Hello there!  This is Maddy Hubbard.  You may know me from my previous blog, Email Marketing Voodoo.  This week Tamara asked if I would be interested in co-authoring  BeRelevant!  As you can imagine, I jumped at the opportunity.

I have opted-in to some new email marketing campaigns and I because I have a new email address, I opted-in to some campaigns I was receiving before.

One of my favorites, CB2,
starts the relationship with their signature tongue and cheek style.  My favorite aspect of their welcome is a reminder that "this is a dialogue  and feedback is always welcome."  It’s nice to see a retailer acknowledge their subscribers as individuals and express that they are open  to suggestions. 

A new campaign I opted in to receive from Sears,
didn’t make me feel very welcome.  And maybe because I  couldn’t get through their message.  Their text email was incredibly long and for most subscribers, I suspect,  just too much to read. 

While it is a well-known best practice to send a welcome message,  what that message looks like and says should  be thought out .  Put yourself in the shoes of your subscribers.  How would you feel if your received your welcome message. 

Your welcome message should set the tone,  set expectations of what your subscribers can expect and also, don’t forget… make your subscribers feel welcome.