GREETINGS: 39 Ideas to Help You Rock Your Nonprofit Email Welcome Series

Congratulations, you’ve got new email subscribers! Now what? Dump them in your normal communications stream without recognition or welcome?

Nope! Welcome them – quickly, warmly, sincerely.

The welcome email may be the single most important email you send. Welcome emails confirm permission and set expectations with the subscriber.

Welcome emails are four times more likely to be opened, and five times more likely to get click-throughs. And according to a study by Return Path, users who read one welcome email will go on to open at least 40 percent of the emails from the same brand in the following 180 days.

How’s that for engagement!

So, how does this translate to the nonprofit sector? According to the 2016 M+R Benchmarks Study (pdf), 64 percent of nonprofit respondents send at least one dedicated welcome email to new subscribers. The most common welcome series comprise three messages.

Source: 2016 M+R Benchmarks

Just 11 percent of the nonprofits that responded to the study included a fundraising ask in the welcome series. [HINT: Please DO make a fundraising ask as part of the series.]

Source: 2016 M+R Benchmarks

If you’re thinking of creating a welcome series for your subscribers, here are a few options of what to offer in these emails:

1. Top resources from your website
2. Your best blog posts
3. Downloadable white paper or ebook
4. Mobile app
5. Discount
6. Video
7. Quiz
8. Survey
9. Invitation to volunteer
10. Invitation to sign a petition
11. Invitation to connect on social networks
12. Invitation to donate

And if you’re looking for welcome email subject line ideas, check out these:

13. [first], welcome
14. Congrats – Welcome to X
15. Hello, welcome to X
16. So nice to meet you!
17. Stand with us
18. Thank you, and welcome
19. Thrilled to have you here
20. Watch our video
21. We’re ready to help you
22. Welcome from X
23. Welcome to the Community
24. Welcome to the Family
25. Welcome to the Force
26. Welcome to the Network
27. Welcome to the Team
28. Welcome to the X Family
29. Welcome to the X online community
30. Welcome to X
31. Welcome to X – Getting started
32. Welcome to X – Let’s get started!
33. Welcome to X! Your account is confirmed!
34. Welcome, world changer
35. Welcome! Tell us what you think
36. Welcome! We’re glad to have you with us
37. Welcome! We’re glad you’re here
38. You are welcome here
39. You’re in! Thank you for subscribing to X

Do you have a welcome series? How is it working for you? Share your experience in the comments section.