The newsletter Welcome email guide.
👋 Hey, hi, hello!
Whether you’re about to send your first, or your fiftieth newsletter, have you paused to consider the very first impression your readers get?
No, not the introduction in your newsletter, but the good ‘ol Welcome email.
Let's dive into the art of crafting a Welcome email specifically tailored for newsletters – a distinct kind of greeting from its eCommerce counterpart.
Why does the Welcome email matter?
Your Welcome email is more than an automated messaged. It’s like a digital handshake, or high-five, offering an opportunity to say hello and engage with your new subscribers.
It’s also a great place to remind subscribers the frequency, content type and other essential details of your newsletter.
A well-crafted welcome can set the stage for high Open Rates* and interactions in subsequent emails.
*Taking it with a grain of salt due to Apple MPP.
✨ Distinctive qualities of newsletter Welcome emails
While eCommerce-y welcomes might revolve around discount codes, product highlights, or next purchase nudges, newsletter welcomes have their own melody.
Some commonalities we noticed across Welcome emails specifically for newsletters:
Mention thank you for signing up.
Give a brief introduction.
Let you know what time to expect the next email (cadence).
Suggest adding >INSERT SENDER ADDRESS< to contact list.
Recommend moving to Primary tab if you use Gmail.
Mention you can reply to the email with questions, thoughts, feedback, questions, ideas, etc.
While some eCommerce brands might incorporate the above elements, they seem more common to newsletter-first or exclusive newsletter ventures.
Sure, there are overlaps in best practices or what’s commonly seen between eCommerce-y and newsletter welcomes. Still, newsletters have their unique quirks. For example, making requests to: "Move to your Primary tab!" or "Reply back!".
Let’s walk through some examples and observations
Ben’s Bites requests you to confirm your subscription by replying “Oi”.
They also mention that “If you can’t find the newsletter, check your spam folder. And please mark this address as ‘not spam’. If the newsletter isn’t in your spam folder you should look in the Promotions tab.“
How many “Oi”’s do you think this AI newsletter with over 120,000 subscribers receives every day?
Side note: It was a little confusing if the reply was indeed required. We didn’t reply, and did receive the newsletter, so maybe the wording could be adjusted?
🟢 Starting point: The sign-up page
You likely already know this, especially if you read our article about landing pages, that your subscribers' journey begins at the sign-up page.
You can inform potential readers about what they’re signing up for, what they can expect. As well as use any redirects post sign-up to inform them of next steps.
After you submit your email address to sign up for Morning Brew, they let you know “You’re in!” via confirmation page:
At the bottom they mention that: "…you should expect us in your inbox bright and early.” This indicates no further action required.
They also mention that, “If you don’t receive an email, please check your spam or junk folder and ‘move us’ to your primary inbox to ensure you get it each morning!”
We also received a Welcome email post sign-up that highlighted some recommendations to make sure Morning Brew gets to your inbox.
If you remember the list above with some commonalities we noticed across Welcome emails specifically for newsletters, here is what Morning Brew incorporated:
✔️ Mention thank you for signing up.
✔️ Give a brief introduction.
✔️ Let you know what time to expect the next email (cadence).
✔️ Suggest adding >INSERT SENDER ADDRESS< to contact list.
✔️ Recommend moving to Primary tab if you use Gmail.
✔️ Mention you can reply to the email with questions, thoughts, feedback, questions, ideas, etc.
Morning Brew was one of the only newsletters we analyzed that specifically mentioned Apple mail users, and provided a link for “everyone else” that goes to an AWeber article about safelisting.
When you sign up for The Hustle via Hubspot, you get directed to a Confirmation page. Similar to Morning Brew, it informs you that “you’re in”.
With a brief mention to “add news@thehustle.co” to your contacts to “ensure you get our emails”.
Then a Welcome email:
For The Hustle:
✔️ Mention thank you for signing up.
✔️ Give a brief introduction.
✔️ Let you know what time to expect to receive the next email (cadence).
✔️ Suggest adding >INSERT SENDER ADDRESS< to contact list.
✔️ Recommend moving to Primary tab if you use Gmail.
✔️ Mention you can reply to the email with questions, thoughts, feedback, questions, ideas, etc.
