The most important things in your business are often the most overlooked.

And, when it comes to newsletters and email marketing…

…The #1 thing you can do to boost engagement and sales is create a strategic email welcome sequence.

Yet for most people, it's an afterthought.

If you want to build the most valuable type of audience (an email audience), you need to FIX this.

That's why I've created this guide for you.

A welcome sequence is a series of automated emails that new subscribers receive in the first 14 to 30 days on your list.

This includes your welcome email.

But a welcome sequence is so much more than the first email!

The first 7 days are everything.

If a new email subscriber does not engage (open, click, reply, read), in their first 7 days on your list, you'll likely lose them forever.

And when it comes to the first 7 days: Clicks are key. Subscribers who click in week one become long-term valuable, those who don't rarely turn into readers and revenue.

Here's what the typical new email subscriber onboarding looks like:

A strategic welcome sequence.

…That converts new subscribers into engaged readers and revenue.

With a focus on first click velocity. The faster new subscribers click one of your emails, the more valuable they will, and the more they’ll boost your sender reputation.

Here's what your strategic welcome sequence should look like:

This is the foundational welcome sequence everyone should start with.

I'll break down each of these emails below.

Yes, you can add more. Some people send 10-15+ emails over 14-30 days.

But if you have nothing now. Or a poorly done welcome sequence you need to fix, start with this format.

Here’s a breakdown of each email…

The goal of your welcome email is to get subscribers to take 3 key actions:

If you get subscribers to take key deliverability actions in your welcome email, your future emails will land in their primary inbox. If not, they will land in promotions, updates, or spam.

We accomplish this with the WE-PAC framework.

A welcome email of these six elements:

WE-PAC Welcome Email Guide and Example Here

On your newsletter landing page and thank you page, you should be promoting a lead magnet.

This is a long-form piece Insanely Valuable Content that solves a problem for your ideal customer (and has performed well historically).

It could be:

This piece of content should be so good that if new subscribers consumes it in full, they'll immediately view you as an expert they trust to solve their problem.

In your welcome email (email #1), you should deliver that lead magnet (share a link).

So in Email #2, we're just going to remind them about it.

Why?

Even if you have great email engagement, your welcome email will get a ~70% open rate and ~10% CTA. That means most new subscribers don't actually consume your most valuable content.

Plus, this follow-up email will drive more replies and clicks to boost your deliverability and sender reputation.

Here’s what email #2 should look like (2 examples below):

These are two examples inspired by Ian Stanley.

Don't copy and paste them word for word. Rewrite them in your own style

This email is your introduction.

Your opportunity to tell subscribers who you are and why they should listen.

Yes, you already introduced yourself on your thank you page and in the welcome email — but that was brief, just a few sentences.

Now it's time to tell a story or explain the mission of why you started or why your company exists. If your subscribers know your story, they'll remember you and be more likely to take action later.

This should NOT be a pitch. make it memorable. Make it emotional. Showcase why people should trust you through the story.

Include a CTA for your product or service in the “PS” section. But keep that part brief.

Now your new subscribers know who you are, your story, and they've consumed your best content.

Now they need proof to know that you, your company, and your offer are legit.

In email #4, you'll simply share your best client success story or a list of your best testimonials and data that showcase social proof.

Again, this isn't a hard pitch. Focus on the proof and include a brief CTA at the end that directs subscribers to a link where they can learn more about your offer. (Don't actually explain the offer or how it works in the email itself.)

Email #3 and #4, we're all about positioning. You shared your personal story, your best client case study, or testimonials.

You've also included some soft calls to action for your offer.

But we haven't included any free value (education) since the first two emails.

So in email #5, we're going to mix it up.

This is one more pure value email before the direct pitch, you'll share email number 6.

Everything you sent so far in this sequence has led up to email #6, the pitch.

You positioned yourself. You shared insanely valuable content and social proof that demonstrates your expertise. Now you have permission to pitch.

This email should not be educational. It should be pure sales.

Pick one of the two email frameworks below for your direct pitch. Or if you've sent marketing emails before, look back at your best-performing emails based on sales and repurpose them for this email.

After email number 6, your welcome sequence is basically complete.

Emails 1-6 cover all your needs: Onboarding new subscribers in the first 7 days, driving clicks and replies, building trust, and introducing your offer.

But there's one more SIMPLE email you can add to this sequence that's guaranteed to generate sales…

The 9-word email inspired by Dean Jackson.

Here’s how it works - send a short email of one sentence like this:

"Are you still looking for [the thing they inquired about OR the main benefit your offer delivers]?”

The question should be open-ended.

So, if I were a real estate agent, the email would read:

“Hey, are you still interested in buying houses in Greensboro?”

Or in my case, it would say something like:

“Hey, do you still want to build a more profitable newsletter?”

DON’T add a CTA or any links. Keep the email 9-12 words long.

This feels personal and prompts people to reply. Then what’ll happen is you’ll get a surprising number of responses like, “Yes, I am,” or “No, actually, but maybe in a couple of months.”

After you get replies, share the next step: Book a sales call, register for a webinar, go to a sales page, etc.

It's a perfect way to end your welcome sequence and pick up any stragglers who didn't take action on the automated emails sent before or the regular newsletters they've received since joining your list.

Now you've got a strategic email welcome sequence that drives clicks, replies, trust, and sales with all your new subscribers in the first 7 days they're on your email list.

If this is helpful, hit reply and let me know.

Finally, there are a few things you should consider when setting this up: