How do you welcome your new subscriber and thank them for joining your mailing list?
After someone subscribes to your email newsletter or announcement list, there are three reasons to acknowledge their new membership with a timely, well thought out welcome letter; to thank your new member for joining, set their future expectations by explaining the purpose of your email list and most importantly – to start a subscriber relationship with them.
Your sending relationship starts by actually sending a Welcome Letter, crafted to capture the attentiveness of your subscriber by reviewing and perhaps using the following suggestions:
- Create a good first impression: acknowledge their subscription to your newsletter
- Make it personal, address them by their first name or email address.
- Thank them; tell your subscriber that their membership is appreciated.
- Focus your first contact on your subscriber: share the benefits they will be receiving as a recipient of your newsletter.
- Set their expectations correctly; explain the intention of your newsletter along with the delivery agenda.
- Remind them to add your email address to their Safe Sender list, as you do not want your newsletter, announcements, articles or coupons to be marked as spam and deleted.
- Provide an unsubscribe method.
- Encourage a visit to your website with a link and explain why they should visit your site now by offering them an incentive to do so. (white paper download/discount/coupon)
- Consider adding references and active links to your past newsletters and articles of interest
- Include footer information with a contact email address, a link to update their profile page, your web site address and other useful tidbits that they need to know.
- Increase subscriber interaction by working within the lines of your social networking overall strategies by adding links to each of your active networks. Suggest they join your twitter account or facebook page for other opportunities you offer, such as a one-day sale or webinars
- Assure your subscribers that their information is secure and held private at all times by linking to your privacy policy.
In summary, a Welcome Letter allows you to begin direct, personal communication with your subscriber. By greeting them by their first name (if you collected it on your sign up sheet), you can begin your email relationship on a friendly basis, authenticate their new membership and set the newsletter venue. Inform them how to change their profile page (if offered), how to provide feedback (with a working link to), remind them to add you to their Safe Sender List and how to unsubscribe. A Welcome Letter should support your brand name, not be too wordy or overbearing, but a welcome and a thank you.
If you need help with Welcome Letters or have questions please contact info@dundee.net for assistance.
