> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.beabee.io/community-journalismus/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.beabee.io/community-journalismus/english/community-centred-methods/use-a-welcome-series-to-build-trust.md). # Use a welcome series to build trust *This article is based in part on the content of* [*"The Six Types of Welcome Emails"*](https://inboxcollective.com/the-six-types-of-welcome-emails/) *by Dan Oshinsky (Inbox Collective), as well as the Blaupause newsletter* [*"*](https://blaupause.community/posts/b2306f5e-5c4e-427e-834d-01cc169107e4)[*Du brauchst einen E-Mail-Automaten"*](https://blaupause.community/posts/b2306f5e-5c4e-427e-834d-01cc169107e4) *by Sebastian Esser.* A welcome series consists of several automated emails that new newsletter subscribers or community members receive immediately after signing up. It helps you welcome new contacts, familiarize them with your organization, and start building a relationship with them from the very beginning. *** ### Why should you use a welcome series? Especially immediately after signing up, people’s interest in what you have to offer is particularly high. A welcome series allows you to make the most of this moment by introducing your organization, setting expectations for your newsletter, and showcasing your most important content. At the same time, you can gradually guide new contacts toward a desired action for example, reading an article, recommending the newsletter to others, becoming a member, making a donation, or sharing more about themselves and their interests. The numbers also make a strong case for using a welcome series. According to Klaviyo (2022), welcome emails achieve an average open rate of 55.6 percent and a click rate of 6.5 percent. Regular newsletters, by comparison, average open rates of around 43 percent and click rates of about 1.5 percent. Conversion rates such as completing a membership sign-up or making a donation are also often higher for welcome emails. Beyond better performance metrics, a welcome series has another advantage: it ensures that new contacts hear from you immediately after signing up and become familiar with seeing your name in their inbox. In the long run, this can help increase the likelihood that future newsletters are opened and reduce the chances of them ending up in the spam folder. Especially if you want to build an active community, however, a welcome series is much more than a marketing tool. It helps you build trust from the outset, strengthen your relationship with your contacts, and learn more about their interests, knowledge, or motivations. At the same time, you can encourage new members of your community to get actively involved for example, by providing feedback, suggesting topics, or contributing to your work. *** ### When should you use a welcome series? A welcome series is suitable for any organization that regularly sends newsletters or is building a community. It is particularly useful when several days or even weeks pass between someone signing up for example, for your newsletter or community and your next regular message. Without a welcome email, new subscribers may sign up but then hear nothing from you for a while. An automated series can help you bridge this gap effectively. *** ### Choosing the right emails for your welcome series There is no one-size-fits-all template for a welcome series. The content you include and the number of emails you send will depend on your goals and your audience. Instead, think of a welcome series as a collection of different email types that you can combine to create a sequence tailored to your organization's needs. #### Welcome Email The welcome email is the first message in your series and should be sent immediately after someone signs up. Its main purpose is to welcome new subscribers or community members and thank them for their interest in your organization. Use a warm, friendly greeting such as *"Welcome!"* or *"Thanks for signing up,"* and briefly explain what subscribers can expect going forward. This might include the topics your newsletter covers, how often you send emails, your organization's mission and values, or the different ways people can get involved in your community. Your welcome series should reflect the same tone and voice as your regular newsletter. Avoid generic marketing language or interchangeable boilerplate, and instead stay true to your organization's style and personality. If a personal touch is important to you and your email platform supports personalization, you can also use merge tags to automatically insert details such as the subscriber's first name. #### Introduction Email An introduction email gives your audience a chance to meet the people behind your newsletter or community. Its purpose is to build trust by putting faces and personalities behind your organization. Rather than introducing just one person, you can feature several members of your editorial team or organization. Short personal introductions, team profiles, or brief stories about who they are and what they do can make your organization feel more approachable and authentic, helping to build a stronger connection with your readers. #### Survey Email A survey email helps you get to know new subscribers or community members better. However, it should not be sent immediately after sign-up. Give new contacts some time to become familiar with your organization and what you offer before asking them to share more about themselves. The primary goal is not to gather feedback on your newsletter or organization, but to learn more about the people who have joined your community. This information can help you create more relevant content, better understand your audience, and