6 Questions Your Welcome Email Should Answer (By a Guy Who Gets Paid to Write Emails)
Your Welcome Email is a big deal.
Because a reader's first impression of your company will stick with them for a while.
A good Welcome Email is your chance to say:
"Hey Reader, the fact that you gave me your email address is a big deal. And I respect that. So I'm only going to send you good stuff, starting right now."
It's easy to overcomplicate this, but here's how to make it easy on yourself (and your reader):
Structure your Welcome Email around 6 simple questions.
Do that, and you'll end up with a damn good Welcome Email.
Here are the 6 Questions Your Welcome Email Should Answer
Readers keep reading because they have unanswered questions.
There's a question in their mind that hasn't been answered yet. And they want to find out that answer. So they continue reading.
But this is a delicate balance.
Because unanswered questions get someone to keep reading (this is why curiosity is such a powerful copywriting tool)...
But by the time they're done reading, you should have answered all of their questions...
Or you're gonna create some frustrated subscribers.
That's why I've identified these six questions you should answer in your Welcome Email.
Most of them are here to keep your reader happy. But questions 4 and 5 keep them engaged (in your Welcome Email and your future emails too).
1. "Who are you?"
If someone has just given you their email address, they're not used to seeing your name in their inbox. It's an unknown.
So, when you show up to the party, announce yourself clearly.
There are 2 checkboxes you can hit here:
First, your contact name.
A lot of people use their full name as their email contact name. And that's fine. (It's what I do.)
But another thing to consider is using a format like:
"[YOUR NAME] @ [YOUR BUSINESS]."
So mine would be:
"Robert @ RL Copy."
This is helpful because it immediately reminds the reader where they know you from. There's no confusion of:
"Who the heck is this Robert Lucas guy?"
Second, your email intro.
Just introduce yourself.
"Hey [NAME],
Robert here."
That's all you have to do.
You COULD add a little context here too. Here's a good example:
"Hey [NAME],
Robert (from RL Copy) here."
And another:
"Hey [NAME],
It's Robert from RL Copy."
Bottom line:
Keep it simple here. Don't get too quirky yet. (You can do that later.)
You've just met this person. So your goal is to prove you're a normal, trustworthy person who does what you say you'll do.
2. "Where is my thing?"
If you're like pretty much everyone else in the marketing world (myself included)...
You've promised someone a free resource in exchange for their email address.
i.e., a lead magnet.
Your Welcome Email is where you deliver that lead magnet.
No need to overcomplicate this. Simplicity wins.
"Hey [NAME],
Here's that thing you wanted"
...works great.
I repeat:
DO NOT make this complicated. Just give them the link.
And in my opinion, you shouldn't try to get anything else from them right now. You got their email address. You've won. Don't get greedy.
Give them what you promised, because your goal now is to earn their trust.
3. "Why is this important?"
This is where you can talk about yourself...
Just a little bit though.
Why is being on your email list important for your reader?
Why is the lead magnet they're receiving important?
They've made the decision to give you their email address. But let's be honest:
They're not completely sold yet. They barely know you!
This is your chance to reinforce their decision and show them WHY it was a good move.
Let's say you're delivering a free guide called "This is how you write a good email."
When you deliver that lead magnet, include a little bit of info about why it's important. (If you used bullets on your landing page, you could even include them here.)
"As a reminder, here are a few things you'll learn:
The 2 foundational elements of good subject lines (PLUS 3 examples of these foundational elements in action)
The “Trail of Beans” trick I use to write emails that keep readers engaged from beginning to end
How to inject personality into your emails with an incredibly simple “best friend” exercise
How to structure your email so people actually read it
One question you should ask yourself when you finish writing an email to make sure it has maximum impact"
You don't have to include bullets. And you don't have to sell too hard. But you should give your reader a little detail about WHY they've made a good choice.
They're going out on a limb here! Let them know it's safe. :)
4. "Who am I now?"
This is not a question your reader is consciously thinking about.
But it's one you should answer to increase the odds they'll read your emails in the future.
Here's why this question is important:
By taking action to download your lead magnet or sign up for your email list, your reader has drawn a line in the sand.
