What I’m about to share with you will horrify anyone who loves “best practices” or prompting ChatGPT with “how do I write a welcome sequence?”.
So you must be unafraid of going against the flow.
I’m sharing this with you because I’ve found this approach fun and low-stress for building my welcome sequence. And it means the welcome sequence doesn’t have to be ready all at once.
So there’s no reason to feel held back from growing your list and emailing them regularly.
Plus, doing it this way means your previous emails get a whole new lease on life! 😊
I’m going to give you a 30-minute (or less) way to write your first welcome email that you can plonk into Kit, or whatever email system you use…
Along with the most chill way ever invented to build an effective welcome sequence.
This alternative approach relies on you regularly writing emails that:
(1) Help your subscribers get to know YOU more with every email.
(2) Make entertainment a priority, particularly by telling stories.
(There’s plenty of guidance for 1 & 2 in my Playbook.)
In the first welcome email:
Welcome them. Remind them what they signed up for (for me it’s email tips). And how often they’ll hear from you.
Convey that you’re EXCITED to have them there (your energy rubs off).
Sign off.
Subject line: “Welcome!” (or something more snazzy if you prefer.)
Yep, your first welcome email can be that simple (examples here).
But the more fun you can make it, the better.
For example, mine leans into ‘Crazy Chris’. Which gives more energy and entertainment.
But start simple. You’re helping them settle in and feel they made the right choice to be here on your list.
Convention says that each email in your welcome sequence should do a specific job.
We break from that to instead focus on 1 & 2 (above), namely:
Relationships and Entertainment.
Entertainment being a form of value subscribers appreciate… but is so often sacrificed on the altar of ‘best practices.’
For the rest of the welcome sequence… simply include your best, most entertaining emails!
I have no more than 10 emails in my welcome sequence at any given time, so it’s easier to manage.
But there’s no ideal welcome sequence length (no matter what the ‘gurus’ tell you).
Just remember that while they’re seeing your welcome emails, they’re not seeing your fresh emails and offers.
Now, if you’re just getting started, it’s OK to start with one welcome email (that’s how I did it).
Then add in more to the sequence after you write them. And also remove ones when better replacements show up.
The emails in the welcome sequence are about building the relationship with your new subscriber.
Because customer buying usually comes after many points of contact. And the best customers are those you build relationships with over time.
As you tell your stories, they get to know and trust you more with every email.
BUT… don’t be shy about introducing your offers in those first emails. Because there’s always keen folks who are ready to grab your stuff right away!
Plus, it trains your new subscribers to expect to see a (gentle) sales pitch in every email from you.
So no need to stress (or procrastinate) about writing a welcome sequence. You can get your first email set up in a snap.
Then simply add to it over time. And keep it updated with your cream of the crop emails.
For my best tips on writing authentic (and super-entertaining) emails, for your regular emails or your welcome sequence…
Check out my Playbook here: