Industry standard. Best practice. Optimization. Buzzwords can get head-spinning when you’re first setting up your email marketing campaign, especially when you’re more concerned about what to say and how to say it to get subscribers confirmed to your list (there’s three more buzzwords for you!)
Relax. We’re here to help and bring a little clarity to your set-up content confusion. Whether you’re unsure how to label your web form fields or are drawing a blank on customizing your confirmation message, we have tips and examples to guide you through your first communications with your subscribers, starting with your web form.
Web Forms
Use your web form to make a great first impression on your subscribers. Keep it short, clear and show them exactly what kind of value they can expect from the very beginning.
Remember that your web form is the gateway to your whole campaign and your first chance to tell subscribers what they can expect from your emails. But first you have to get them on your list. You’re asking permission to get into their inboxes, but what are you offering subscribers in return?
Incentives are a good place to start. Retailers like Kohl’s give their customers extra coupons for signing up to their email list:
Kohl’s does a few more things right on this form by clearly explaining the content of messages their subscribers receive and using a privacy statement to ease the fears of visitors worried about clogging their inboxes with spam.
A few more content tweaks for your web form:
- Include a title that reflects the name of your newsletter
- Tell your subscribers how often they can expect your emails
- Link to a sample newsletter or offer so subscribers can preview the kind of value you send to the inbox
Still feeling stuck? Here are some more web form tips on our blog:
3 Ways to Set Expectations at Sign Up
Learn The First of 3 Critical Opportunities to Create The Right Subscriber Expectations
4 Best Practices for Web Forms
Thank You Page
New subscribers who fill out your web form are redirected to your thank you page. This is your second communication with them.
Engage subscribers on your thank you page by:
- Explaining the confirmation process (if you’re using confirmed opt-in)
- Telling them what to expect in upcoming emails
- Establishing some brand personality
Skin care company High on Health uses confirmed opt-in and illustrates the next step in the subscription process with a screen shot:
If you don’t use confirmed opt-in for your campaign, take a cue from ProBlogger who uses their thank you page to summarize the frequency and content of their emails so subscribers know what to expect:
Remember that your thank you page doesn’t have to be a boring template. Keep your thank you page consistent with your brand and site design and use it as a tool to engage subscribers before your first message hits the inbox.
More ideas to upgrade your thank you page on our blog:
3 Helpful Thank You Page Examples
Thank You: Another Critical Opportunity to Create Subscriber Expectations
Is Your Thank You Page Awful? Here Are 2 Ways You Could Make It Better
Confirmation Email
The confirmation email is your third communication with subscribers and your first time in their inbox. Make the most of it by using your from name and subject line to remind subscribers who you are and what they signed up for.
Use the body of the email to remind them of the value your emails offer:
Tell subscribers why they should confirm and make sure they know what happens after they click that link.
Just like your thank you page, use your confirmation message as a further introduction to your brand. Get creative with your copy to keep your subscribers engaged for what’s to come.
More ways to customize your confirmation message on our blog:
What To Do With Your Confirmation Message
Want Subscribers to Confirm? Get Creative!
Confirmation Page
This is the page that the link in your confirmation email directs subscribers to if your campaign uses confirmed opt-in.
Carry your brand identity through your confirmation page and keep your content simple. Tell subscribers that they’re now confirmed and give them somewhere else to click, like your homepage, a special landing page or your social network profiles:
You can also drive sales from your confirmation page, like we describe in this post.
Welcome Email
The welcome email is the first installment of your follow up series when a new subscriber confirms to your list. This is your first big chance to engage subscribers.
In your welcome email, you’ll want to include:
- An indication of how often subscribers will hear from you
- Simple whitelisting instructions to ensure that your emails get delivered
- A reminder of the value and benefits they signed up for
- An introduction to the preference center where they can change subscription settings or unsubscribe from your emails if they’re no longer interested
To keep things friendly, you might also want to introduce subscribers to your brand on a more personal level with pictures of your team or company.
Redbox’s welcome email combines a lot of these elements and includes links to help new customers start using their service right away:
Remember that your welcome message sets the tone for your campaign, so spend extra time polishing your content to build trust.
More welcome email examples from our blog:
3 Good Welcome Email Examples
Urgency Redux: Trust Can Make Or Break You
In Closing
These initial points of communication with your subscribers will build trust and the right expectations from the very start of your email campaign. We place a lot of emphasis on the content of your emails once your campaign is up and running, but paying special attention to these beginning details will start your campaign off right.
What content tips can you share from the start of your campaign?
Credit: Email Marketing Tips
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