How to Write An Email Welcome Sequence that Converts 

When you start seeing a steady stream of sign-ups for your email list, it means your lead magnets are resonating with your audience and you’re well on your way to making money with email marketing – whoo hoo!  🙌

Making it this far is a HUGE, HUGE DEAL.

But what’s next?  You might wonder:

• “Should I just start sending random emails?”
• “Do I send emails right away, or should I wait?”
• “What kind of emails do I send?”
• “How do I actually make sales?”

We’re going to answer all of these questions in this post, but here’s what you need to know right now:

A single welcome email (e.g., “Thanks for subscribing! Here’s your freebie.”) ain’t gonna cut it. That is, if you want to eventually make sales with email.

In order to build trust and get your subscribers feeling confident about reaching for their wallets, you need a series of welcome emails — otherwise known as an email welcome sequence.

With a welcome sequence you can take your subscribers on a journey that positions your brand and guides them toward a sale. 

We’re going to share everything you need to do just that, but first, be sure to take a copy of our FREE Welcome Sequence Cheat Sheet with you 👇

Let’s start with the basics… 

What is an Email Welcome Sequence? 

A welcome sequence is a series of emails that get sent out automatically after someone opts-in to your list. 

It generally consists of 3-6 emails sent over 5-7 days after the initial sign-up that warm your audience up to your brand so when the time is right, you can call them to action (buy now, book a discovery call, etc.). 

If you don’t have a product or service to pitch, your sequence will be on the shorter side. If you do, it’ll be on the longer side. 

Either way, automation is the key to driving engagement. Email providers like ConvertKit or MailerLite allow you to set up emails in advance so they go out automatically based on a “trigger” you specify.  In the case of a welcome sequence, someone subscribing is the trigger and the automation will immediately send them a welcome email and deliver the freebie. 

Subsequent emails can then go out on a schedule you define in advance, making sure your new subscribers receive a warm welcome experience without you having to manually send each email.

According to Cheetah Digital, “… sending an immediate welcome email increases open rates by 78%, doubles click rates, and generates transaction rates and revenue per email that are 12 times higher than sending welcome emails at a later time.”

In other words, timing is everything.

An effective welcome sequence also requires a bit of strategy – you don’t want to just load up a bunch of willy-nilly random emails. 

The emails in your welcome email series should work together to introduce your brand, deliver value, build trust, overcome obstacles, and position yours as the best solution – so by the time you introduce your paid offer, they’ll be ready and eager to move forward. 

We’ll go over exactly what those emails are and what goes in them in more detail in just a sec, but first, let’s address a super common question…

I Don’t Have a Big List Yet. Do I Still Need to Bother with a Welcome Sequence? 

No matter how big your list is right now, you definitely need a welcome sequence. Even if there’s just one person on your list, it’s time, because more subscribers are coming.

Think of it this way…

Every new subscriber is an opportunity to create a customer, but they’re going to be most engaged in the first few days after signing up. A welcome sequence capitalizes on your new subscriber’s initial enthusiasm and keeps the party going.

In fact, research shows that welcome emails have 4x the open rate of other marketing emails with a conversion rate that’s 23x higher, which means…

Even if your list is tiny right now, you want to have a welcome sequence set up to capture every opportunity.

The Goal of a Welcome Sequence 

A welcome sequence is sometimes called a nurturing email sequence because the goal is to take them from internet strangers and turn them into engaged subscribers by meeting them where they are at different stages of awareness. 

Allow me to explain… 

Each email in your welcome sequence has a purpose, and they work together to provide your subscriber with the things they need to know before taking the next step with you or making a purchase: 

• Introduce Your Brand:  (Awareness) Connect with them on a human level and demonstrate how you can help them
• Deliver Value & Build Trust: (Awareness) Provide helpful educational tips, insights, and strategies to build trust and credibility in your areas of expertise
• Break Down Barriers: (Consideration) Address obstacles and limiting beliefs that may be standing in their way of finding a solution
• Position You as the Best Choice: (Consideration) Give them the reasons why your solution is better than other options they may be considering 
• Convert Subscribers: (Decision) Inspire your subscribers to take action whether it’s making a purchase, booking a discovery call, or engaging further with you in some way.

How Many Welcome Sequences Do You Need? 

The number of welcome sequences you need depends on several factors, including:

• The number of products and services you sell: If you offer a variety of products or services, you may need separate welcome sequences for each one. This allows you to tailor the content to the specific needs and interests of each segment of your audience. 
• The number of freebies you have: Do you have different lead magnets for different products/services or content pillars? If so, you’ll want to create a welcome sequence specific to each area of interest. 

