The Welcome Sequence

Welcome Sequence.

It is the sequence that welcomes a new lead when entering the Funnel of our Sand-Mill, so be careful not to confuse it with the Onboarding Sequence with which we welcome customers at the entrance of the Reacquisition Wheel: they address people in different stages and therefore have different goals.

In this article, we will see how to best build the Welcome Sequence or rather the various Welcome Sequences.

 

Objective of the Welcome Sequence

To fully understand the role and potential of a welcome sequence, let's start with the trigger: welcome sequences are activated when a new email contact enters the system.

Contacts can come from different entry points (form, pop-up, and more), distributed in different stages of the Funnel.

Some examples of entry points are the Newsletter form, pop-ups used to request the lead magnets we have created for each stage of the Funnel, but also forms (paper or digital) used at trade shows or in the point of sale.

So what is the goal of a Welcome Sequence? Obviously, it is to start building the relationship between strangers and our brand.

This delicate task is crucial: there is no second chance to make a good first impression.

The importance of having more than one welcome flow

If you have only one Welcome Sequence, you are making a mistake.

Each entry point, in fact, communicates to us both the prospect's need and the phase of the Journey they are in.

These are too relevant information not to be used to personalize communication, at a moment (the first contacts) when we have the maximum attention from the user and it is necessary to show our value and position the brand.

 

Target: Customers at their entry into the Funnel

Objectives: Position the Brand, start a conversation, guide the user to subsequent phases.

Metrics: Open Rater & CTR%; conversion rate to the next phase

 

General guidelines for effective Welcome Sequences

So what are the emails to include in different welcome sequences?

Before analyzing the differences triggered by different types of entry points, let's see a general structure with reference to Newsletter subscription.

The Newsletter is an interesting entry point for a very simple reason: it is up to us (and our strategy) to define which phase of the Funnel it belongs to. This is determined based on the reason why users subscribe.

 

• The Newsletter could be a top of funnel entry point if it offers users the opportunity to stay updated on industry news. In many sectors, this is a good choice.
  It means providing value to Buyer Personas, without always and only a commercial intent, and this has a big impact on open rates, engagement, and reducing unsubscribe rates.
• It could be a middle of funnel entry point when it offers practical insights, tutorials, and tips for using specific solutions or performing particular tasks.
  
  
• Finally, it could be a bottom of funnel entry point when it promises to keep you updated on discounts, offers, and product news.

In this example, we see how the Welcome Sequence triggered by subscribing to a Newsletter form inserted in the Top of the Funnel can be structured.
NB: Reasoning can also be extended to Welcome Sequences triggered by different types of Lead Magnets created for each stage of the Funnel.

In the first week, we can plan for 3 emails:

1. Transactional Email. This email is the most important. Users fill out our forms and provide us with their contact information for a specific reason. In the first email, we need to immediately provide them with what they requested, and perhaps something extra as a surprise. Is the user subscribing to the newsletter? Let's reiterate the benefits that await them, include useful links to sections of our blog, or particularly relevant articles.
   
   
2. Email 1 day after. Let's try to keep interest high and make our brand memorable, positioning it as an industry expert. We can continue sharing extremely valuable material for the user in line with the stage of the Journey they are in. All this without trying to sell (unless our user has entered the BOFU!)
   
   
3. Email after 3 days. This is where we start getting serious. We show the customer who the brand is and what it does through success stories of our clients. This is an opportunity to present our products and solutions without a salesy approach that pushes for a sale, offering the lead the chance to progress autonomously within the Funnel.

In the following week, we proceed with 2 more emails:

1. Email after 7 days. If the user has not yet continued their journey in the Funnel, it's time to take them by the hand and guide them to the next step. What does this mean? If they entered from a TOFU touchpoint, we present reasons why they should engage with a MOFU lead magnet (e.g., a calculator, a quiz, a case study).
2. Email after 10 days. If they have not interacted with the LM of the next stage yet, we try sharing a list of MOFU contents (blog articles supporting the evaluation phase), whose CTAs will once again offer the opportunity to interact with an LM of the Middle of the Funnel.

Finally, 2 more emails accompany the user until the end of the first month:

1. Email after 20 days. We present an alternative MOFU lead magnet to the one previously proposed, highlighting the benefits that the user will derive from its use. Does our lead drive a vintage car? Let's help him discover which is the most suitable driving glove for him and his car!
   
   
2. Email one month after registration. If the contact has not yet interacted with a MOFU lead magnet that allows us to segment it explicitly, we can try to do so using digital body language (implicit).
   We have two options available:

• • For products with a rather short purchasing process we can include in this email the link to the main product categories on our website (or to best-selling products in each of these categories)
    
    
  • For products that require a long purchasing process (and in B2B, if we sell various alternative solutions), we propose all our MOFU Lead Magnets at this stage, in a single email that is almost "irresistible".

Let's now see in detail the characteristics that differentiate the welcome flows in the different stages of the Funnel. Characteristics that, as we will see, are closely linked to the lead magnet and the form that the user has filled out (the entry point).

 

Welcome sequence in TOFU

With TOFU lead magnets, we do not talk about our product, but provide useful content to our target buyer personas.

For this reason, the welcome sequence at this stage should not sell directly, but simply help to strengthen the brand, associating it with expertise and quality content.

The goal is to guide the user to the Middle of the Funnel, to qualify them and validate their interest in the solution.

The example we have seen above describes precisely this situation, so without dwelling too much let's see how to build a welcome sequence for those accessing our Sand-Mill from the MOFU.

 

Welcome Sequence in the MOFU

I will never stop repeating it: an entry point MOFU must always contain a segmenting question.

This is because, to help a user in the evaluation phase of alternatives understand the most suitable solution for their needs, it is essential to have a clear view of their profile.

Once the segmenting factor is identified, we can trigger targeted Nurturing Sequences for each segment.

Nurturing Sequences consist of (literally) nurturing contacts with the information they need to make an informed purchase decision, leading them to understand the benefits that our solution will bring them.

Segmenting the list at this stage is therefore essential to highlight the right factors for the right people and guide them towards choosing the most suitable products.

 

Welcome Sequence in BOFU

In BOFU, the welcome sequence must help position the ecommerce, providing the customer with a clear view of the elements that distinguish it from the competition.

The lead magnets used in this phase are often incentives (such as discount codes for first purchase).

Remember that these discounts should be added to other costs incurred for acquisition: they are elements that, in the form of loss of marginality, contribute to the calculation of CAC. We use them only because they can be effective in bringing new customers into the Wheel, so it is essential to start off on the right foot and begin building a relationship oriented towards recurring purchases already at this stage: users must fall in love with the brand more than the product. To do this, in the welcome sequence for those entering from BOFU, we remind you to: 1. Clearly explain the USP and why the brand is the only one to have this characteristic 2. Reinforce trust, using this sequence to place some of the touchpoints that make up the Base of Advocacy (such as reviews and other) on the user's Customer Journey. UGC)

When the lever used is a discount code we can add an urgency element: an expiration date of the discount code itself. This is essential to move from "I want to buy" to "I want to buy NOW", which makes the difference.

In this phase, where leads already show purchase intent, the welcome sequence should therefore transform into a real sales sequence.

In an e-commerce, don't forget to use dynamic elements within emails, to show users the Best Seller products and re-present those they have already viewed in previous store visits (for which they have therefore expressed an interest), along with those related to them. related.

 

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