Welcome email series: what to send in your first three emails
A simple three-email welcome series for stores and creators, with what to put in each email, when to send it and subject lines to start from.
New subscribers are at their most interested the moment they join. They just gave you their email, usually in exchange for something: a discount, a guide, early access. A welcome series makes the most of that moment instead of leaving them to wait for your next newsletter.
Here is a simple series that works for most stores and creators.
The three-email plan
Three emails over about a week is enough. After that, move them to your regular newsletter.
Email 1: welcome, and deliver the promise
Send it immediately. If your form promised 10% off, the code goes at the top. If it promised a guide, the download link goes at the top.
Subject line ideas
- Welcome! Here’s your 10% off
- Your free guide is inside
- You’re in. Here’s what happens next
What to include
- The discount code or download, first and obvious.
- One line on what they will get from you, and how often.
- One button: shop now, or read the guide.
Keep it short. This email gets more attention than almost anything else you send, so don’t bury the main thing.
Email 2: your story
People buy from brands they feel they know. Use the second email to explain who is behind the business and why it exists.
Subject line ideas
- Why we started [brand]
- The story behind [product]
- A quick hello from [your name]
What to include
- A short, honest story: how you started, what you care about.
- A photo of the people or the workshop, if you have one.
- A soft link to your most popular product or post.
If they haven’t used their discount yet, a short reminder at the bottom is fine.
Email 3: the best of
Finish with your strongest products or content. New subscribers don’t know your catalogue yet, so do the choosing for them.
Subject line ideas
- Our three best-sellers
- Where most people start
- The posts readers love most
What to include
- Three to five best-sellers or most-read posts, each with one line on why people love it.
- Reviews or quotes from customers, if you have them.
- A reminder that the welcome discount expires, if it does.
Branch on what they do
A welcome series gets better when it reacts to behaviour. Two easy improvements:
- Didn’t open or click the first email? Send a short follow-up with a different subject line.
- Already bought? Take them out of the sales emails and thank them instead.
In SendCoop, add a Condition step after the first email (for example, Email clicked) to send a different follow-up, and set the automation to stop when a subscriber converts so buyers stop getting sales nudges.
Get the basics right
- Match the promise. If the form said 10% off, the first email must contain 10% off.
- Use double opt-in if your audience is international. It confirms the address is real and keeps your list clean.
- Write like a person. Send from a real name, and read replies.
- Check it on a phone. Most welcome emails are opened on mobile.
Set it up in SendCoop
- Create a sign-up form or popup that adds people to a list.
- Create an automation with the Welcome new subscribers trigger and choose that list.
- Add the first email, a wait, the second email, another wait and the third email.
- Activate it.
If you only want one welcome email, you don’t need an automation: switch on Send welcome email in your list settings. The full steps are in Set up a welcome series.
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