10 Examples of Winning Welcome Emails

by Caitlin Haines  There’s nothing quite like making a good first impression, is there? That’s exactly why business owners simp...

by Caitlin Haines 

There’s nothing quite like making a good first impression, is there?

That’s exactly why business owners simply can’t afford to sleep on their welcome emails.

Think about it. From getting off on the right foot to introducing your company’s personality, your welcome messages are arguably the most important of any marketing campaign. This is especially true when you consider that welcome emails boast four times the typical open rate and five times the click-through rate of other bulk messages according to Snaptactix.

Therein lies the challenge, though: you basically have one shot to make your welcome emails count.
No pressure, right?

How to Write Winning Welcome Emails

Thankfully, we’ve seen our fair share of welcome emails here at Sendlane. We know what works and doesn’t in terms of imagery, copy and calls-to-action and we’re going to share our insider insights with you.

Whether you have no idea where to start or can’t figure out why your welcome emails are 
underperforming, don’t fret. We’ve broken down ten amazing examples of winning welcome emails and how you can use the very same strategies in your own campaigns. Throughout this guide, you’ll also learn classic pitfalls of welcome emails and what not to do when it comes time to craft your own.

Now, let’s dive right in!

1. Sally Beauty – Start Things Off with a Smile

This welcome email from Sally Beauty does just about everything right, from sweetening their message with a deal to providing an introduction with a smile.

Literally.

For starters, the tone of this email is absolutely spot-on. The message’s headline (“The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship”) and body copy (“We’re so glad you’re here”) help to establish a personal connection rather than serve as a sales pitch.

The message also sets crystal clear expectations on the types of content that readers will receive, hopefully leading to no surprises and fewer unsubscribers as a result.

Perhaps the strongest element of this email is its accompanying coupon, though. This added bonus lets Sally put their money where their mouth is, letting readers know from the word “go” that they can equate their emails with great deals. Meanwhile, the subject line “$5 Off – Our Welcome Gift to You” reinforces the idea of a relationship while also appealing to readers who are hungry for discounts.

There’s obviously a lot going on with this message but it seems so simple on the surface, right? 
That’s the beauty of email marketing: a well-crafted email does so much without being too in-your-face about it. Sally’s welcome message, with its positive tone and timely deal, serves as a sort of template that any marketer could take advantage of.

2. Flywheel – Tapping into the Power of “Free”

Remember: your welcome emails are your one and only chance to make a strong first impression on your list. One of the best ways to start off on the right foot is by offering your list something totally for free. This bold welcome email from Flywheel does it right.

The subject line “This FREE Ebook has the Secret to Scaling Your Agency” not only establishes value but also creates curiosity. Power words like “free” and “secret” not only make readers feel like they’re getting a bargain, but also a totally exclusive message. This email scores serious style points for its bold imagery and color scheme which speak for themselves, too.

Using lead magnet and freebies such as e-books, reports and webinars, you ultimately show that you’re willing to provide something valuable to subscribers in exchange for their attention. If you look at email marketing as a conversation, you immediately start yours off with your list on a positive note. By following up with relevant messages over time, you can quickly turn those one-time downloaders into happy

3. Nintendo – Letting Your List Know What to Do Next

While “thank you’s” are certainly important, your welcome to readers should also strive to give your readers something to do. This message from Nintendo not only thanks new subscribers, but also clues them in on “what’s next.”


This email gives its readers a  ton of options on what to do next, including logging into their account, downloading apps and redeeming rewards points. Although sometimes it’s best to nail down a single CTA, Nintendo’s straightforward and easy-to-navigate design provides the reader with options without overwhelming them. 

From a design perspective, the email’s eye-popping red color scheme against a neutral background leads the reader through each tier of the message. Take notice of the copy, too: the body emphasizes you reader (“you”) versus making the email too brand-centric.

In short, Nintendo’s welcome message represents a sort of introduction to check out anything and everything the brand has to offer. You should likewise try to highlight benefits of staying in touch with your brand and provide your list with some sort of action to take in the process.

4. InVision – Not All “Welcomes” Are Created Equal

Keep in mind that not all welcome emails need to be an introduction to your brand. For example, what happens if somebody registers for a webinar or downloads a lead magnet from you but isn’t on your list? They might already be familiar with what you’re all about, but what message are you sending after the fact? 

This message from InVision illustrates a welcome email for a new subscriber interested in an upcoming webinar.


The simple and clean design of this email funnels readers straight through. Meanwhile, the subject line (“You’re invited to our webinar, InVision 101”) and header (“Get started right”) establish a warm welcome versus business as usual. Rather than send a generic confirmation email with a date and time, this message feels more like a personalized letter.

As an added bonus, this message includes a photo of the presenter of the webinar to give the email a personal touch. Plus showing off the real-life people behind your brand is a great way to build trust.

5. GoDaddy – Make Your Readers Curious Enough to Click Through

It’s easy for your readers to sleep on your welcome messages unless you compel them to click through. A combination of a smart subject line and “incomplete” body copy from GoDaddy accomplish exactly that.

 
At a glance, this message might not seem like much out of the ordinary, but there’s a lot going on here.

Firstly, the design is simple but brilliant. The list-style format is easy to navigate and the bright orange CTA button is a can’t-miss. Readers are naturally lead from Point A to Point B.

