A lot of companies with email lists miss an opportunity by not having a welcome message (or series of messages).
When someone signs up for your email list, they are at their most excited about what you might send them.
They may go into their inbox and look specifically for their first message from you.
But some companies don’t send a welcome message at all. They just add you to their list, and then whatever message is scheduled to go out next, be it promotion or newsletter… that’s what you’ll get as your first message.
No “Thank you for joining us.”
No “Here’s what you can expect.”
No “I’m excited you’re here.”
Nothing.
It’s not the end of the world, but it is an overlooked chance to make your new subscriber feel seen and heard and appreciated. I wonder who is more likely to become a fan of your emails — the person who feels ignored or the person who feels appreciated? (That’s a rhetorical question, of course.)
Some companies treat their confirmation message like their welcome message. That might sound something like this:
“<<Email address>> has subscribed to our mailing list. If that’s you, click the button to complete your subscription. If you think this message is in error, no action is required.”
Doesn’t that just give you the warm fuzzies?
Welcome messages have one of the highest open rates of any type of email message.
They are a chance to share your best stuff (links to your most popular content), to tell your newest subscriber thank you and let them know why you’re glad they’ve signed up and how they’ll benefit from the subscription, to set expectations in terms of cadence, and so much more.
This is your chance to treat your subscriber like a real person… to show them you’re a real person, too.
Unfortunately, even the companies that have welcome messages sometimes struggle to make them a valuable and enjoyable experience for the reader. But you can help!
And to help you help them, we’ve got a Practice Assignment open right now that is all about email welcome messages. This is your chance to try your hand at a fun, valuable project type… and possibly to receive feedback on your work. Plus, it’s a great chance to build a portfolio piece. You can find all the details right here.
New on the Site
Social media, content, and email can all work together to deepen your connections with followers and to give you more opportunities to sell your services. But to make that happen, you need a way to get people following you on social and reading your content to join your email list. Michele Peterson shares not just one way, but seven.
Setbacks happen. Something doesn’t go quite right with a project… you don’t land the client who you were sure was going to say yes… you get injured or ill. There are a lot of ways setbacks can find you. Here’s the thing… success isn’t about avoiding the setbacks. In part, it’s about knowing how to move through them when they happen. In her latest Reality Blog, Suzanna Fitzgerald talks about a recent setback, and how her approach to life’s curveballs has changed.
Speaking of Suzanna, if you weren’t able to listen in on our recent conversation live, the recording is now up and available. It’s a great discussion about moving forward, balancing priorities, and acknowledging your growth as it happens. You can listen in here.
Around the Web
No real reason for this other than it’s good to laugh.
Helping your clients create more accessible content is a specialty service you could build your career around.
Since it’s November, a post about showing your thankfulness seemed timely.
Looking for ways to up your LinkedIn game? Buffer’s got a couple of suggestions for you…
That’s all for now. Make it a great week, and…
