Did you know that 74% of new subscribers expect to receive a welcome email.?

Welcome emails present a huge opportunity to grab the attention of your audience. They have 86% higher open rates than other marketing emails. This blog aims to show you why they are a must for your business.

This month we delved into the world wide web’s back catalogue of welcome emails to show you the very best of the best. We look at the variations between service, experience and product-based offerings and sum up what really works well when creating a perfect welcome email for your business…

Uber Eats (Service)

With service-based emails, the priority is getting your customers to experience your service, so consider how you would be able to achieve this where possible.

Uber Eats recognise this and encourage such interactions by offering a welcome email discount. This is useful as it inspires new customers to act. By acting and experiencing what you have to offer, they are more likely to trust your brand and return in the future. Exactly what you want!

Air BnB (Experience)

For a great majority of businesses, the experience is what matters to customers the most. From the very first sentence, Airbnb capture what it is they do, “from houses to igloos” you know you are in for an experience alright!

An “experience” is always personal, individual, and unique. Airbnb have helped recognise these sentiments by including the opportunity to “customise” guests’ profile with a photo of themselves. The underlying message that this sends to their customers is that they care about them as an individual, and that the relationship with their host will be a personal one. Try this with your customers.

For larger ticket items such as experiences, people really need to know their money, information and experience will be a secure one. Airbnb conjure a sense of security by asking customers to verify their information and “build trust in the Airbnb community”. Have you think about whether feelings of security can be created within your welcome email too.

Airbnb want to create a feeling of adventure for their customers. They want to advertise that their customer’s experience will be one that is unique, full of connection and exploration. They achieve just that feeling, in their summarising icon and text “Start exploring”. Although it is short and sweet, it says a lot.

As well as emoting a certain feeling in their audiences, the phraseology used here also encourages their audience to act! It tells them exactly what they want them to do – get looking on their website (and booking!)

Birchbox (Product)

We think Birchbox have mastered the welcome email perfectly and so, have completed a guided example for you to gain deeper insight and hopefully take inspiration from when creating your next email!

1. Just as they would in person, Birchbox welcome their customers with a friendly “Nice to meet you”. Don’t underestimate a friendly tone within your welcome email. You want your audience to be at ease from the get-go. Birchbox utilises something called the “know, like, trust” factor” here. If you don’t know what this is, google it now and thank us later!
2. “Couldn’t be more excited” – they extend the friendly tone here, personal remarks such as these encourage positive feelings between service and user.
3. “On your discovery adventure” – Using nouns Birchbox create the “spirit” they want their customers to feel. In this case a sense of “adventure”, this suggests to audiences that their time with Birchbox will be one where they uncover and explore new things.
4. Welcome emails as a general rule, ought to be short and sweet. Birchbox have elicited that there is more for their customers to know, by clarifying the contents of their email as just ‘the basics’. This acts to tease customers to learn more and explore elsewhere.
5. Welcome emails help set expectations. Here Birchbox breaks down their offering into three key stages: Try, Learn and Buy. This details to their customers the steps they can take alongside this brand.
6. Birchbox keep their copy succinct. Misleading or confusing text can be really damaging to someone’s opinion of a brand. Less is more.
7. Birchbox recognise that welcome emails are an ideal place to slip new subscribers something special. Customers need to know businesses care and touches (like this exclusive offering) illustrates just that.

 Welcome emails, when done right, can establish your brand in an extremely positive light. With their high open rate, welcome emails have the opportunity to build the foundations of a strong customer relationship. With that in mind, we strongly suggest you follow our examples to take inspiration from and get creating!