Avoid overwhelming new subscribers by creating an exclusion rule in your email platform. Prevent them from receiving general weekly broadcasts until they have finished your initial welcome sequence. This provides a focused, high-value first impression and prevents message fatigue from the start.
After an immediate first email and a follow-up a few days later, the third email in a welcome series should be sent on day eight. This matches the day of the week they signed up, capitalizing on the possibility that this day represents their free time.
A welcome email is more than a confirmation; it's a prime opportunity. Capitalize on the user's peak engagement by immediately including a call to action. For e-commerce, this should be a direct prompt to start shopping, as that is likely why they subscribed.
Don't use the same formula (e.g., personalization-problem-solution) for every email in a sequence. Mix in different structures, such as a short value-add email, a two-sentence direct ask, or a problem-social proof format, to keep the prospect engaged and avoid predictability.
Extend your automation beyond the inbox. When a user joins your email list, automatically add them to a custom ad audience for educational or retargeting campaigns to stay top-of-mind. Simultaneously, add them to an exclusion list for top-of-funnel acquisition campaigns to avoid wasting ad spend on existing contacts.
Sending all your automated emails at a predictable time, like 9 AM, trains your audience to ignore them, turning them into "wallpaper." To break this pattern and make automations feel less robotic, vary the send times significantly, even using unconventional hours like 8 PM.
Instead of forcing subscribers to unsubscribe during busy periods like holidays, provide a link that lets them 'snooze' emails for 30 days. This is achieved by applying a temporary exclusion tag via an automation, which boosts retention by giving readers a break without losing them for good.
When launching a LinkedIn newsletter, the platform notifies all your followers. The best tactic is to wait for this initial wave of subscribers to join *before* sending your first issue. Publishing too quickly means most of your new audience will miss the inaugural email, wasting the launch's momentum.
Don't build elaborate welcome sequences before you have subscribers. The priority is validating your idea and growing your list. This avoids building features for a non-existent audience. A simple three-sentence welcome email is sufficient for early stages.
To manage multiple overlapping email series without spamming subscribers, dedicate specific days to certain sequences. For example, a "Throwback Thursday" email only goes out on Thursdays. This ensures subscribers on different timelines aren't overwhelmed with multiple automated messages on the same day.
Extend your automation strategy beyond the inbox by funneling your email lists into advertising platforms. Use these lists to create custom audiences for educational "air cover" ads to stay top-of-mind, and simultaneously as exclusion lists for other campaigns to improve ad spend efficiency.