what they’ll get out of it. Mention staying up to date on exclusive deals or timely event information.
Encourage Engagement:
Ask subscribers to engage with you by sharing photos and tagging you on social media to be featured in the monthly newsletter.
When Should You Send Your Email Series?
Timing is everything when it comes to an automated welcome email series. You want to strike while the iron is hot and avoid overwhelming your new subscribers with too many emails too quickly. Here’s how to get the timing right:
Send the First Email IMMEDIATELY:
As soon as someone subscribes, they should receive your first email in their inbox within minutes. This reassures them that their sign-up was successful, creating trust and a positive brand association.
Space Out the Next Two Emails:
Wait a couple of days before sending the second and third emails. This keeps you top-of-mind without flooding their inbox and feeling spammy.
In order to achieve both of those best practices, your welcome series must be automated. Remember, this is your first impression! You want your welcome email sequence to be subscriber-focused, meaning emails go out when it’s most relevant for them—not when it’s convenient for you. Platforms like Mailchimp and Constant Contact make this easy with automated journeys.
Final Thoughts
Your welcome email series is more than just a polite hello—it’s your chance to make a lasting first impression, build trust, and guide new subscribers toward meaningful engagement. By automating your welcome series, strategically timing your email sends, and providing value at every touchpoint, you ensure that your audience stays engaged long after they hit “subscribe.”
Need Help Creating an Automated Welcome Series?
Want to make sure your welcome series leaves a lasting impression? At TwoSix Digital, we specialize in creating automated welcome email series that reflect your destination’s branding, showcase your best content, and drive engagement to your website. Click the buttons below to discover our complete Email Marketing Strategy and contact us to get started!