If you have one freebie, start with one sequence. If you create another freebie related to a different product, service, or topic, create an additional welcome sequence. There’s no limit to the number of welcome sequences you can create, but you definitely need at least one! 

How Do Welcome Sequences Fit into Your Larger Email Marketing Strategy? 

Before we move into the nitty-gritty details of your welcome sequence, let’s zoom out to the big picture and take a look at where it fits in your larger email marketing strategy, because this is a key point:

👉Your welcome sequence is not only your chance to make a positive first impression, it sets the stage for long-term success with your entire email marketing program.

Automated Welcome Sequences ~ The Foundation 

Think of your welcome sequence as the cornerstone of your email marketing strategy. Just like a building, a strong foundation is crucial for everything else to function effectively. 

Your welcome sequence is the introduction to their experience of being your subscriber and determines whether they’ll keep engaging with you and considering your offers. 

While making sales may be an important objective of a welcome sequence for you, remember that a large percentage of your audience will linger in the “consideration” stage and will need more nurturing to feel confident buying something from you after the welcome sequence is completed. 

Because your welcome sequence is automated (“hands free!”), once that’s set up, you’ll want to layer on: 

Broadcast Emails ~ Engagement-Boosters 

These are single emails you send out to your list regularly to stay top-of-mind and nurture your audience ongoingly. Sometimes called “email blasts” or “default emails,” they cover a mix of content including: 

• Company announcements & product updates
• Industry news 
• Inspirational content
• Stories to connect on a human level
• Questions to spark engagement or gather audience feedback
• Educational tips
• Links to content (blog posts, YouTube videos, podcasts) 
• “Soft-sell”emails (information about your offers)
• And so on  

Even after nurturing your leads through the welcome sequence and keeping them engaged with broadcast emails, you may still need to nudge your subscribers to convert. 

That’s where email promotions come in!  

Email Promotions ~ Sales-Boosters

These are sales-focused campaigns that run for a limited number of days and focus on promoting a special offer for a limited-time. The purpose is for you to generate sales from your list and that’s it.  

If that sounds awesome, it is! 

A huge percentage of our revenue comes from email promotions, but here’s the truth – they don’t work in isolation. Nobody subscribes to an email list just to get a flurry of sales pitches. 

If your subscribers are not already warmed up to your brand through nurturing value emails, the chances they’ll even open your emails nevertheless convert from a sales pitch are slim. 

👉Sales emails leverage the groundwork laid by the welcome sequence and broadcast emails.

These three types of emails work together to create a strong core email marketing program for any small business: Email sequences, broadcast emails, and email promotions. 

Moral of the story: start with the welcome sequence, but don’t stop there! 

• Recommended Reading: The Beginner’s Guide to Email Promotions
• Check out: Monetize Your List Promo Builder

Now that we have a clearer picture of how important your welcome sequences are, let’s get into more detail about what you need to include in your series. 

Types of Emails to Include In Your Welcome Sequence

By now you know that welcome sequences have the power to turn new subscribers into fans and paying customers, but the key is in the emails you include and the order you send them.

By addressing their questions and concerns at each stage of the buyer’s journey, you build your “know, like, and trust” factor and generate the good feelings that lead to sales. 

Here’s a breakdown of the emails you need and why you need them: 

1. Welcome (Freebie Delivery):

The first email delivers the freebie you promised when they subscribed. This is your chance to make a great first impression and set the tone for future emails, so you want to:

• Thank them for subscribing
• Personalize the message using their name (your email marketing platform should have an option for you to do this)
• Let them know what to expect as your subscriber (frequency, types of emails to expect, etc.)
• Briefly explain how the freebie will benefit them and encourage them to actually use the freebie. Remember that this is your opportunity to demonstrate to them that you deliver on your promises of value. 

2. Connect & Tell Your Story:

The second email should focus on your story. Here, you want to show off your personality and relate as a human. Focus on the “why” behind your brand and the impact you’re here to make for your audience. 

Take a story about you and relate it to them. Think about…

• A relatable anecdote about the origin of your brand
• A challenge you overcame to inspire them
• How you solved a problem that they’re still struggling with
  

3. Educate & Provide Value: 

Next you want to showcase your expertise by delivering high-quality, educational content.

