10 Ways to get Your Newsletter Welcome Email Opened 50% of the Time

According to Mail Chimp, the average email open rate for all emails is just 21.33%.

But you can get more than 50% with your Substack Welcome Email.

It's the email that new subscribers see first when they sign up. I'm going to show you how to increase that open rate even more.

The welcome message email has a click-through rate 5 times higher than all other types of email messages!

Change your newsletter welcome email anytime. To Edit it: Dashboard > Settings > Welcome Email - (edit)

This is the first and Most Important Interaction you'll have with your readers. Here are 10 ways to optimize your welcome email:

  1. The Subject line is the most important part of an email message. Put a freebie in your Subject line, if you are giving something away. Such as an E-book, a Course, a Quiz, Tools, a Checklist, a Guide, a Worksheet, Training/Tutorial Videos, a Podcast, a Tutorial, a Discount code, or Swag. I wrote about titles and subject lines here: Optimize Subject Lines
  2. Add your freebie links as an attachment or to a dedicated landing page. Test that it all works as it should in different browsers, and operating systems.
  3. Write your welcome email as if you are sending it to your best friend. Personalize it in your own "voice". Use your real name. Use "I", instead of "us" or "we".
  4. Be sure your email has no mistakes. Make sure the pictures load quickly, and your links go to their desired location.
  5. Ask your subscribers a question. Something that they are likely to reply to. Starting a 2-way conversation is one of the best ways to get to know your subscribers. And they you. Be real.
    Questions like: What keeps you awake at 3 am? What did you buy with your first real paycheck? What was your first car, pet? (No not carpet). Favorite song in high school? Now? Favorite Podcast? You get the idea.
  6. Tell the subscribers what they can expect when they get your newsletter in their email box. I write about Marketing and General Interest stories about extraordinary people. I tell my subscribers that I send out an email every Monday morning, and then occasionally I will upload extra stories, reference sheets, or bonus material to the website without emailing my whole list.
  7. Substack has a default welcome email when you first set up your newsletter. It tells the readers that sometimes your newsletter may go into a Junk or Spam folder. I replaced that message with "Drag this newsletter into the inbox if you find it in your promotions tab. You can always see everything on the website."
  8. I just have just one link to my Main Marketing page. Don't use your welcome email page as a start here page, or an about me page. Make separate Start Here or About Me page posts. You can pin them to the prominent position on your magazine layout main page. (Dashboard > Settings > Style-Edit Theme > Layout > (top left choose Magazine)
  9. Use a PostScript (aka PS) at the end of your Welcome email: You can add a link to your best social media website here.
  10. Give your subscribers your personal email address to get in touch. And add a personal picture. Could be you with a hobby, your family, your pet snake, you in the cockpit of your jet...whatever.

BONUS: Use social proof to show that your new subscribers made a good choice, and are in great company by subscribing to your newsletter!! "Join hundreds of others just like you and Subscribe Today".

My Welcome Page Email on Substack:

welcome page email from substack

05/13/2022