They've taken a step toward a new reality. They've inched toward becoming a new person.
What is that new reality?
Who are they now that they're a part of your tribe?
At this point, it would be easy to turn the focus on yourself:
"Here at XYZ, we're all about blah blah blah."
Don't do that. Keep the focus on them.
Spotify's 2019 Wrapped Campaign is a great example of this.
They could have said:
"Wow, don't you just LOVE us!?"
But they didn't. Instead, they said:
"WE'VE been so lucky to share this time with YOU." (Emphasis added)
Bottom line:
This isn't about you. It's about your reader.
They've taken a step forward by giving you their email address. Help them understand what that means.
Here's an example.
Let's say you're a sustainable clothing brand. You could include something like:
"This is a big move, [NAME].
You joining us today means you're tired of accepting the status quo of the fashion industry.
You've seen the damage fast fashion causes to the environment...
You understand the devastating effect it can have on local economies...
And you actually care about the poor families who produce the garments people wear every day.
[NAME], you're no longer part of the problem. You're part of the solution.
Welcome. :)"
That's not perfect. And I'm not sure those statements are facts, because I made that up on-the-fly. But you get the idea.
5. "What should I do next?"
This comes at the very end of the email.
You have your reader's attention. What will you do with it?
This is the perfect chance to get them to engage with your business a bit more. Ask them to send you a reply and let you know who they are.
Tell them to go read the free guide you sent.
Or encourage them to keep an eye on their inbox tomorrow, because you're going to send them something else they'll like.
That sort of thing.
At this point, your reader has dipped a metaphorical toe in the water. Now you're trying to get them to take a step toward the shallow end of the pool.
You don't need them to buy a product yet.
You don't need them to name their firstborn child after you.
But you should ask them to do something that helps them further understand the value of your brand.
6. "What should I expect?"
It's happened to all of us.
You sign up for someone's email list and you immediately get bombarded by sh*tty emails you don't care about.
Then, you unsubscribe and start thinking it's all over...
Until they show up in your inbox AGAIN the next day.
First, don't be a shitty marketer.
Make it easy to unsubscribe. (In fact, you should actually tell some people to unsubscribe. More on that in a minute.)
And second, tell people what to expect.
How often will you email them?
What types of emails will you send?
Will you try to sell them things?
In what cases should they unsubscribe? (Seriously. If you plan to email every day and they hate it every time an email shows up in their inbox...it's not gonna work out. You'll both be better if you move on.)
The clearer you are up-front, the happier you -- and your subscribers -- will be.
Here's a Welcome Email Example
Theory is great. Templates are great. Numbered lists are great.
But what does this actually look like in practice?
Here's an example:
"Hey [NAME],
Robert (from RL Copy) here.
Looks like you requested access to my ebook: This is how you write a good email.
Thanks! I'm excited for you. And I have good news:
Here's your free ebook. (Click here and it will download instantly.)*
As a reminder, here are a few things you'll learn:
The 2 foundational elements of good subject lines (PLUS 3 examples of these foundational elements in action)
The “Trail of Beans” trick I use to write emails that keep readers engaged from beginning to end
How to inject personality into your emails with an incredibly simple “best friend” exercise
How to structure your email so people actually read it
One question you should ask yourself when you finish writing an email to make sure it has maximum impact
Pretty cool right?
I think this guide will take you from...
"I'm not sure if this email is any good"
to...
"HOLY CRAP THIS EMAIL IS A BANGER...AND I WROTE IT MYSELF!"
If you're down for that...
Just click here to get your free guide.
I'm glad you're here.
Robert
P.S. So we're on the same page, I email my list at least once per week. Most of the time, I share helpful content. But I'll probably try to sell you something at some point. So if you're not cool with that, just click the unsubscribe button below. It won't hurt my feelings. Promise. :)"
* Not a real link
Now You Know How to Write a Welcome Email!
And if you want more email copywriting tips...
Click here to download my email copywriting guide, This is how your write a good email.
(You know, the one I've been referencing throughout this post.)
But if you're ready to rock...
Get out there and write your Welcome Email!