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Are you laying out the welcome mat for your email newsletter subscribers?
By Karen Skidmore | September 26, 2008
When someone signs up for your email newsletter, that first contact is so very important.
Just imagine you walk in to a new boutique that you have never seen before and the sales assistant behind the counter ignores you. Or even worse, the sales assistant jumps out from behind a pillar and starts to sell the most expensive suit in the shop to you.
A welcome email with the right tone is critical to your long term success in building a relationship with your new subscriber. Here are some top tips to include in your welcome email:
- First of all, never, never send out the standard welcome email that may come with your newsletter system. Make sure you go in and edit it. “Dear Valued Subscriber” is so naff!
- Start by saying thank you. They have made the first move by parting with their email address so respect this trust and thank them for it.
- Offer a free goodie. It can be a downloadable report, access to a audio recording or video. As long as the delivery can be automated and gives value, then your subscriber will be very happy.
- Avoid selling anything but do point people in the right direction. Showing people what their first step could be and directing them to your latest event page or most popular product is more than acceptable. But don’t go all “double-glazing” on them.
- Explain how your newsletter works. If you write one fortnightly, tell them. Build their expectations and they will know how many and what sort of emails to expect from you.
- Ask them a question. Personally this is one my favourites and I use this a lot. “What is the biggest challenge you face when …?” is a great way of starting a conversation. It will also help you understand your market place better as products that solve your subscribers challenges are going to sell better than those which don’t!
If you are still unsure how to phrase your welcome note, then start collecting welcome emails that arrive when you subscribe to newsletters. Why start from a blank screen when you have inspiration all around you.
Topics: Converting Subscribers to Paying Clients, Getting started with email newsletters |