Latest / The Email Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Newsletters, Open Rates, and Subscriber Growth / How a Welcome Email Series Doubled Engagement
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, I was looking at some engagement metrics from a client the other day, and it reminded me of a stat that still kind of blows my mind: most welcome emails are opened, but then barely clicked. About 60 percent of people open a welcome email, but only around 15 percent actually click anything inside. Luna: That's a huge gap. I mean, they just signed up, they're clearly interested. Why would they not click? Lucas: Right, and that's the question. But there's a coffee company, Coal Brew Coffee, that flipped that pattern on its head. They redesigned their welcome sequence and saw engagement go up 47 percent and repeat purchases up 28 percent within the first 60 days. Luna: 47 percent is serious. What did they do differently? Lucas: Well, the first thing they did was break the standard 'single welcome email' habit. Instead of one email, they built a three-part sequence. And the key was that each email had a specific job, not just a generic 'thanks for subscribing.' The first one went out immediately, the second 24 hours later, and the third on day three. Luna: So timing and a clear arc. What was in that first email? Lucas: The first email was all about the story. They didn't lead with a discount or a product shot. They led with a note from the founder, a short story about how the company got started, and a photo of their roasting setup. The subject line was something like 'The reason we roast at 2 a.m.' – it's curiosity, not a sales pitch. Luna: I love that. It's personal. But does a story actually drive clicks? Lucas: In this case, yes. That first email got a 68 percent open rate and a 31 percent click-through rate. The click was to a page with a short video of the roasting process. So it set up a reason to click, not just to browse. Luna: Okay, so the first email hooks them with the brand story. What's the second one? Lucas: The second email shifted from the company to the customer. It was a 'get to know you' email – but not a boring survey. They asked subscribers to choose their preferred roast level, with a visual slider from light to dark. Once they clicked, they were taken to a page that suggested three blends based on their choice. Luna: Oh, that's interactive. So it's a quiz-like element that also gathers data. Lucas: Exactly. And that email had a 54 percent open rate and a 42 percent click-through rate. People love talking about their own preferences. It's a small act of personalization that makes the next email feel tailored. Luna: And the third email? That's where the sale comes in? Lucas: The third email was the first one that actually pushed product. It said, 'Based on your roast preference, here are three blends we think you'll love.' Each product had a short description and a customer review. There was no discount, just a clear recommendation. And that email saw a 61 percent open rate and a 23 percent click-through rate, with a 12 percent conversion to purchase. Luna: So the whole sequence is about building trust and relevance before asking for the sale. That's smart. Lucas: And it's not just about the numbers. What they realized was that the old welcome email was basically a dead end – a 'thanks, here's 10 percent off' that people ignored. By creating a journey, they got subscribers to engage multiple times early on, which also tells the email provider that these are active users, helping deliverability. Luna: Right, and that's a big deal. If your welcome emails are being marked as spam or just ignored, your sender reputation takes a hit. Lucas: Exactly. So there's a real business case for investing in this. And honestly, if today's episode gave you one idea you might actually use, that's worth a coffee. You can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo – it's the smallest ask, but it keeps this podcast ad-free. Luna: Yeah, and we appreciate every bit of support, but no pressure. It's just a way for listeners who get value to help us keep doing this. Lucas: So, back to the sequence. The other thing that struck me was how they handled the subject lines. Each one was a question or a curiosity gap. 'The reason we roast at 2 a.m.' – 'What's your roast type?' – 'Three blends for you.' They avoided anything salesy. Luna: I've heard that questions in subject lines can boost opens, but isn't there a risk of sounding clickbaity? Lucas: There is, if the email doesn't deliver on the promise. But here, the first email actually tells the story, the second delivers the interactive element, and the third gives the personalized recommendations. So the subject line is a promise, not a trick. Luna: That makes sense. And the timing – immediate, 24 hours, day three – is that a formula others should copy? Lucas: It's a good starting point, but you should test. Some audiences respond better if the third email comes on day five or seven. The key is to have a deliberate rhythm – not just firing off all three at once, and not waiting so long that the subscriber forgets who you are. Luna: And what about the content in each email? Are there any pitfalls to avoid? Lucas: The biggest one is making the first email all about discounts. That trains people to wait for a sale, and it doesn't build a relationship. Another mistake is trying to do too much in one email – cramming product categories, a coupon, social media links. Keep it focused. Luna: So the rule is one goal per email. What about the visual design? Did they use fancy templates? Lucas: Not really. They kept it simple, mostly text with a few images. The second email had a slider, but it was a simple graphic they built with a tool. They didn't do anything overly complex. The clarity of the message was more important than the design. Luna: And how did they measure success? I mean, 47 percent engagement – what exactly did they track? Lucas: They looked at a composite score that included opens, clicks, and replies. They also tracked the rate of people who made a purchase within 60 days. And they compared it to their old single-email performance. The new sequence outperformed on every metric. Luna: That's compelling. I wonder if this approach works for B2B as well, not just ecommerce. Lucas: It does, with some tweaks. A B2B software company could do a welcome sequence that first tells a customer story, then asks about their biggest pain point, and finally suggests a relevant case study or a free trial. The principle is the same: build trust, get info, then make a recommendation. Luna: So it's really about treating the welcome as a conversation, not a one-off announcement. Lucas: Yes. And the data backs it up. Companies that use a multi-email welcome sequence see an average 33 percent increase in engagement compared to a single email, according to some industry studies. It's one of the highest roi changes you can make to your email program. Luna: And it's relatively easy to implement. You don't need a big budget – just some thoughtful copy and a bit of automation. Lucas: Right. And if you're starting from scratch, just map out your three emails: one to tell your story, one to learn about your subscriber, one to make a relevant offer. That's the skeleton. Luna: I'm curious about the second email – the interactive one. What if you're not a coffee company? How would you adapt that for, say, a consultancy or a fitness brand? Lucas: For a consultancy, it could be a quiz about 'What's your biggest business challenge?' with dropdown menus. For fitness, maybe 'How many days a week do you want to work out?' – with a slider. The point is to get a preference that lets you tailor the next email. Luna: And that data also helps with segmentation later, not just for the third email. Lucas: Exactly. They can now send different follow-up campaigns based on that roast preference, which increases relevance across all their emails. So the welcome sequence becomes the foundation for better targeting down the line. Luna: That's a smart long-term play. So what's the one thing you'd want a listener to take away from this episode? Lucas: I'd say: don't treat your welcome email as a task to check off. It's your first chance to show a new subscriber what you're about and to start a relationship. A three-email sequence that tells a story, asks a question, and then makes a relevant offer can dramatically improve engagement and sales – and it's not that hard to do. Luna: And it's a low-effort change for potentially high reward. Thanks for breaking that down, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And if you're curious about the exact email copy, there's a link in the show notes to the full breakdown from Coal Brew Coffee's campaign. We'll share it there.