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Welcome Email Series: How to Nurture Your Leads

Beefree team
Beefree team
Jun 5, 2019
Welcome Email Series: How to Nurture Your Leads
Welcome Email Series: How to Nurture Your Leads

A welcome email is one of the most important messages your company sends. Why? Because average open rates for welcome emails are super high—reportedly 50% or higher—making them a huge opportunity to dazzle readers. (And you know what they say about first impressions!) But it's not just about a single email. Today we're taking a closer look at welcome email series, the first few emails new subscribers receive after signing up. Successful welcome email series are beautifully designed, reinforce your value proposition, and give readers a reason to click.

Today's inspiration: Harry's

Today we're looking at a series of welcome emails from Harry's, the shaving and grooming brand offering products on subscription. When we signed up to receive Harry's emails last year, we received a series of three welcome emails. The first one arrived the day of signup; the second one came a day later; and the third one came two days after that.

harry's welcome email series best practices

After the welcome series concluded, we started receiving regular promotional emails from the brand. But first, the welcome series accomplished a few things:

  • opened up a line of communication immediately (so we didn't have to wait for the next regularly scheduled campaign)
  • thanked us and celebrated our decision to join the list
  • (re)introduced the brand's value proposition
  • extended a personal connection

These are excellent tactics for engaging customers from the get-go. Let's take a closer look at each email in the welcome series and draw inspiration from how Harry's followed best practices.

Harry's Welcome Email Series 1 of 3: Greet and delight

Subject: Welcome to Harry's!

harry's welcome email series best practices

One of the things we love about all of Harry's emails is the simple, modern design. This welcome email is a no-pressure hello, confirming that we subscribed and thanking us for doing so. Harry's conveys its wish for us (a version of its mission): to make our morning routine more enjoyable. The call-to-action isn't very forward, and it shouldn't be. Harry's knows a good first impression isn't a pushy one. The purpose of this email is to confirm, thank, and greet. At the same time, the email is communicating what to expect from the brand: beautiful design, friendly messaging, and a dash of quirkiness. The mammoth is Harry's mascot, as it were, and this emails' mammoth fact is a silly side note that shows readers Harry's likes to have a little fun, too. Here's the animated GIF that reinforces it:

harry's welcome email series

Design moves we love:

  • No navigation menu, social media icons, or clutter
  • Alternating gray and white HTML background colors
  • Live text and a bulletproof CTA button
  • Simple messaging and design that convey the brand's playfulness

Harry's Welcome Email Series 2 of 3: Show how it works

Subject: The easiest way to try Harry's

harry's welcome email series template

Here, in the second email in the welcome series, Harry's relays more information about its ecommerce offerings. The bold background color in its opening module matches the bolder tone and call-to-action. The purpose of this email is to engage new subscribers, and hopefully get them to move forward with a free trial. To support its mission, Harry's reminds new subscribers of how it works—and we love that the module heading (How does a Shave Plan work?) is so clear and straightforward! Clear communication is key. What follows is three pieces of content, arranged with images and spot illustrations to facilitate easy reading. Armed with more information, readers who are ready to move forward can easily do so by clicking the next CTA button—Get started—which practically jumps off the page, thanks to the ample white space surrounding the bold red-orange button.Design moves we love:

  • Bold header text—the font size makes it easy to read, and it says what it means!
  • Combined use of great product photos and spot illustrations
  • Bulletproof CTA buttons with creative text (no "click here" or "learn more")
  • A short, clear exposition of exactly how it works (Harry's value proposition)

Harry's Welcome Email Series 3 of 3: Get personal

Subject: How can we help you?

harry's welcome email series marketing

In the third message of its welcome email series, Harry's changes it up. Here's a direct, personal, plain text email with no frills. When you're used to marketing emails filling up your promotions folder, this one certainly stands out. The customer service representative introduces himself with his name, establishing a warm, friendly vibe, and is direct about the purpose of the email: to see if I can help get you started with Harry's. How? By replying to the email or giving a call. An email like this is a great way to cut through the noise, make a direct connection, and help motivate customers who might be on the fence.Design moves we love:

  • Live text with plenty of line breaks. It's personal, easy to read, and easy to act on.
  • Suggestion: personalize it! Collect subscribers' first names and use *FNAME* in the opening.

Ready to launch your own welcome email series marketing campaign? Take inspiration from Harry's, which seems to have cracked the code on how to write welcome email series. Start with three core messages: one that greets and thanks new subscribers; one that visually conveys your value proposition and invites readers to act; and one that takes a personal approach to asking how you can help. To get started, check out the BEE editor's collection of ready-to-use templates. You can customize each one in minutes–delete rows, upload your own images, update text, add modules—and you're ready to go! Be sure to check out the welcome and welcome customer templates. Happy designing!

