A Little "Welcome" Goes A Long Way

A ‘Welcome’ email is a prime marketing opportunity many are missing. Your audience found you and is interested in hearing from you. The small effort of sending an appropriate welcome email can have a huge impact.

Jordan Ayan of MediaPost recently wrote an article detailing the results of two studies which showed that few companies take advantage of the welcome message opportunity. The article, “Missing The Chance To Say ‘You’re Welcome’”, stated that a ReturnPath study found that 60% of brands surveyed failed to send welcome messages. A MediaPost study surveyed email marketers, “40% of whom readily admitted to not sending a welcome message when a new subscriber signed up for their email program.” These are astonishing numbers considering the simplicity of the act.

“Missing The Chance” goes on to say that of those who do send welcome messages, many are not well written and are often too brief. Some aspects that make for a good welcome message, according to the article, include:

• It should thank the recipient for providing the required information. It should also reinforce the value of your emails, reminding them what to expect in terms of frequency and any other information that reinforces relevancy to the recipient.

• It should include the information recipients need to add you to their white or "favorites" list, including the "from" address for your message.

• It should reinforce the value you place on the relationship and reinforce your privacy commitment, including a link to your privacy statement. If you don't plan to share their email address - restate that fact clearly.

• A little something special. The subscriber has expressed a high-level of interest, so this is the time to offer something extra as a thank-you: a coupon, a percentage off, free shipping, a bonus download of a white paper or a free webinar. Just let subscribers know that you appreciate the fact that they supplied their email address, and the trust they are placing in you by signing up for your message. You can test offers to see which ones are most effective.

• If you use a double opt-in process, you have an opportunity to double-dip. The initial confirmation message can include a promotional message. This should be muted from whatever you would send in your welcome message once they confirm.

• The issue of timeliness: A welcome message should appear in the subscriber's inbox within minutes of when they sign up. Wait too long, and recipients may forget who you are or why they subscribed.

A separate, independent study done by Linda Bustos evaluated the welcome emails she received after signing up for a number of various accounts. Of 89 accounts registered, she received 33 welcome emails within 24 hours. Listed below are some of the recurring aspects of these emails.

• 88% used branding in the headline
• 66% used the words “Thank You” in the headline or body
• 61% used the word “Welcome” in the headline or body
• 52% included multiple links back to the site
• 52% included login details
• 42% used HTML layout
• 33% provided link to privacy statement
• 9% provided unsubscribe options

These guidelines and statistics are the tip of the iceberg, but the major point is that a simple welcome message can go a long way and is a crucial opportunity to reach out to your audience.