Joshua Franklin Wiedeman

Welcome Series

A welcome series is the automated set of emails or texts sent to new subscribers or first-time customers in their first one to two weeks. It usually earns more per recipient than any other automated flow, because new subscribers are at their most engaged.

How it works

New subscribers have more attention and intent than they will at any later point. A welcome series uses that window to deliver what was promised, build trust, and guide the subscriber to a first purchase. Each message should have one specific job instead of repeating the same call to action.

How to do it

  1. Email 1, immediately: deliver the promised incentive, tell the brand story in two or three sentences, and say how often you will email. Reference the signup offer in the subject line.
  2. Email 2, day 2: show bestsellers, ratings, or customer photos. Build trust without a hard sell.
  3. Email 3, day 4: explain what makes you different, through a founder story, a short video, or behind-the-scenes content. Use a soft call to action.
  4. Email 4, day 7: remind them the welcome offer expires, with an explicit deadline.
  5. Email 5, days 10 to 14: move them to ongoing content, such as social channels, a community, or a quiz. Split the path for clickers and non-openers.
  6. Before launch, confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up and one-click unsubscribe works. Gmail and Yahoo require both for bulk senders.

What to measure

  • Revenue per recipient: total flow revenue divided by people who entered the flow.
  • Welcome offer redemption rate: subscribers who use the welcome code, divided by subscribers who received it.
  • Click rate by email: unique clicks divided by delivered emails for each step. Use clicks, not opens, since Apple Mail Privacy Protection inflates opens.

Best practices

  • Remove subscribers from the series when they buy, and move them into a post-purchase flow.
  • Test incentive types (percent off, dollar off, free shipping) at the signup form, not inside the flow.
  • Send the expiration reminder by SMS for subscribers who consented to texts.
  • Tailor email 2 to the signup source, such as a product page or a blog post.

Common pitfalls

  • Sending too often. Spacing emails a couple of days apart is usually better than daily sends.
  • Using one flow for buyers and non-buyers. A first-time buyer needs product guidance, not a discount they already used.
  • Hiding the discount code. Put it near the top of the email so it is visible on a phone without scrolling.