This could come in the form of:

• Tips & Strategies: You don’t need to solve all their problems here,  just focus on one small question they have or frustration they’re dealing with and give them a “quick win”
• Blog posts/videos: Share a popular blog post or video that’s relevant to their interests
• Free resources: Send them another freebie or list of resources that will help them move forward.

👉 Note: You can end your welcome sequence here or add another educate email if you don’t want to pitch a product or service at the end of the series. The remaining emails in this sequence will move your subscriber from “brand awareness” into the “consideration phase” of the buyer’s journey and culminate with a pitch for a product or service .

4. Break Down Barriers – Overcome Obstacles, Objections, & Limiting Beliefs

Here, you want to anticipate common customer concerns or doubts that relate to your product or service and address them head-on. 

Here, you can: 

• Bust myths or misconceptions they may have 
• Help them reframe limiting beliefs standing in their way of their goals
• Show them the steps for overcoming a common struggle or stuck point 

5. Position – Give Them the Reasons Why You’re The Best Choice

Now that you’ve built rapport and established trust, it’s time to subtly position your offering. Clearly communicate the unique value proposition of your product or service and explain how it solves their specific problems.

Here are a few ways to do that:

• Give them a “behind the scenes” look at how you developed your unique process or product
• Share the story of how you achieved success for you or a client
• Explain what it “really” takes to get their desired outcome
• Compare your solution to a competitor’s solution they may be considering to help them decide that yours is the right one for them

👉Pro-tip: Remember to keep your emails concise. If you’re covering a big topic,  linking to a dedicated blog post that goes into more detail is good practice.  

6. Convert: Call Them to Action

You’ve successfully taken your new subscriber on an amazing tour of your brand so far, so it’s time to conclude your welcome sequence with a sales pitch and invite them to take the next step – buy/enroll/book your services, etc. 

Make sure it’s presented as a natural solution to their needs, not a forceful sales message. You’re letting them know that you can help them even further and telling them exactly how to go about it.

Be sure to include a strong call to action (CTA) that has visual contrast so it’s impossible to miss. 

Optional: If you have a limited time offer, you can also send an additional “close cart” email a few hours before the offer expires on the last day of your sequence. 

Let’s put this all together now.… 

Welcome Sequence Example Schedule 

✉️ #1 Freebie Delivery (Deliver Immediately)

✉️ #2 Your Story (Day 2) 

✉️ #3 The Educate Email (Day 3)

👉 If you aren’t pitching a product or service, you can end your sequence here or add another educate email on day 4. 

✉️ #4 The Break Down Barriers Email (Deliver on Day 4)

✉️ #5  Position (Deliver on day 5)

✉️ #6 Convert (Deliver on Day 6) 

✉️Optional “last call” email set a few hours before your offer expires if you have a limited time offer 

Curious about the delivery schedule? I got you covered…

When to Send Each Email In Your Welcome Sequence?

While the “sweet spot” pace of your sequence can vary by industry, we recommend sending 3-6 emails within 5-7 days during the period when your new subscriber is most engaged.

You might send two emails on the first day to leverage their initial excitement (freebie delivery + a personal story email sent a few hours later) and then space them out 1x per day from there.

Bottom line: it’s flexible. You can space them out a bit more if you want to, but you don’t want to spread them out too much because you want to help people when their problem is top-of-mind before they get distracted with other things.

Don’t worry, you won’t be bombarding them! This initial burst keeps your brand fresh in their mind when their interest is highest. You’re building momentum and guiding them naturally toward becoming an engaged subscriber and eventually, a customer.

Now that you can see what you need to include in the sequence, let’s take a peek inside the content of the actual emails… 

The Anatomy of a Captivating Email

Each email in your sequence should follow a structure to instantly get your audience’s attention and guide them toward a desired action.

A winning email includes:

#1: A Captivating Subject Line

The subject line determines whether somebody opens your email in the first place, so make it count! Focus on the benefit your subscriber will receive by opening the email, spark curiosity, and keep it short and sweet (aim for 50 characters or less to avoid being cut off in inboxes).

EXAMPLE: Are you making this social media mistake, [name]?

#2: The Ice Breaker or “Hook“

The first couple of lines of your email will determine whether they’ll take the time to read the rest, so you want to grab their attention instantly by making them super relevant to them.

Think about their goals, desires, pain points, frustrations, and limiting beliefs. What do they want? What’s standing in their way of getting it? Relate to them on an emotional level here and show them that you really “get” how they’re feeling right now.

