In today's fast-paced digital world, the first impression your business makes on new contacts can be the difference between gaining a loyal customer and losing them to your competition. One of the most effective ways to make a lasting impression is an email drip campaign — specifically a well-crafted automated welcome email campaign.
Here, we'll explore:
- Why it’s important to automate welcome email campaigns for new contacts
- How a welcome email campaign can help leads connect with your business on a personal level
- How an email drip campaign can nurture a lead toward becoming a loyal customer
The significance of a first impression
The old saying “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” holds true in the world of marketing. When a new contact joins your email list or subscribes to an introductory offer, their initial interaction with your brand sets the tone for their entire customer journey.
Imagine this scenario: You've successfully attracted a new contact through your marketing efforts. Their email address is now in your contact list, and you're eager to make a lasting impression. This moment, when a potential customer has just shown interest in your business, is when they are at the peak of engagement. You're excited, and so are they.
However, many businesses miss the mark by not capitalizing on this crucial moment. They may send a generic thank-you message or simply add the contact to their mailing list. But this is where an automated welcome email campaign can make all the difference.
What is a welcome email campaign?
A welcome email campaign is a well-thought-out series of emails that are triggered and sent immediately to brand new contacts, right after they've engaged with your business in some way — such as signing up for a newsletter or downloading a lead magnet. This series typically consists of two to five emails delivered over a span of five to 10 days.
The primary objective of a welcome email campaign is to create a personal connection with your new contacts, humanizing your business and making them feel valued from the very beginning. It's an opportunity to establish trust, reinforce the benefits of engaging with your brand, and lay the foundation for a long-term relationship.
Step-by-step guide to a welcome email campaign
1. Welcome them, thank them, and restate the benefits of engaging with you
The first email in your welcome campaign should reflect your unique brand voice and make the contact feel good about their decision to engage. Welcome your new contact, thank them for their interest, and restate the benefits of being part of your community. Set clear expectations for how you will communicate with them and how often they can expect to hear from you. Encourage them to save your contact, create a folder, or mark your messages as important, which will improve your email deliverability over time.
2. Introduce your brand and team
In the next emails, take the opportunity to introduce your brand and the people behind it. Share your brand's personality, values, mission and voice. This is where you can humanize your business and connect with your audience on an emotional level. People want to do business with people, and your target audience will identify with you on an emotional level when they understand who you are.
3. Showcase your best content
Use your welcome email campaign to show off your best content pieces, whether they're blogs, podcasts, videos or courses. Highlight your most popular content and guide your new contacts to different channels where they can find you. This demonstrates the depth and breadth of your offerings, showcasing your expertise and providing value right from the start.
4. Prescribe next steps and spark anticipation
In the final emails of your welcome campaign, guide your new contacts on the next steps to take. If they subscribed to your newsletter, is listening to your podcast the next logical step? Is it following you on social media? Is it signing up for a free download? How can you make the next step feel logical, clear and easy?
Be direct and specific with your call to action and don’t discourage them from taking the next step by giving them too many options. A general best practice is to include one call to action per email, two at the most. Tease upcoming content or offers they should keep an eye out for to create anticipation and excitement. Start a conversation by asking open-ended questions that invite them to share their thoughts and preferences.
Simplicity is key
Don't let the idea of a welcome email campaign overwhelm you. It doesn't have to be overly complex. If you only have enough content for two emails, it's better than completely missing the opportunity to make your contact feel valued and invited to engage further.
The purpose of a welcome email campaign is to create a bond and train your contacts to engage with your brand, focusing on adding value rather than immediately asking for a sale, review or referral. You can always add to the campaign as you develop more content to share.
More benefits and next steps
Always include a clear call to action in your emails, and track your contacts’ behavior. When they click a link or interact with your content, tag them to get more granular with your segmentation. This allows you to better understand your contacts, identify their interests, and create more personalized content.
When you're ready, use the data you've collected to create personalized nurture email campaigns. Send contacts to campaigns based on their behavior, interests and engagement level. This approach reduces noise and ensures you're only sending them content that aligns with their preferences.
The importance of an automated welcome email campaign can’t be overstated. This is your prime opportunity to establish a connection with new contacts at the peak of their engagement. Ready to see how automating your email drip campaigns can grow your business without growing your team’s to-do lists? Check out how Keap can help you get started.
About the author
Sarah is an Instructional Designer on the Keap Academy team. She’s an expert in marketing automation and loves to share her expertise with small businesses through training and events. Sarah is an Arizona native who currently lives and works in Denver, CO.
