If you’re gearing up for a fitness challenge—like a Marathon—here’s what you don’t do: You don’t start your first day by running 26 miles.
(I promise, this is related to email marketing)
Doing so will kill you.
Instead, you start small, build up strength, get enough rest, and gradually move toward your ultimate goal.
It’s the same for everything in life.
I’ve met so many companies that haven’t been emailing for ages, and they want to start with the most complicated automation in the world.
It’s a costly mistake.
Start simple.
Test.
Optimize.
Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Now, back to my 100 Welcome Sequences Challenge.
Yes, I’ve been writing welcome sequences for years…
But I want to use this opportunity to explore various strategies and techniques, distilling the most important lessons.
So, today, we launch with:
The “Almost Too Simple” Welcome Sequence
RECAP OF THE CHALLENGE [100WSC]
Before we dive in, here’s a quick recap for newcomers:
A while ago, my mentor told me that if you want to become the best in the world, all you have to do is do the thing EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Fine.
Here’s my journey to becoming the World’s #1 Welcome Sequence Guy For Ecommerce with the 100 Welcome Sequences Challenge [100WSC]
With that being said…
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Existing Welcome Sequence
>> Tap to See Existing Welcome Email <<
- Now, it’s good that they already have one welcome email. You’ll be surprised how many e-commerces don’t have anything at all.
- The problem is that this email does very little to build bonds and relationships. Hence, you’re missing out on the opportunity to create better customers in the long term.
- Yes, it tells the subscribers what they sell: heavy-duty machinery, workshop tools, or home and gardening essentials. But that’s it.
- I still don’t know anything about the company. There’s no story, personality, or attraction, so I have nothing to “like.”
- Also, I don’t understand why I should pick THA over hundreds of competitors. (In other words, what makes you better?)
- The email leads with a BIG image, which loads much longer. This means that when I open the email—especially in Outlook—I see only a blank page. In many cases, people will jump immediately.
- It’s always better to send from a “real person ” because people want to talk to people, not faceless corps. Ideally, your welcome emails should come from the face of your company—the owner, founder, CEO, etc.
Finally, the biggest problem is…
- There’s only one email. There’s no follow-up, no reminder, nada. They say you need at least seven “touches” to turn a prospect into a customer. If you’re not reaching them through emails, you must stay top-of-mind using ads, which cost an arm and a leg.
NEW STRATEGY BREAKDOWN
I won’t introduce the brand here because I’ve written another article in the past. (Storytelling Weekly – #022 Trade Hero Australia)
Now…
I should be recording a Loom to walk you through how & why I wrote this.
But I’m a Writer.
It’s much easier for me to write.
If I do record a video, I’ll update this post.
So, let’s dive in:
I learned about the “Almost Too Simple” Welcome Sequence from a marketing guru. I won’t mention his name here because…
You don’t want anything to do with his company.
(I ended up filing an FTC Fraud complaint on them)
But I’ll also admit, this is likely the simplest approach for a Welcome Sequence. Of course, when you simplify to this degree…
There are costs.
- This strategy ONLY makes sense if you’re emailing daily-ish.
Because the welcome sequence is so short, you must sustain their attention with live broadcasts. And because you don’t know when people will subscribe, you must broadcast almost daily.
- Because you only have a few emails, it’s actually harder to write.
In general, you want to do a few things in your welcome sequence:
– Introduce yourself
– Build expectation
– Boost deliverability
– Frame the problem
– Create positive associations with your brand
– Form negative associations with your competitors
– Spotlight your product, feature, benefit
– Provide proofs
– Enforce urgency & scarcity
But the problem is…
You only have three emails to do this.
This means you have to do A LOT of things in each campaign (especially the first one). This is typically a bad practice because you want to focus on one idea per email.
Without further ado, let’s look at the emails:
WELCOME SEQUENCE STRUCTURE
Email 0 – Welcome Email w/ Origin Story
- Greeting
- Reaffirm subscription
- Discount code
- Origin Story (problem, challenge, mechanism)
- CTA
- Proof
- PS – Quick recap
Email 1 – Follow Up For Reply
- Boost deliverability
- Get them to open/click the original Welcome Email
Email 2 – Deadline Reminder
- Strengthen urgency
- Get them to open/click the original Welcome Email
Welcome Sequence Sample
Email #0 – Origin Story (send immediately)
subject: Welcome to the battalion—gift inside
Preview: (don’t forget to redeem your limited-time discount)
It’s Val & Rob here—the founders of Trade Hero Australia.