EXAMPLE:

Hi [name]!

Did you know the average small business owner spends over 2 hours per day on social media? That’s over 650 hours a year!

As a busy entrepreneur, you probably already feel like you never have enough time to focus on what matters most to you, and that can easily lead to burn out. 

So the question is, are you spending your time on social media wisely?

#3: Transition

Now you want to let them know that you’re someone who can help them. What makes you qualified? What relevant experiences do you have? This doesn’t have to be a huge deal, just one or two lines is fine. You’re just answering the question, “Why should they listen to what I have to say about this?”

EXAMPLE:

Over the last four years, I’ve helped hundreds of small business owners ditch the scroll and use social media more strategically in a fraction of the time.

#4: Body

Here, you deliver the solution. It can be inspiration, strategies, tips, a story they can learn from or a description of your offer and its benefits to them. 

EXAMPLE: 

That’s why today we’re sharing our brand new free guide packed with our best hacks to maximize your social media impact in minimal time. ⏱️

You’ll learn how to plan killer content, schedule posts like a pro, and free up hours to focus on what matters most – growing your business!

#5: Call to Action (CTA)

Finally, you’ll wrap up your email by telling them exactly what you want them to do next and it should start with a verb: read a post, watch a video, download something, sign up, fill out a survey, buy now, book a call, or simply “hit reply.”

The idea is that at the end of your email, you don’t want to just leave them hanging, you want to keep them engaging with you – and they need you to tell them what you want them to do!

EXAMPLE:

Ready to stop wasting time and start winning with social media? Click the link below to get your hands on: “Social Media in Minutes” [link to guide]. 

To your success,
[Your Name]

Pro-tip: Pay attention to your click-through rates to get a sense of what types of calls to action work best for your audience. 

Email Copywriting Tips 

Alright, you’ve got the email structure down, now let’s talk how to write killer email copy that will keep your audience engaged from the very first line all the way to the “P.S.”: 

Speak directly to “your person”: Imagine you’re talking with one person in your audience as if they’re a dear friend and you’re offering them advice. Visualize what they’re struggling with, what they’re trying to do, and how you can help them. Then speak directly to them.

Skip the industry jargon: Speak their language and make it easy to read and understand.

Keep it conversational in tone: Write as if you’re having a friendly conversation. Avoid overly formal language and inject a bit of your personality.

Focus on the transformation: Don’t just tell them what’s included in your product or service – describe what life will look like after they’ve worked with you/used your product.

Make it easily scannable: Break up large blocks of text with bullet points, subheads, short paragraphs, and even visuals and humorous animated .gifs. Make it easy for them to skim.

Get them curious: Pose questions that pique their interest and encourage them to keep reading.

Use “bucket brigades”: A bucket brigade refers to words and phrases that break up your copy for the purpose of keeping readers engaged. 

Let me give you an example…

The line above is an example. 😉 

Strong calls to action: Use clear and concise language that tells your subscribers exactly what you want them to do and make it easy for them to see the benefits of doing it.  Make your CTA links or buttons stand out visually with plenty of contrast.

Proofread and edit: Typos and grammatical errors scream unprofessionalism. Take the time to ensure your emails are polished and error-free. Send a preview to a friend or colleague if you can to put a fresh set of eyes on it or run it through ChatGPT and ask it to check for typos or grammatical errors.

Keep it short & sweet (usually): People are busy, so try to get your message across concisely. Sometimes longer emails are needed and that’s okay, just be sure you’re focused on one topic per email and not rambling all over the place.

Break up long text up with subheads, visuals, bullet points, etc. to keep it easily scannable. A big wall of text can feel like homework and nobody likes homework.

Infuse your personality: Let your brand voice shine through! Be friendly, conversational, and inject a little humor if it fits your style.

Ready to Set up Your Welcome Sequence?

Alright friends, we’ve unpacked the power of welcome sequences –  your secret weapon for nurturing your relationship with your audience and making a lasting impression that will ultimately convert them into customers.

By rocking the tips in this post, you’ll be able to create welcome email sequences that give new subscribers a chance to get to know you and feel confident about making a purchase decision.

Remember, welcome sequences set the tone for a long-term connection. By providing a warm welcome, valuable content, and a clear path forward, you’ll be laying the groundwork for a loyal customer base in the long run. 

If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments! But before you go, be sure to grab our High-Converting Welcome Sequence Cheat Sheet so you can implement these proven strategies and turn sign ups into sales! 👇