Welcome to the Team? So Glad to be Working With You? How do you write a converting welcoming email subject line? Although this may seem like an insignificant question, the way a business welcomes newcomers in their newsletter introduction email can set the tone for how their readers will view a business. The subject line directly affects your open rate so it’s important that it is optimized. So, below are different ways to write a perfect welcome subject line for your readers.
Pose a Question
Welcoming your subscribers by asking them a question may sound strange, but if done right, can be highly effective. Why? If you ask an intriguing question, people want the answer so they will open your email to find out. The challenge is deciding what to ask. To do so, work back from your customer’s challenges and why they signed up for your email.
If you are a furniture and design store, maybe they signed up for inspiration for interior designing. The answer to your question will need to give them inspiration or design advice and show them that you can give them what they need. Once you know what they need, you can write your question. A bedding company can ask, “What Does Heaven Feel Like?” and the answer should have something to do with their bedding!
Many companies ask questions wondering if someone is ready to start their journey with the company and this strategy can work for almost any industry. An activewear company could ask their customers, “Ready To Sweat In Style?” Asking questions is a great way to open the curiosity gap and engage people.
Use Emojis
Who doesn’t love emojis? Of course, there is a time and a place for them. Getting an email from your doctor with emojis in it would be pretty strange. But a welcome email from a makeup company with a lipstick emoji is fun! When people are scrolling through their inbox, subject lines all look the same, by including an emoji, your subject line will stand out visually. Using one in your welcome email is a great way to start things off on a friendly note since good usage of an emoji is sure to make anyone smile.
Offer Freebies
Many companies offer a discount code or freebie as an incentive to sign up for their newsletter. If you do that, make sure you deliver! Even if you do not offer a discount code as an inventive, surprise your customers by welcoming them with a gift. It does not have to be related to money and discounts, you can offer some kind of free resource. If you are surprising your subscribers with a gift, let them know you have a surprise! A welcome line for this topic could be “Surprise! Your Discount Code is Waiting” or, “Surprise! We’ve Got a Present For You!”
If your audience signed up expecting a code, welcome them by saying what they are getting and how they can use it. For example, a rollerskating company could say, “10% Off! Stop, Shop, and Roll!”
Welcome Your Email Subscribers to the Club
When someone signs up for your newsletter, they become an important part of your community. When someone is bouncing around on your website, they are a visitor and part of your audience. When they subscribe, they become a lead and you need to show them you care because you do. Let them know that they are a part of something special and personally welcome them in your welcome email subject line.
One way to make welcoming people onboard more exciting is to come up with nicknames or phrases. For example, Colibri’s team is called a charm because a group of hummingbirds is called a charm. Using a nickname like this in your subject line will stand out in someone’s inbox, open the curiosity gap, and hopefully make your subscriber smile.
Writing Email Subject Line Tips and Tricks
There is more to email marketing than just writing subject lines. In a welcome email, the subject line is extremely important because it set the tone for your email relationship with your subscriber. Subjects lines are not something to be looked over after your welcome email as they are what make your reader open your email and you only have a few characters to get them to open it. Below are Colibri’s top tips for email subject lines
Keep It Short
Keep your subject lines under 60 characters as this will ensure subscribers can read the whole line in their inbox before clicking.
Paint a Picture
A subject line that paints a picture your audience wants to see will entice them. That means that if you are a garden center and your newsletter is about the best plants to put by a pond, your subject line could be, “Decorate Your Pond With Ferns and Lilies” or, it could be “Lilies and Ferns: A Garden Monet Would Envy.”
A/B Test
A/B, or split testing, helps you learn what subject line your audience relates to. Let’s look at the example above and pretend you tested the subjects “Decorate Your Pond With Ferns and Lilies” and “Lilies and Ferns: A Garden Monet Would Envy.” If you find the second text option performed much better, going forward, model your subject lines after that one.
Takeaways
Welcoming people to your newsletter is important as it sets the tone for your relationship. When writing subject lines, whether they be for a welcome email or your regular newsletter, work backward from your audiences’ needs. Now that you know how to write the subject line, it’s time to write your content! Check out this blog to learn how to write your welcome content.
One thing to keep in mind is that if people feel they have been added to your email list without giving consent, they will be upset, and if they did not give consent, you may violate consumer privacy laws. Before you send a welcome email, you may want to send a subscription confirmation email.
Ready to email someone new? Reach out to Colibri or sign up for a complimentary digital strategy session below! We’ll make sure to send you a confirmation email.