More importantly, the message does a great job of piquing the reader’s interest from the word “go.” 
Starting with the subject line “Get online with the right domain,” readers are naturally curious to what the “right” domain might actually be. This subtle subject line implies that readers can’t just pick any old domain and therefore need to read on to learn more.

Now, onto the list. GoDaddy offers a helping hand by promising ten tips to picking the proper name; however, only five are listed. This incomplete list encourages readers to click through to the GoDaddy blog  to see what else they need to know. In other words, it leaves the reader wanting more.
Your welcome messages should follow a similar principle. Sure, you can throw in a deal (and GoDaddy does that, too) or discount, but you should also provide opportunities for the newest members of your list to engage with your content.

6. Sprout Social – Good-Looking Emails Make a Difference

It’s only natural to get a bit discouraged when you see all of these bold, beautiful emails but feel like you don’t have a creative bone in your body, right? Luckily, the elements of good email design don’t have to be rocket science. 

As displayed by this welcome email by Sprout Social, sometimes it’s the smallest details of email design that make your messages look irresistible.


What makes this email work is easy to understand even if you don’t know the first thing about design. For starters, consider that…

The text is easy-to-read: no Papyrus or off-the-wall fonts here, just a simple, sans-serif typeface that’s straightforward for anyone to read

The colors don’t clash: many marketers try to overdo it with color, but this three-color scheme (white, green and gray) displays the power of minimalist design

The email body flows: the message is clearly broken up into tiers by the copy and images, meanwhile the numbered list format helps with flow as well

The calls-to-action are clear: thanks to white background, the bright green CTA buttons are difficult to miss

Seriously, though: when in doubt, keep it simple when it comes to design. On a related note, Sendlane has recently released its new email editor to streamline the design process. This solution is great for total newbies and those who want a turnkey tool to designing better marketing emails.

7. AirBNB – Establish a Personal Connection

It’s a no-brainer that your emails should establish a personal connection rather than present themselves as a giant sales pitch. This welcome email from AirBNB feels like something from a friend, all the while taking a minimal approach to imagery and copy:

 
 This email doesn’t contain more than a couple dozen words but it manages to speak volumes. But what makes this email so effective?

A single-button CTA: giving readers fewer places to click can help encourage them to take action.

A personal image: a subtle touch, pictures of actual flesh-and-blood people are much more visually striking versus a generic stock photo or clip-art

Straightforward copy: by using very few words, there’s no question marks surrounding what the message is saying or wants the reader to do

What really makes this email shine is its tone, though. The headline “This is where it all begins” presents the reader’s engagement with the brand as a sort of journey. This is further illustrated by the “Find a Place to Call Home” CTA rather than a generic “Click Here!” message. Finally, the “sent with love from AirBNB” at the end shows off the subtle power of a well-crafted email signature.

8. Fossil – Deals and Discounts Can Do the Trick

Depending on your business, there’s a good chance that someone signed up for your mailing list with the sole intent of getting a good deal first and foremost. Fossil doesn’t pull any punches with how its welcome message can save recipients some cash:

 
Presenting itself as a “thank you” note, these types of welcome emails are staples in the world of ecommerce. This particular message is also redeemable in brick-and-mortar stores as well.

It doesn’t get much simpler than this in terms of copy and messaging. If your end-goal is to get more customers into your store and your primary content strategy is centered around deals, you can regularly switch up your welcome autoresponders depending on your current promotions.

9. Dropmark – Give Your Subscribers Some Options

Every subscriber is unique in terms of their wants and needs. If you have subscribers that could be pushed in multiple directions, why not provide them options on what do next? That’s precisely what Dropmark does with their welcome email series.


Design-wise, this email does an awesome job of using colors to define each tier of the message. More importantly, the message helps drive home the value the reader’s receiving in exchange for a download.

The copy of the email also lends a helping hand to reader, offering some suggestions of what to do now than they’ve downloaded. Not that each suggestion is coupled with a visual, making the message seem that much more actionable. The use of the statistic is also a nice touch, highlighting the benefits of Dropmark’s service that readers can look forward to.

10. Uber – Don’t Neglect the Power of “Free”

When in doubt, you can always score brownie points with your subscribers by hooking them up with a quick freebie. That’s exactly how Uber welcomes their subscribers:


The headline “Your free Uber ride is waiting” also makes the reader feel like they might be missing out of they don’t act on Uber’s offer sooner rather than later. 

The ultimate goal of this message is to drive readers to download their app with the email serving as a sort of introduction to the service and incentive to do so. Also note the white-on-black text style which is a stark to contrast to most of the other messages on this list. Whatever color scheme you choose, make sure it meshes with your brand and the colors don’t clash.

Ready to Create Your Own Winning Welcome Emails?

And that’s that!

Hopefully our list has left you feeling inspired and full of ideas! Ready to create your own awesome welcome messages! You can do all that and more with the NEW Sendlane email editor! The new drag and drop features make it easy to create your own templates and design emails that fit your brand! 

Remember: You have all freedom in the world when it comes to your emails. As long as you follow the foolproof principles above and have the right email automation tool like Sendlane on deck to send your messages, you’ll be good to go!



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