by Cyndie Shaffstall
Welcome (to our list) email performance has increased 253% since 2011*, putting these critical messages by some calculations in the lead for reader engagement — yet some of us still aren’t sending them. Here are a few suggestions for making great strides with your campaign’s baby steps.
I’m certain I don’t need to spend a lot of time on this topic, but lest it go unsaid, your welcome email should only be sent to someone who took the first step in establishing a relationship with your company. I have received welcome emails for lists to which I did not subscribe, but this practice is risky and veritably begs the recipient to click the spam button. Don’t treat people like cattle — people are not so dense they forget whether or not they have subscribed to your publication and sending welcome messages — or any message for that matter — to those who do not know you could permanently damage your sender reputation.
To ensure you’re doing all you can to get that opt-in, take a closer look at your subscriber landing page and other content you use to encourage subscriptions. Ensure that you are:
Like all messages in your blast, drip, and nurture campaigns, welcome messages should be professionally designed and expertly delivered. Don’t waste this once-in-a-relationship opportunity with poor execution. Consider these ten tips for a sound approach:
*The Direct Marketing Association (UK) National Client Email Report 2013 > 2.13 Performance of different types of email message.