When a first-time guest arrives at your home, what do you usually do?

You give them a tour.

They learn where the bathroom is, why you painted your office a sunny yellow, and what you’re planning for the basement renovation.

(Okay, maybe you skip the junk room, but still, they see most of your house.)

You then offer them a beverage, a comfy chair, and engage in a friendly conversation.

You get to know each other better because you’ve crossed the threshold from “acquaintance” to “someone who’s been in my house.”

Now think about your email subscribers, those strangers who responded to your invitation to join your list and receive your newsletter.

• Have you given them a tour?
• Engaged in a little chit-chat to get to know each other better?
• Shown them where the necessary resources are located?

According to a recent study by Experian, a welcome email series “had 40 percent higher click rates, three times the transaction rates, and four time the revenue per email of the promotional mailings.”

Those numbers are hard to ignore.

The reason is pretty obvious when you think about it.

Your customer is most interested in what you sell at the moment they subscribe to your list. So why not extend a hearty welcome?

How to Personally Welcome Every Subscriber

An automated welcome series (sometimes called a drip campaign or autoresponder series) of 5-7 emails showcases the information your subscriber most wants at the time she’s most interested in receiving it.

You can set it up in your email marketing program (in Mailchimp it’s called a Workflow, in most others it is called an autoresponder).

Set your welcome series to start the moment someone subscribes to your list so they get an instant welcome.

Email #1: Welcome (send immediately)

This is you standing at the front door greeting your guest. You’re telling her she made it to the right destination and ushering her inside. Take her coat and tell her you’ll give her a tour of what she’ll love about your business over the next few emails.

If you’ve offered a lead magnet, this is also where you’ll deliver it.

Email #2: A sweet surprise (send 24-48 hours later)

What’s that delicious aroma? Oh, it’s my grandmother’s secret brownie recipe. Would you like to have it?

This is where you offer your subscriber a treat related to your business. Show her how to do something, overcome a problem, or get a quick win. No sales pitches, please.

Email #3: Exchange stories (send 24-48 hours later)

This is where you tell why you got into this business, and how it helps your visitor. Personalize your mission and connect on a human level with your desire to help and her need. Bullet list 1-3 of the best resources on your site.

Then, ask your visitor a question about herself.

Email #4: Showcase your best offer (send 24-48 hours later)

Your subscriber signed up because she’s interested in what you have to offer…so offer! Like showing off the best room in your house, you reveal your signature product (or your best entry-level product, if more appropriate). Show her what it can do for her.

Email #5: What to expect next (send 24-48 hours later)

Now that you’ve introduced yourself, given a brief tour, and unveiled your best offer, it’s time to tell her the frequency in which you’ll email your newsletters, what kind of information she can expect, and remind her where to find you on social media.

Your subscriber is now properly welcomed and ready to receive your newsletters, offers, and promotions.

She’s more likely to open your emails (because she knows you now!), more likely to purchase (because she’s familiar with how you can help her), and less likely to unsubscribe or mark your email as SPAM (again, you’re a known entity now).

And all it takes is creating a one-time email series that runs 24/7, warmly welcoming every single visitor to your list with your personal charm.

About the author: Betsy Talbot is a writer who helps small business owners attract and convert more leads into customers with content marketing. Find out what her email welcome series looks like by subscribing here.