A NEW SUBSCRIBER OPTS IN to receive your newsletter. Great!
So you respond with a simple thank-you, right?
Not exactly. The right welcome message can — and should — do a whole lot more.
Here are some tips that will enable your organization to succeed in creating and maintaining an e-mail dialogue with valued customers and subscribers in the moments after they click the “subscribe” button.
- Remember to say “Thank you.”
As Bogart put it in “Casablanca,” “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” We all hope the initial e-mail message is the start of a long-term conversation with a subscriber, customer or prospect. Remember the old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”? Make sure you welcome subscribers to your mailings with open arms, using a concise introductory message that confirms who you are as well as their interests and preferences, assures their right to privacy, and reassures them that they can unsubscribe at any time.
Briefly highlight the content they can count on receiving over the coming weeks and set expectations for how often they'll get it. This is also a good time to build trust with subscribers. Reassure them that you will not share their personal information and provide a link to the corporate privacy policy.
- Dress your welcome letter for success
Get subscribers used to the look and feel of your e-mail newsletters. Borrow the same or similar graphics used in your current newsletter, literature, or logo. With minimal effort, the welcome message can build brand identity and ensure that future e-mails will be read.
You've taken the time and trouble to design and develop a beautiful newsletter that reinforces your brand image, so why send a plain text e-mail when welcoming new readers? Get them excited to receive the first issue, and offer a preview of what the newsletter will look like. With the flood of e-mail these days, anything you can do to build awareness helps get your message read.
- Give subscribers something special
Everyone likes to get special treatment, and when you're new to something it makes you feel even better about your decision. Try to offer subs unique items: an exclusive article or white paper they can download, or an extra “newcomers”' coupon. Whatever you choose, let readers know that, in your eyes, they're special for taking the time to give you their e-mail addresses.
- Make it easy for them to contact you
Don't bury the ‘Contact us’ or ‘Unsubscribe me’ links in tiny type at the end of the e-mail. This will just annoy someone who needs to reach you. Your readers' needs and interests are always changing, so reassure them that they can easily contact you, update their e-mail preferences or unsubscribe at any time — and provide an easy-to-find link where they can do so.
With a little extra care, you can make your welcome message a dynamic platform for action that makes subscribers feel connected and respected but also communicates a lot about your brand. If your e-mail newsletter is easy to work with, your organization may be easy to work with too.
- Design basics
Always choose a simple subject line that accurately reflects your message, whether it's “Welcome to XYZ Newsletter” or “Thank you for subscribing to XYZ News.”
Have a mechanism in place that sends your welcome message automatically and immediately after a subscriber signs up.
Keep the message brief, with as much important content “above the fold” as possible.
Remember, first impressions count. And while the medium may change, the quality must stay the same — whether in person, online, on paper, or in your welcome message.
Good luck!
JORDAN AYAN is chairman of technology consultancy Create-It! Inc. and CEO of e-mail service provider SubscriberMail, both in Lisle, IL.
