These welcome series emails are triggered separately from your regular newsletter. We call this a ‘series’ because they are sent after a reader signs up, and when the series is complete the reader is put back onto the main list for the regular newsletters.
The Real Problem: Unsubs!
Here’s the journey of your subscriber so far:
What is to keep the reader from promptly unsubscribing after receiving the incentive? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. An email address alone is not permission to sell to them. (quote from Seth Godin)
According to MailerLite, welcome emails have an average open rate of 4x and a click-through rate of 5x compared to standard marketing emails. This initial engagement is crucial for building a lasting relationship (source).
On average, welcome emails get 4x the open rate and 5x the click rate compared to standard marketing emails.
Why You Still Need a Welcome Series in 2025
In the AI-content era, your personal touch will stand out even more! If you do it well, a welcome series will:
- Build Trust & Brand Loyalty: Introduces your brand’s mission and values.
- Set Expectations – Reduce Unsubs! Informs subscribers about the type and frequency of content they’ll receive.
- Get Engagement & Conversions! Invites subscribers to interact, fostering a two-way relationship.
What makes a good Welcome Series?
Are you convinced you need a welcome series? Great! It’s super easy and all the main email marketing programs have built-in automations for this. But – what should you include? I got you! Here is a series of 5 emails that will build brand loyalty, deliver valuable content, set expectations and encourage engagement.
- Email 1: Deliver the promised incentive and say thank you.
- Email 2: Share your brand’s story, focusing on how you serve your audience aka: what they get – it’s not about you!
- Email 3: Highlight a popular freebie/ resource.
- Email 4: Offer a special promotion or call-to-action – this must be valuable. The goal is engagement. Once they have clicked once they are more likely to do so again.
- Email 5: Invite subscribers to connect on social media or provide feedback – Last ditch attempt to get engagement.
Each email should be authentic, provide value, and include a clear call-to-action.
High-Converting Welcome Email Templates by AI
Ready to implement a welcome series but unsure where to start? We created a custom AI agent to help! Complete the form below and you’ll be forwarded to an AI Agent built by WPBarista. You answer a few questions about your offers and your freebie, and the chat bot will create a series of 5 welcome emails that follow our advice for highly converting emails.
If you need assistance customizing these templates or integrating them into your email platform, feel free to ask!
Tools That Make It Easy
Platforms like MailerLite, ConvertKit, and Flodesk offer user-friendly interfaces to set up automated email sequences. They provide templates and analytics to optimize your welcome series effectively.
Your First Step: Switch Up The Confirmation Email
Almost everyone opens the confirmation email – so use it wisely! Customize it!
What to send:
- in your tone (not the robotic one that comes with the email marketing software)
- deliver the promised incentive so they don’t have another step to get it.
- set expectations for future communications. (that is email #1 & 2)
When to send:
It is really important that the first introduction is sent immediately. Even a delay of 30 minutes can impact open rates. So use the confirmation email as your first email whenever possible.
Next: Trigger the Welcome Series
Most email service providers make a simple welcome automation incredibly easy to do. For Mailchimp, Flodesk, Mailerlite & ConvertKit – it is called an “Automation Series”; usually they are called some variation of ‘automation’, ‘automatic’ or ‘campaign’.
How to send:
Some providers create this in the regular campaign/email area – just select a different type. But more often, there is a separate area for creating a bunch of automation emails and linking them together.
When to Send:
The welcome series is sent on a trigger. This should be set to an event – x days after sign-up. We recommend one day after signup. And depending on the material, send each consequent email every one or two days.
TL;DR:
- Edit the confirmation email, after signup, to include the incentive.
- Trigger the welcome series immediately after that.
- If necessary, remove the reader from the regular newsletter rotation until the welcome series is done.
- Add emails to the welcome series, and set the timer/automation trigger.
- If your program allows tags, be sure to add ‘finished welcome series’ tag or similar
- Add reader back to the regular rotation of emails
This one-time setup can pay off for years! We’re available anytime you need a hand!
New! Welcome-Email AI Agent
Looking at email marketing? Don’t forget a welcome series – folks are 4x more likely to open the first email than any other email that you send! Enter your email and we’ll send you to our custom AI Agent that will help you craft five highly converting emails in a welcome series! Then see this post for the tutorial.
Cathy Mitchell
Single Mom, Volunteer, Lifelong Learner, Jesus Follower, Founder and CEO at WPBarista.