Why a Welcome Sequence Matters

27 Feb Why a Welcome Sequence Matters

In the vibrant world of craft retail, where creativity meets commerce, the first impression you make can set the tone for a lasting relationship. As crafty business owners, you understand the significance of every interaction with your clientele. In this digital age, where communication plays a pivotal role in business success, the welcome email sequence emerges as a powerful tool to establish a strong foundation with customers.

Let’s delve into welcome sequences and why they matter to craft retail business owners. 

The First Impression 

We’ve all heard you only get one first impression. Some may hold this belief after a few bad encounters, but this old adage looks at customer psychology. First impressions form the foundation upon which all future interactions are built— the first touches shape expectations and judgments. A positive first impression communicated through open and thoughtful interactions, like a welcome email, creates a sense of trust, professionalism, and reliability. Customers are more likely to engage further and develop loyalty to your business when their initial experience is welcoming and memorable. 

Would you rather send one, “Subscription confirmation,” email or a short series of emails that create “Hey! Me too!” or “I love their values. I will happily spend a little more here because of who they are,” moments? 

Establishing Brand Identity while Nurturing Customer Engagement

Creating a welcome email sequence communicates your brand style and values in a conversational way, allowing your crafty business to stick in your new customer’s brain. This is an opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality. Maybe you’re a little snarky or enjoy expressing wit? Share this from email number one. Do you have a brand mascot, like a shop pet? Get their cute mug in those emails! Does your business have a rich history that makes it special? Give them the juicy details. Are you a cause-driven business? Highlight the why behind the cause and show how you’re making a difference. This opens wallets even when there are shiny coupons elsewhere while creating a sense of community with a shared mission.

Delivering a brand-forward welcome series fosters future customer engagement by giving your subscribers more opportunities to connect. This personalized content helps keep your business top of mind—and we all want that in this online world. Make these emails informative and engaging with storytelling techniques to create personal connections with your new subscribers.

We love Amanda Stevens’ quick article on how to create EPIC first impressions. Stevens’ tips will create first impressions that honor your brand while making your new customers feel seen and excited to shop with you again and again.

Driving Sales and Conversions

Per MailChimp, “a series of welcome emails yields an average of 51% more revenue than a single welcome email.” Pair that statistic with increased brand recognition, retention, and loyalty with the convenience of a welcome sequence automation, and the need for craft retailers to have this early and consistent contact with new subscribers becomes undeniable.

Newer to the market, the content creator-focused all-in-one servicer, beacons.ai, released these eye-opening stats: 

• Welcome emails receive 100-400% higher opens and 500% higher clicks than the average newsletter.
• Instant welcome emails get an 88% open rate on average.
• Delaying the send of your welcome email by just a few hours drops the open rate to 53%.
• 74% of new subscribers expect a real-time email.

Convinced yet? 

Retention and Loyalty

As the majority of new subscribers expect not just a welcome email, but an immediate welcome email, and these are the most opened sends of your newsletter-to-customer journey, this initial series is critical. In the same article, beacons.ai found that welcome emails increase long-term engagement by 33%. Conversely, if you’re not sending welcome emails, you can expect a 25% decrease in newsletter open rates overall—and that loss is permanent. If you have a 40% average open rate without a welcome sequence, it could instead rise to 50% with a welcome sequence. So why not make it a series?

A few strategies to keep in mind to maintain your retention rate and build loyalty:

• Don’t be a robot. “Stay up to date” and other pre-filled language tends to feel off and your audience will notice it even if they can’t name it. 
• Make a quality offer. This doesn’t necessarily mean a discount code. It could be a secret link to exclusive content, 24-hour access to your vault [aka your online deadstock warehouse], or an entry to a giveaway your new subscriber is sure to value.
• Instant reward combats sign up hesitation.
• Create language on the newsletter registration confirmation page to remind new subscribers that they should expect a welcome email and to check their spam folders—just in case—to move any wayward messages to their primary inbox. This action helps increase your deliverability so newsletters don’t land in junk boxes.
• In at least the first email of your welcome sequence, request a reply. This also increases your deliverability. 

Automation, Efficiency, and Solutions

Creating a welcome email sequence is worth the effort of its return. If you put in some time to build the automation (sometimes called an autoresponder) in your email provider, you’ll be done until a change in your business requires an update. This could be months or even years depending on the solidity of your brand identity. This key automation is an efficient way to boost your email list. 

Conclusion

Concerned about your ability to create an effective welcome flow to engage your new subscribers? Stitchcraft Marketing is a marketing agency of crafting experts. We understand email platform language and how to write copy that will have your customers excited to open your future email campaigns. We customize every program to showcase your brand, engage your customer base, and generate sales in a way that is nothing less than magical. If you’d like more help generating content for your craft business or devising an effective marketing strategy, contact us today!