Happy Almost-Black-Friday, everyone.
I'm going to spare you from another "Top 10 Last-Minute BFCM Ideas" post today.
Let's think long term.
New subscribers come into your email program via various points of entry. Some are customers who opt-in at checkout, some sign up for an offer at the top of the funnel, some signed up for a co-branded giveaway, some for free content, etc.
These people all have vastly different expectations about what's supposed to happen next.
The problem is that most brands employ a one-size-fits-all strategy to indoctrinate new subscribers into their list.
In other words, every new subscriber gets the same old welcome series even though we know a lot about what drove them to sign up in the first place.
We call this "subscribe intent."
What triggered this person to trade their email address for whatever you were offering? This data point is what we need to create relevance down the road.
Instead, try this: Segment your welcome series in a way that is aligned with the subscriber's expectations. Look deeper. If I signed up for your newsletter while reading a blog post that's all about the Keto diet, I'd be more likely to engage (and more likely to buy) if you send me more great content that makes me a Keto expert.
Give subscribers more of what originally made it an easy decision to give you their email address in the first place.
Keep helping them make easy decisions, and I bet your activation rates will increase.
I've got two other updates for you this week:
There are two types of welcome series: A new subscriber (not yet a customer) and a new customer (first-time buyer). This article guides you through sample workflows for each type, provides ideas for content strategy, and features some designs that we've developed for our clients.
Build a great welcome series⟶
What if subscribers could curate their email preferences? In other words, they could choose how many times they wanted to hear from you, what kind of content you send them, or could put you on mute for a bit if they need a break. A well-designed email preference center makes this a reality, reduces opt-outs, and creates a better subscriber experience.
Learn more about preference centers⟶
We're about to ship a reporting update for list growth. The report breaks down subscriber acquisition by day, by source, and also tracks against subscriber churn. The goal here is to provide a true measure of growth as subscribers join and exit your email channel for various reasons. Reply to this email if you'd like to try out the feature before we push it live.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a successful holiday weekend.
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