10 Welcome Emails To Build Trust for the Long-Term

We all know that first impressions are super important - you don’t get a second chance at a first impression, right? 

That’s why it’s key to get your first impression right, especially when it comes to emailing a new subscriber.

When someone signs up to your mailing list, you want to hit them with an engaging email that will make them thankful that they’ve signed up for your newsletter. 

We all receive welcome emails regularly, but most of them are unmemorable and ultimately result in you unsubscribing. This is why it’s so important to get your welcome emails right, which is where we come in!

In this article, we’ll talk you through everything there is to know about welcome emails, from what they are, to 10 of the best welcome email examples to give you some inspiration. 

We’ll also talk you through the key elements that every great welcome email should have, and why welcome emails are so important.

What Is a Welcome Email?

A welcome email is an email that a new subscriber would receive after signing up to your mailing list. 

These emails are usually automated and are triggered when somebody new subscribes.

This type of email will introduce the new contact to your brand, telling them a little more about you and what they can expect from you as a subscriber. 

Why Is a Welcome Email Important?

The reason why a welcome email is so important is because it’s the first direct contact between you and your subscriber. They might know a little bit about your brand already which has encouraged them to join your mailing list, but they haven’t heard from you directly yet, so this is your opportunity to affirm their choice to subscribe and set a great first impression.

Welcome emails tend to yield high open rates as a subscriber is generally engaged at this point as they have just signed up.

Welcome emails can also be leveraged as a way to instantly build trust with a new audience member by thanking them for signing up.

10 Welcome Email Examples

Here are 10 examples of great welcome emails to give you some inspiration for your welcome email template. We’ll highlight the standout elements of each example to build up a list of key components every welcome email should have.

1. Tango

The first welcome email example we love is this template from Tango, a company that helps automate step-by-step guides using screenshots.

Here are some points that we love about this email template:

• Clear welcoming graphic

• Personalization including the subscriber’s first name

• Quick CTA of how to use their services

This welcome email is clear, simple, and to the point. 

We love that they’ve chosen to address the new subscriber by their first name as it helps to show the brand is keen to have a personal relationship with their audience and ultimately builds trust.

2. Seraphine

Next up is a welcome email from Seraphine, a brand specializing in maternity clothes.

This email has some great features including the following:

• Emphasis on the lifespan of the brand (20+ years)

• Three clear Unique Selling Points (USPs)

• An incentive providing the new subscriber with a discount

Seraphine has welcomed a new subscriber admirably, by providing some more information about their brand including the fact that they’ve been in business for over 20 years. This builds trust as it suggests the brand is experienced in their field, they’ve offered the new subscriber a 10% off discount code, which is a great way of getting them on board as a new customer.

3. Boomerang For Gmail

Our next welcome email template is from Boomerang for Gmail, a company that helps to make calendar scheduling and other email management tools using Google much easier.

Here’s what we think this brand did well:

• Welcoming introduction congratulating the subscriber on signing up

• Engaging video demonstrating how their services work

• Some key reasons why their service is important

This email template is more detailed than most, but clearly demonstrates why their services are important which is reassuring to the new subscriber.

4. Loom

Loom is a brand that makes video messaging easier, providing functionality such as screen recording, shareable links, and time-stamped comments.

Their welcome email includes the following features that work masterfully:

• A personalized letter from the Loom team that introduces their brand

• A highlight of how many subscribers the brand has (14 million) to show the subscriber they’re part of a bigger community

• Clear links to how you can start using their system

This email template is clear, welcoming, and to the point which makes it a pleasure to read and trust-instilling. It also makes the user feel part of a larger community - here’s some advice on the power of community in email marketing.

5. Wise

Next up is Wise (formerly known as TransferWise), a financial tech company helping people save money on international transactions. 

Some of the things well executed by Wise include:

• Instant Call To Action (CTA) above the fold inviting you to get started with using their services

• FAQ section inviting subscribers to learn more

• Links to their Trustpilot Account and credibility resources to build trust with a new subscriber

This template is informative, great for drawing users back to their website, and provides a  reassuring message to subscribers that they’ve signed up for a credible brand.

6. Fiverr

Fiverr is an online marketplace that pairs freelancers who are looking for work with brands that need work carried out.  

This Welcome Email template has the following great features:

• Clear CTA to start using their services

• A section showing off their top services with well-designed graphics

• Links to their social media channels

This template is simple but effective, directing users where to go next and showing subscribers where else they can connect with their brand.

