The Welcome Email Series – Automation of Email Grows Up

This was a great article from Mediapost Email Insider.  We’ve discussed the power of the autoresponder on this blog before, but this applies the autoresponder to an entire series of emails in the welcome or onboarding process.  For the entire post, go here: MediaPost

The singular “welcome” email has been on the raise for just about all B2C companies.  According to the article 81% send them.  The challenge is that they do not send them immediately upon sign up when they are most likely to be read (as opposed to 24 hours later or even more).

Where automation comes in to help small businesses that are time starved, why not add an autoresponder series to the mix to keep these new signups engaged?  Depending on how frequently you send, it makes great sense to send a series like this:

1. A welcome letter with an offer that is redeemable in 2 to 4 weeks
2. Set up an autoresponder the next day asking new signups to follow you on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Very specific call to action only to entice social media engagement
3. Set up an autoresponder to remind those new sign ups to use their coupon (send it 10 days or 24 days after the welcome depending on expiration date)
4. Intersperce a regular email that is going out to all your contacts
5. Set up an autoresponder to ask your new sign ups to share with their friends (could include an offer as well)

By setting up these autoresponders you only have to design the email and approve the message once and it will automatically go out at the designated intervals to all new sign ups – without having to raise a finger to get it done… Doesn’t that sound like a time saver?

You can send up to 10 autoresponders with Constant Contact.  For your free 60 trial go here: