When a client asks me how to take their newsletter from “lost in the inbox” to “high-powered conversion hero,” I always say the same thing: it all starts with your email welcome sequence.

What is an email welcome sequence? It’s a series of emails that your leads receive as soon as they click the “Yes, I want to subscribe!” button and sign on to be part of your email list.

Though it might take a little more work upfront to get a welcome sequence going, that effort pays off big time.

(Stick around to find out what “big time” really means…)

Though the average open rate for email campaigns—aka the percentage of people who click on your email as it arrives in their inbox—hovers around 22%, welcome sequences often score open rates 50% or higher.

That makes welcome sequences around 127% more effective than traditional email campaigns.

I’m about to break down all the reasons why a welcome sequence should be part of your conversion-centered newsletter strategy…so that you can start boosting the conversions from your new sign-ups starting from today.

Why New Email List Leads Are Uniquely Primed for the Buy

When a lead decides to sign up for your email list, they do it for one very specific reason: they want to know more about who you are and what you do.

Signing up for an email list is the in-person equivalent of extending a handshake.

By taking your lead’s hand and sending them a “Hey, nice to meet you!” greeting, you begin to powerfully build a relationship that can last for the long-term (one that leads to buys and repeat buys).

If you let that hand hang in the air until a week or two from now when your next scheduled newsletter comes along…well, that handshake won’t exactly have the same kind of staying power.

(I mean, can you imagine how hard it would be for your lead to keep their hand in the air for that long? No one has the arm muscles for that!)

By giving your new email list leads exactly what they want (an introduction) exactly when they want it (now), you build the kind of firm relationship foundation that they’ll want to engage with more down the line…

And you make them feel super-comfortable with the idea of taking you up on your offer when it’s time.

Your Leads Are High In the Marketing Stages of Awareness

Marketing industry powerhouse Eugene Schwartz once claimed that there are 5 marketing stages of awareness that customers achieve as they go on a journey toward buying a product.

These 5 stages of awareness are:

When a potential customer is “Unaware” of what they’re looking for, what pain they’re experiencing, or what offer will help them overcome it, it’s harder to nurture them towards the buy.

That’s because you have to do the work of helping them hit all the awareness destinations of their buyer journey, one after the other.

You have to help them become aware of their problem.

Help them see the best solution.

Show how your offer is perfectly aligned as that solution.

And then make them feel motivated to take those next purchasing steps.

That’s a lot to take on.

But when a lead signs up for your email list, they aren’t in the unaware stage. In fact, they’re almost as far from unaware as they can be.

They happen to be perfectly situated at product aware, and ready for you to take those next communication steps that will finally put your offer into their hands. (Now it’s just up to you to take them.)

Email Welcome Sequences Make It Easy to Segment

Audience segmentation is the process of breaking your audience down into subgroups based off of demographics, goals, or other factors that matter for your business and offer.

By segmenting your audience, you’re able to tailor your messages to more accurately suit their needs and wants.

A course creator selling how-to cooking videos, for instance, won’t get far pitching an advanced class to a beginner.

But they will get far if they pitch an advanced class to an experienced home cook looking to up their skills and crush the cooking game in the form of perfectly tender pasta with a butter parmesan sauce that sets your taste buds alight.

By understanding who exactly you’re talking to, we can make sure that our message is designed to match your audience. Which, as any web copywriter will tell you, is the secret behind a truly great sales pitch.

To segment your new subscribers with your email list, consider including a quick survey that asks them to self-select how they stand as members of your audience.

One that looks a little like this…

Then use this audience segmentation knowledge to your advantage by tailoring your future content to meet your audience exactly where they are…so that you can show exactly how your offer can help.

Your Email List Subscribers Just Expect It

According to some stats, 74% of consumers expect a welcome sequence as soon as they subscribe.

Which means if you’re not sending one, you’re missing out on that chance to close the distance between you and your leads while turning them into brand fans.

Luckily, your welcome sequence doesn’t have to be overly complex. In fact, you can create a welcome sequence that converts by following a simple formula. One that includes, for instance:

However, not all email welcome sequences are this short. Some brands (especially ones selling a high-ticket offer) choose to make their email sequences 5-8 emails in length (or more!), each specifically designed to nurture a different aspect of the lead-brand relationship.

If you have the brain space to write 3-8 emails—or the budget to hire a copywriter to help you do so—then expect a serious return on your email list investment.

But if a longer welcome sequence feels like a lot to take on right now, don’t be afraid to start small.

Having one welcome email is always better than having none.