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Now, let's be honest—you’ve likely heard about all of these rotating for the last few years. While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 

Let’s get into it.  

#1. Unique, tailored experiences 

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “We faced the challenge of connecting meaningfully with an audience that expects more than one-size-fits-all communication.” 

When we speak about crafting tailored emails we mean going beyond the recipient's first name in the subject line. We’re talking about optimizing your entire email strategy to design multi-stage touchpoints to nurture leads across the customer lifecycle. As well as, leveraging data to send hyper-personalized, relevant, and engaging emails that feel less like a broadcast message and more like a conversation. 

Many are using AI machine learning algorithms and AI automation to analyze customer interactions, past purchases, browsing habits, website visits, and even social media behavior to curate engaging email content that resonates deeply with the real-time needs of recipients.

For PetLab Co this looked like including content such as an individual’s pet health history or product usage timelines. Damian Grabarzyk expands, “This approach transformed the conversion rate and strengthened customer loyalty. As we look ahead, I see brands in 2025 moving beyond generic personalization to adopt strategies that make customers feel truly understood and valued.”

On the other hand, many are leaning into user-generated content (UGC) for crafting tailored experiences. Customers today are more likely to trust the opinions of peers over branded messages. UGC like customer reviews, testimonials, videos, and photos are the best form of social proof depicting real people using and benefitting from your products or services. 

We see the benefits of using both AI and UGC to get the most out of your email conversions ;). 

#2. AI tools as an addition, not a substitution

Experts at NordPass state, "AI-powered content generation tools are not here to replace email copywriters and marketers. These tools make us more efficient. The smarter the tool is, the better equipped we are to create high-performing email content that drives results." 

AI tools can support us by significantly enhancing the speed, precision, and effectiveness of your emails. For instance while traditionally A/B testing has required a lot of time to analyze small variations with AI you quickly implement and test multiple email elements and make adjustments based on real-time engagement data. There are AI algorithms that can even predict which variations are most likely to resonate with different audience segments, leading to more accurate targeting and faster optimization.

In short, AI tools are revolutionizing the way we craft and optimize our email’s deliverability. There are many different types of AI solutions so we suggest finding the right one for your needs. 

#3. Even more transparency around data

With AI continuing to rise, folks are more and more concerned about where their data is going. That’s where zero-party data collection becomes a key strategy in email marketing, allowing you to gather data directly from customers rather than relying on third-party sources. 

Zero-party data includes information that consumers willingly share, such as preferences, interests, and purchase intentions. This data is often collected through surveys, preference centers, quizzes, or interactive content and is highly valuable because it is shared explicitly, ensuring accuracy and deeper personalization without privacy concerns associated with third-party tracking.

As privacy regulations tighten, zero-party data will empower you to deliver hyper-personalized email experiences while respecting user privacy. This approach will help you build trust, as customers feel more in control of their data, and you gain insights that lead to more relevant and engaging email content.

#4. The death of static emails

With attention span getting shorter day after day, digest-format emails are expected to rise in popularity in 2025. Presenting email content in an easy-to-scan, organized, and minimalistic layout will surely help deliver the most relevant information in a fraction of the time. 

Additionally, interactive emails will allow recipients to directly engage within the email without having to visit a landing page or website. Interactive elements like product carousels, polls, and quizzes create a dynamic experience that keeps subscribers engaged, especially in visually driven industries like fashion brands

So what now? 

You’ve heard these strategies before, but now it’s time to actually put them into action. The brands that win at email marketing in 2025 won’t just be sending emails—they’ll be creating experiences. Whether it’s hyper-personalized content, AI-driven efficiency, zero-party data collection, or interactive emails that break the mold, the key is to stay ahead of the curve.

So, what’s the first strategy you’ll finally implement? Your inbox (and your audience) are waiting.

How to Leverage Email Campaigns to Gather Sincere Product Reviews

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What do customers think about your brand’s products? The best way to find out is to ask them directly, which you can do via strategic email campaigns.

Email makes gathering authentic product reviews quick and easy. By collecting sincere feedback, you can build trust, increase sales, boost loyalty, and innovate product improvements. 

That said, requesting reviews via email requires precise timing, personalized messaging, and lots of engagement optimizations. But don’t worry—we’ll walk you through some key steps to create email campaigns that deliver the valuable feedback you need.

Why product reviews matter

Product reviews do more than confirm that you're meeting customers’ needs. Sincere feedback drives loyalty and sales, offers valuable customer insights, and helps you develop a strategic product development roadmap.