7. RingGo

RingGo is a parking app that helps users pay online for parking services, rather than needing to pay using cash.

Their welcome email is engaging for the following reasons:

• Includes a thank you section at the top, building an instant connection and trust with their new subscriber

• Reassurance that the subscriber’s details have been stored safely and securely

• 6 key USPs of their brand

• Clear call out to their live chat service if the subscriber requires any help

This template from Fiverr is highly focused on trust and reassurance, showing users where they can get help and reassuring them of why they signed up in the first place.

8. Zoopla

Next up on our list is a welcome email from Zoopla, a real estate company based in London that advertises properties currently for sale with different estate agents across the UK.

Their welcome email is great for the following reasons:

• Short and sweet

• Immediate invitation for the subscriber to set their email preferences which can help to reduce unsubscribe rates moving forward

• Three key USPs reassuring the subscriber of why they’ve signed up to their mailing list

This email template is considerably shorter than some of the others—  but this works in their favor as it gives the new subscriber quick information about their brand and welcomes them to their mailing list. 

We like that they’ve included a CTA for setting email preferences — this will make the subscriber feel that their opinion is valued and that they won’t be bombarded with marketing emails. This is also helpful for the brand as it helps to reduce irritated subscribers and should help lower unsubscribe rates in the long term.

9. Bitly

Bitly is an online tool that shortens URLs, which helps to make posting long links more visually appealing.

We like their welcome email template for the following reasons:

• An immediate thank you to the subscriber for signing up to their mailing list

• A quick, three-step walk-through of how to use Bitly

• Clear CTA of ‘Shorten Link’ to get users started with their services

Another template that is short and to the point, this welcome email is quick to thank their new subscriber for signing up, generating trust, and pointing users in the right direction for using their link shortener.

10. HP

Lastly, we have a welcome email template from HP, a tech company specializing in selling printers and online applications to help people manage home printing.

Here are three elements of this email template that work well:

• Emotive welcome message of “We are glad you are here”

• Three extra features of their brand that the subscriber may not be aware of

• Quick links for how to install their app

This company has started its email template successfully by using an emotive message to thank the user for subscribing. This is likely to make the subscriber feel valued and glad that they’ve signed up. For some more tips on emotive messaging based on psychology-backed tips for welcome emails, take a look at the beehiiv blog.

What Should a Good Welcome Email Have?

Based on the above welcome email templates, here is a comprehensive list of all the features a good welcome email should demonstrate:

• Clear and concise messaging/design - This makes the email enjoyable and easy to read.

• Emotive thank you message - Emotive messaging makes the user feel valued and builds a connection between the brand and the subscriber.

• Personalization such as the subscriber’s first name/thanking the subscriber in letter form - These elements encourage the subscriber to feel seen and provide a personal approach which helps to build trust.

• Incentives such as discounts/early access - Incentifying the user with discount codes will help them interact quickly and start using the brand’s services quickly.

• Prominent CTAs to encourage users to use the brand’s services - CTAs direct users where to go next, helping to increase Click Through Rates (CTRs) and increase conversion. For more tips on increasing CTR, check out how Fantasy Life increased CTRs by 200% using beehiiv!

• Emphasis on key aspects of the brand such as credibility, years active, or subscriber numbers - This can build trust with a subscriber and reassure them that they’ve joined a mailing list of a credible brand.

• Unique Selling Points (USPs)/information on how to use their services - USPs help remind users of why they’ve signed up to a list and it’s also beneficial to help users use a brand’s services by walking them through the process.

• Links to social media channels/other places subscribers can connect - Links to social media channels will encourage a user to connect with a brand in other areas, increasing the chance of them interacting with a company.

• Reassurance that the subscriber’s details have been stored safely and securely/options to unsubscribe from certain mailing lists - This provides reassurance and trust that the brand is responsible, and can be trusted to store details correctly.

Why listen to me? I have been working in the digital marketing space for nearly eight years, predominantly helping brands with their email marketing and online presence. I now specialize in creating great content surrounding email newsletters to help individuals and companies nail their email strategies.

Wrap-Up - How beehiiv Can Help

Hopefully, you now know how to create the best welcome email and can get started setting one up yourself to build trust with your new subscribers straight away.

Learn more about setting up an automated welcome email here.

To get started setting up your own welcome email, sign up for beehiiv. The beehiiv platform will give you everything you need to set up an engaging welcome email, from automated journeys to beautiful email templates.

Start your free trial with beehiiv today and get started with your first Welcome Email!