We’re super excited that you’ve joined our email list, and it’s the only thing Rob is talking about right now. (it’s scary because he only talks about inventories)
But before I’m carried away, here’s your limited-time discount code:
[Welcome Code]
Use this code to get 5% off your next order. It expires in 3 days… so act now.
With that being said…
Here’s why we’re so excited for you:
It’s hard to find commercial-grade tools that are durable, easy to use, and sturdy as hell – at a decent price.
When we entered the market in 2017, we couldn’t find anything we’re proud of using.
~ The jacks and stands are wobbly
~ The screwdrivers wear off in a week
~ The wrenches break like a twig
It’s like every company is cutting corners to save costs. And you, my fellow tradies, pay the price in time, money, and safety.
This has to stop.
Hard-working people like you deserve so much better.
That’s why we went on a mission—to become the hero for over 1.1 million tradesmen (and even more makers) in Australia by…
- Finding the most useful tools
- Dig through every review online
- Discover what needs to be upgraded
- Improve the functionality plus quality
- Go to war with the factory to keep the price affordable
It’s one hell of an uphill battle because…
The major players (& retailers) don’t want to give you a better option.
They want to charge you a premium for a shaky floor jack.
(Quick Tip: Want to know if you’re using low-quality tools? Look at the weight. If it’s way lighter than our version, it’s because the material isn’t commercial-grade.)
But there’s a reason we used Spartan Warriors as our logo. We are not going down without a bloody fight… and we can do this ALL day.
The result?
You can find a selection of hundreds of commercial-grade tools and heavy machinery at the best price here:
>> https://tradeheroaustralia.com <<
(⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 99.2% positive rating on eBay)
While at it, remember to use [welcome code] to save 5% on your first order. But don’t wait too long—the code expires in 3 days.
And this is why we’re so excited for you.
Keep fighting,
Val & Rob & The Whole TradeHero Team
P.S. – If you’re a Tradie in Australia, meaning:
* You’re an automotive or motorbike enthusiast
* You want some Big Boy’s gardening tools
* You’re a farmer looking to upgrade your systems
* You’re looking for guns and fireproof safe
We have the best tools for you, such as:
[insert 3 best-selling tools image]
[welcome code] 5% discount code expires in 3 days
Email #1 – Follow Up (~30mins later)
Subject Line: did you receive this?
Preview: special one-time offer
Hey, it’s Val here…
I’m sneaking out an email while Rob is counting the inventories.
(he’s been talking about you joining our list—nonstop—for the last 30 minutes)
Anyhoo, I want to follow up with you to see…
Did you receive the 5% Welcome Code in the welcome email?
[search subject line: Welcome to the battalion—gift inside]
If so, can you reply to let me know?
I know this is a hassle. To make up for your time…
Our team will manually forward you a unique 10% discount code as a thank-you note. (we don’t do a lot of discounts here at Trade Hero, so this is pretty rare)
Cheers,
Val
Email #2 – Deadline (2D later, didn’t buy)
Subject Line: Help me help you
Preview: expiring in 3, 2, 1…
Hey, it’s me again.
(Val from TradeHero, remember?)
So…
I’m curious—do you hate money? 😉
I’m kidding, but it does strike me as a bit weird.
You joined our newsletter two days ago, and we sent you a welcome 5% discount code. [search subject line: Welcome again (action required)]
However, you haven’t picked up anything yet.
Maybe you’re just busy, and that’s perfectly fine.
But because time is ticking… your 5% off Welcoming Discount Code [welcome code] expires soon. So, I want to make sure you don’t miss out.
Here are a few of our best sellers you can pick from:
[insert 3 best-selling tools image – segment based on click]
[welcome code] 5% discount code expires in 1 day
Kind Regards,
Val
P.S. – If you have any questions—about a product, shipping, or checkout—let us know. We’re here to help.
CONCLUSION
See?
I told you this is the most straightforward approach.
Just to be clear:
This is NOT the go-to strategy I would recommend for most e-commerces.
However, it is an easy place to start.
With that being said…
Let me help you install your new Welcome Sequence.