Make next steps clear
If you require users to “double opt-in” as in submit their email address via the sign up form and then either complete a reCAPTCHA or check their email for a “confirm your email” message. Make that clear!
Here’s an example from Passionfroot to “click the link sent via email”:
You then receive an email to “Confirm email”:
Then you’ll receive a Welcome email after you confirm your email:
Tangle approaches it with a pop-up-like message:
Then sends an email to confirm your signup, similar to Passionfroot.
If readers don’t need to take any further steps, make that clear too.
Here’s an example from City Cast Houston. You sign up and receive the “Subscribed!” language. It’s not flashy or anything, but lets you know that you successfully signed up.
You then receive a Welcome email shortly thereafter:
For City Cast Houston:
✔️ Mention thank you for signing up.
✔️ Give a brief introduction.
✔️ Let you know what time to expect the next email (cadence).
✔️ Suggest adding >INSERT SENDER ADDRESS< to contact list.
✔️ Recommend moving to Primary tab if you use Gmail.
✔️ Mention you can reply to the email with questions, thoughts, feedback, questions, ideas, etc.
If you leave it up in the air, it can be kind of confusing. Do I need to do anything?
This is not necessarily “unclear”, more so, short and sweet.
Robinhood Snacks lets you know: “You’re subscribed!” Similar to City Cast Houston.
However, we didn’t receive an email from them until the next day with that days newsletter edition. No Welcome email.
⏱️ Timeliness matters
No matter which way you choose, if you’re sending a Welcome email, make it quick! Especially if you need them to take an action.
If not, assure them post-sign-up that everything's sorted.
✏️ Crafting your message
Newsletter welcome emails often focus on deliverability – ensuring your content gets the spotlight it deserves. This might involve:
Asking subscribers to move the email to their Primary tab. This is a Gmail specific thing, and seems quite common among newsletter senders.
Suggesting they save the sender to contacts. This can be done via email (City Cast Houston example) or on the webpage post sign-up (Like The Hustle).
Inviting a reply to the email for increased engagement.
Your welcome note's tone is your call - a chirpy "Hey, welcome aboard!" or a quick showcase of your top content pieces.
Remember, stats indicate the Welcome email often see high engagement. According to Campaign Monitor, Welcome email read rates are 42% higher than the average email. It was hard to find newsletter specific Welcome email statistics, but overall, Welcome emails tend to have higher engagement than standard sends.
🔍️ Observations from the field
Emojify or not? You’ve likely seen them in Subject Lines. Our analysis reveals that around a third of newsletters sprinkle emojis in their Welcome email subject lines. Take for instance, Morning Brew’s iconic ☕ - an emblem of their brand. While some choose a simple, friendly wave with a 👋, it's evident that emojis can provide a touch of flair and personality.
Spotlight on Subject Lines, and Preheaders: They’re crucial. Make them clear what a subscriber needs to do. If anything. For instance, Marketing Example’s straightforward “Welcome to Marketing Examples” pairs with a fairly chill Preheader. Upward News mentions "Important info (response needed)" in its Preheader, similar to Tangle’s "Please read me :)" in their Subject Line.
Engaging the reader: Once opened, the Welcome email has work to do. Many newsletters, in pursuit of prime inbox real estate, request a move to the Primary tab for Gmail users. Others entice interactions, like a friendly “Reply ‘Oi’” like Ben’s Bites. The more you engage, the more likely your emails nestle in the Primary tab, not be marked Spam and increased deliverability.
Bonus: Asking for a reply isn’t limited to the Welcome email. You can sprinkle these in throughout your email sends. Here is an example from Marketing Examples:
Think about your sign up page, redirects. Post sign-up, it should be clear to the reader if they successfully signed up, or if there is anything left to do, like check their email inbox, etc.
If there is a next step, make sure it’s sent to the inbox in a timely fashion.
🎁 Wrap-up
Welcome emails are not just about rolling out the red carpet for your readers.
It’s also more than an automated “Hello”.
It’s your first email, a digital handshake or high-five made with each new subscriber.
By curating it with care, you not only welcome subscribers, but build a path for an engaging connection.
So, as you fine-tune your upcoming newsletter send, remember your Welcome email and think about adding some extra sparkle to it.
Happy Welcoming! 🎉
🎉 Have a great week!
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Great detail and tips!