![\"example](\"https:\/\/elasticemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Single-welcome-email-VS-welcome-sequence-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIt’s simple and it can provide amazing results. Welcome emails come at a time when a potential customer is showing an active interest in your business. It happens during a peak of attraction to what you can offer. That\u2019s why welcome emails have a higher open and conversion rate – and it\u2019s the reason you should pay more attention to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In principle, you\u2019re looking to achieve a few things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Add value.<\/strong> If you gave a cheat sheet or template in exchange for a user\u2019s email, don\u2019t stop there. Make sure your welcome email features other free resources.<\/li>
- Use a consistent tone.<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t matter if you write like this:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n
\n![\"example](\"https:\/\/elasticemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Single-welcome-email-VS-welcome-sequence-3.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOr like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"example](\"https:\/\/elasticemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Single-welcome-email-VS-welcome-sequence-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nJust make sure that your tone and style are both consistent from the get-go. This way, potential customers know if they can identify with your business, which will increase engagement from the right audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Outline your USPs and benefits.<\/strong> Don\u2019t be sales-y, but don\u2019t shy away from showing your potential to possible customers.<\/li>
- Reference your usual email marketing content. <\/strong>A welcome email (or emails) is a chance to pitch yourself, but it should also ease their way into your regular content. Make sure you set expectations about your publishing schedule and content efforts.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you want more tips on how to power-up your email marketing, give this walkthrough<\/a> a read. Now for the dilemma – which format is better to help you achieve these goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Single Welcome Email<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A single welcome email is pretty intuitive – it\u2019s just one message of you saying hello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Less spammy than a sequence<\/li>
- You don\u2019t run the risk of your messages being filtered<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Drawbacks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Your email may be lost in the crowd<\/li>
- Less space to make a good first impression<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Single welcome emails are better than a sequence in a few scenarios:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- You target busy people.<\/strong> Yes, we\u2019re all busy, but if your target audience usually has a decision-making position, is a business owner or has a \u201clack of time\u201d as an identifier, a single welcome email might increase retention.<\/li>
- You\u2019re just starting out.<\/strong> What you should avoid most in welcome emails is fluff – aim to add real value and delight your audience. If you\u2019re just starting your business, chances are you can\u2019t justify three emails because you can\u2019t link back to that many podcasts, blog posts or products.<\/li>
- Your niche can be perceived as spammy.<\/strong> As sad as that may be, self-help, personal development, and the business niches are sometimes seen as spammy. Go for a single welcome email and you might come across as more down to earth than your competitors.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
A proper analysis of your audience, position in the market and USPs will reveal more reasons to go either way. If you\u2019re sure this is the way to go, don\u2019t just start writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First of all, keep it short and sweet. If you go over 200 words, there\u2019s a big chance people will open your email, but don\u2019t go all the way through. Do your best to add value and get the most important information across. Second, forget templates. You can browse through them to get inspired, but you\u2019ve got one shot at making a good first impression. Trust me, nothing sells better than authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome Sequence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"example](\"https:\/\/elasticemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Single-welcome-email-VS-welcome-sequence-4.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWelcome Sequences are like an email marketing campaign with the focus of introducing a new lead to your business. They can be spread over a few hours or a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- More room to outline your email<\/li>
- Higher chance for your leads to notice the message<\/li>
- Possibility for a reader to get inspired by a message that struck the right chord<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Drawbacks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Your emails may appear as spammy <\/li>
- Emails may get filtered under \u201cPromotions\u201d or \u201cSpam\u201d folders and never be seen by a lead.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Welcome Sequences can help in some cases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- You sell high-value products.<\/strong> This usually requires a lot of lead nurturing, so trying out several messages should be your default from the get-go.<\/li>
- You serve different market segments.<\/strong> If you\u2019re selling a podcasting course, a YouTube marketing course and a book on digital media – all of them with their own content and lead magnets, sequence emails could help. Consider sending topical welcome emails, each exploring a different service you offer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Consider the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First of all, only send several welcome emails when you know for sure that you have valuable information to provide for each of them. You\u2019re making first impressions, so you don\u2019t want to waste your audience\u2019s time. Second, spread them out. It\u2019s up to you to decide the timetable, but a day or two in between the emails should help increase retention. Third, consider going in-depth about something. Don’t get scared to expand on the subject and send a follow-up email with more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Single Welcome Email vs Welcome Sequence – which should you choose?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no universal answer, but you should consider the following when making a choice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your audience. <\/strong>Making educated guesses about your audience\u2019s behavior can shed some light on the issue. If their inbox is always cluttered or if lack of time is among their common traits, a single welcome email might increase retention. If they\u2019re not natural online shoppers or if they require extensive research before buying, a welcome sequence might work better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- You serve different market segments.<\/strong> If you\u2019re selling a podcasting course, a YouTube marketing course and a book on digital media – all of them with their own content and lead magnets, sequence emails could help. Consider sending topical welcome emails, each exploring a different service you offer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- You sell high-value products.<\/strong> This usually requires a lot of lead nurturing, so trying out several messages should be your default from the get-go.<\/li>
- You\u2019re just starting out.<\/strong> What you should avoid most in welcome emails is fluff – aim to add real value and delight your audience. If you\u2019re just starting your business, chances are you can\u2019t justify three emails because you can\u2019t link back to that many podcasts, blog posts or products.<\/li>
- You target busy people.<\/strong> Yes, we\u2019re all busy, but if your target audience usually has a decision-making position, is a business owner or has a \u201clack of time\u201d as an identifier, a single welcome email might increase retention.<\/li>
- Reference your usual email marketing content. <\/strong>A welcome email (or emails) is a chance to pitch yourself, but it should also ease their way into your regular content. Make sure you set expectations about your publishing schedule and content efforts.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Use a consistent tone.<\/strong> It doesn\u2019t matter if you write like this:<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n