identify opportunities for deeper engagement. You might ask questions such as: * What motivated you to support our organization? * Which topics are you most interested in? * What issues would you like us to cover more extensively? * How would you like to contribute to our community? * In your own words, what do you hope to get out of being part of our community? * What roles or perspectives do you bring to our community? * What knowledge or experience could you share with others? * Could you tell us a bit more about your expertise or experience? For example, the editorial team at Spotlight Gelsenkirchen supplemented their introduction email with a welcome survey. This allows them to learn about new readers' interests, expertise, and potential ways they might actively contribute to the community from the very beginning. A detailed description of the welcome survey, along with a ready-to-use template, can be found [here](/community-journalismus/english/community-centred-methods/community-engagement-through-surveys/non-journalistic-engagement.md). #### Activation Email An activation email is designed around a single, clear goal and includes one specific call to action. For example, you might invite readers to read an important article, follow your organization on social media, listen to your podcast, or register for an upcoming event. Where possible, focus on just one action. Including too many calls to action can make the email feel overwhelming and distract readers from the outcome you want to achieve. #### Recommendation Email A recommendation email highlights a curated selection of content, resources, or offerings that best represent your organization. This might include evergreen articles, popular newsletter editions, useful resources, events, projects, or community initiatives. New subscribers are often unfamiliar with what you have to offer. Use this opportunity to introduce them to the content that provides the best starting point or best reflects your organization's mission and work. Review these recommendations regularly and update them as needed. Outdated content or expired offers can quickly leave an unprofessional impression. #### Support Email A support email invites readers to become members, make a donation, or purchase another paid offering. To encourage people to support your organization financially, explain both the impact of their contribution and the benefits they receive in return. Although this email has a clear fundraising or conversion goal, it should not read like a sales brochure. Instead, tell the story of why your organization relies on support and focus on the value that readers can help create. If appropriate, you can also include a limited-time offer or special incentive to encourage people to take action. *** ### What your welcome series could look like You don't need to include every type of email in your welcome series. In many cases, a sequence of just three or four emails is enough to welcome new subscribers or community members, build trust, and encourage further engagement. The example from [Spotlight Gelsenkirchen](https://gelsenkirchen.correctiv.org/) illustrates what a welcome series might look like in practice for a small newsroom:
Day 0 As soon as someone subscribes to your newsletter, they receive a welcome email.
2 days later To build trust from the very beginning, send an introduction email featuring the people behind your organization. You can also include a welcome survey, inviting new subscribers to tell you a little about themselves.
4 days later In a recommendation email, highlight a selection of your best or most widely read articles.
7 days later Send your first support email, introducing your membership program. Explain what members receive, how the membership supports your organization, and how much it costs.
14 days later Send a second support email with a slightly different message, giving readers another opportunity to become a member or support your organization.
30 to 60 days later Send a short feedback survey asking subscribers how they like the newsletter and what could be improved. Besides providing valuable insights to help you refine your offering, it also creates another opportunity to encourage readers to become members or support your organization.
*Note**:** The Spotlight Gelsenkirchen newsletter is published in German only. For the purpose of this guide, we have generated this example in English as a one-off translation to illustrate the structure and content of the welcome series.* *** ### Measuring the success of your welcome series Before launching your welcome series, decide how you will measure its success. Common metrics include: * Open rate * Click-through rate * Conversion rate, such as memberships or donations * Replies to your emails * Survey participation Review these metrics regularly and identify which emails perform particularly well. This will help you improve and optimize your welcome series step by step. *** ### Suitable tools Many newsletter service providers already offer built-in features for automated welcome series. These include Mailchimp, Brevo, MailerLite, ActiveCampaign, and Klaviyo, for example. Which solution is best for you depends on your requirements and budget. When choosing a tool, make sure it supports automated email sequences, time-based sending rules, and personalization. If your current newsletter provider does not support automation, you can either send individual welcome emails manually or switch to a specialized service for this purpose. Many CRM systems also allow you to send automated welcome emails or entire welcome series, particularly when people sign up to join a community. ***

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