Your email strategy is one that should be all encompassing. From the email customers get upon signing up for your newsletter, to their password reset email, each of these should be optimized for success. Most important of these is the email that welcomes a person to your service, your product and ultimately your business family.Why? The answer one that’s both simple and obvious — your introductory email is all about making a solid first impression.While there’s always some sort of trigger that’s tripped in order for someone to sign up for your email in the first place, the introductory email is a true and formal meeting between a business and a consumer.Just like a typical introduction, you’ve probably said something similar to people before — “hi, I’m so-and-so”. It’s nice to meet you. Unlike other meetings, there’s also a bit of personal notice thrown in there. In real life you might say “I really love that dress you’re wearing,” but the online format is something along the lines of “thanks for buying this particular product.”In case your own introductory email strategy isn’t up to par, or it’s non-existent as of yet, we’ve got the rundown on some basic tips and tricks to make yours the best it can be.
Start Off On the Right Foot
As simple as it sounds, how you start the “conversation” is the most pivotal moment inside your introductory email. The opening line sets the tone – are you going for super personal, or more indirect and proper. Business blog aggregate Business 2 Community’s post on introductory emails gives the following example:
- “Dear Sir/Madam, I would be grateful if you could inform me about the new restaurant you opened in the Bronx.”
- “Hello Mr. Smith, How are you? I just wanted to ask you about the new restaurant you’re opening in the Bronx.”
The first is very informal. This immediately tells your customer that you’re not trying to engage with them on a personal level, especially if you don’t even differentiate a gender. This is the kind of email they know gets sent out to everyone — there’s nothing special here.A more conversational tone and a direct nod to the recipient, however, opens up the door for communication. You’re engaging with a person and not just a mailing list, and customers respect that.
Start Taking Notes
Being honest, it can be hard to offer advice for the actual bulk of an email outside of its skeleton — at least when we’re speaking in specifics. There are a lot of tips we can offer in a general sense, but the bulk of your introductory email is going to be specific to your own business. What products and services are you wanting to focus on? How can you advertise them to your specific audience?Instead of trying to hit the nail on the head for every industry out there, HubSpot has compiled a list of great intro email examples, and we’d like to point out some great takeaways here that everyone can focus on.
- Virgin America makes it known very quickly what the tone of their business is, and they do this by including their signature nuances and phrases in their introductory email copy. This sets the tone for your business and makes consumers feel more at ease.
- InVision gives quick, visual examples of how to actually use the app they’re trying to promote. When you can give visual references, do so.
- The preview text for Food52’s introductory email is cheeky and clever while still being brand focused. No matter what the tone, make sure that the preview text of your email is something that commands attention.
These are only a few examples of great introductory email tips. Look through some yourself and start taking notes on what works and what doesn’t.
End On a High Note
In the same vein, your introductory email should also end on the upswing. Think of the following formula when you craft your first introductory email:
- Introduction — the more personal, the better.
- Middle — personalized and important information you want to share currently.
- Closing — a personalized and grateful note for their subscription or engagement.
In reality, your closing doesn’t have to be a thank you – the thank you can be one of the first things you say. Going back to the HubSpot example list, the first entry is from Kate Spade who puts her own email “thank you” in gigantic bold letters.It’s up to you to come up with the meat of this sandwich, but the two pieces of bread (introduction, closing) are across the board.If you really want to get on the good side of a customer, make sure you thank them for their business and engagement. After all, no one forced them to sign up for your email. They did that of their own volition, and that’s something to be thankful for.