  • Fosters customer loyalty: Requesting and listening to feedback makes your customers feel valued and heard. It demonstrates that you prioritize customer satisfaction, which helps you build stronger, long-term relationships. Review requests also act as re-engagement emails by starting new conversations with customers.
  • Increases sales: Social proof drives sales. According to a recent survey by Power Reviews, 90% of potential customers use online reviews to make purchasing decisions. In fact, reviews have more influence over purchasing decisions than product prices. Turning product reviews into customer testimonials and encouraging reviews on third-party sites can significantly boost sales.
Image sourced from powerreviews.com
  • Builds Customer 360 insights: Customer feedback delivers insights into customer needs and sentiments, enriching Customer 360. Exactly what is Customer 360? It’s a unified, 360-degree view of customer data. It empowers you to tailor products and customer experiences to meet individual needs and preferences. 
  • Drives product improvements: Sincere customer feedback reveals what target customers like/dislike about your products. It provides key insight into their value, functionality, and usability, unlocking large-scale development opportunities.

How to create an email campaign to collect product reviews

Want to unlock the power of product reviews? Let’s explore how to create email campaigns that encourage customers to share their feedback.

Segment your audience

Like promotional emails, product review requests shouldn’t be sent to every subscriber.

If subscribers haven’t had the chance to try your product, product review requests will feel irrelevant and may trigger unsubscriptions. So, only send review email requests to customers recently trying your product.

You can do this by segmenting your email list based on where customers are in the buying cycle. Target loyal customers, recent purchasers, and first-time buyers with tailored email campaigns. This ensures that you’re sending emails to customers most likely to respond with insightful feedback.

Write a compelling email subject line

According to Superoffice, 33% of people open an email based on the subject line. 

Image sourced from superoffice.com

To get the click-through rates you want, your email subject lines should be personalized, relevant, and engaging. Here are some examples:

  • Did you love [product]? Or hate it? Let us know!
  • We value your opinion — help us improve!
  • We want YOU to help us make our product better!
  • Up for a discount? Share your feedback for 10% off! 

Learn more > Tips for writing open worthy subject lines.

Optimize for customer engagement

A successful email marketing strategy relies on customer engagement. Here are some key email elements you need to encourage interactions.

  • An attractive email design: With the right layout, color scheme, typography, and images, you ensure easy readability and promote interaction. Use these engagement-boosting email design best practices to help you create a design that boosts conversion rates.
  • Gratitude and value: Thank customers for reading the email and explaining why their feedback is so important. Also, consider including a personalized Gmail email signature with your content details to build trust and encourage customers to engage with your review request. 
  • Personalized, relevant content: Personalized email content motivates engagement. Use customer data platform (CDP) data to tailor messages to individual customers. What is a CDP? It’s a centralized platform that collects and unifies customer information, building comprehensive customer profiles. 
  • Incentives: Offering a small discount can motivate customers to leave reviews, especially first-time buyers. That said, incentives can (sometimes) generate insincere reviews, so stress the importance of honesty. 
  • A strong call-to-action (CTA): Your CTA should direct readers straight to the reviews submission page. Use clear CTAs with bold buttons and typography to make it stand out.
  • Mobile responsiveness: If your emails are slow to load or don’t display correctly on mobile devices, your bounce rate will spike. Leverage solutions that offer advanced mobile optimization features — such as Beefree— to create responsive emails every single time.

Ask specific, concise questions

Complex, drawn-out questions that are too open-ended can disengage customers. So, get straight to the point with concise, direct questions. Here are some examples:

  • What did you think of [specific product feature]?
  • How often do you use our product?
  • What are your favorite/least favorite features?
  • How likely are you to recommend this product?
  • What could we do to improve our product?

Use a mixture of closed and open-ended questions to increase your chances of receiving meaningful responses.

Make it easy to respond

The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more responses you’ll receive. So, make the process as seamless and convenient as possible. One way to do this is with survey emails.

Email surveys have high response rates. They can be completed within the email with minimal effort, which is a big plus for busy customers. And, they can generate a wealth of quantitative data and metrics that are quick to analyze, leading to faster improvements. BeeFree has an extensive collection of email survey templates to suit every need.

For longer review requests, include a CTA that directly links to the review submission page. Review forms should use simple, clear language, be optimized for mobile, and have a progress bar. 

You could even provide your telephone contact details to allow customers to leave a review via telephone. It’s the preferred communication method for 55% of Baby Boomers according to Hubspot, so it’s worth considering. 

Leverage small business telephone services from Vonage to access call center capabilities like virtual receptionists and CRM integrations, streamlining processes.

Also consider directing customers to leave reviews on popular review sites, such as Google and Amazon.

Optimize email timings

If you send product review requests too early, there’s a chance your customers won’t have tried your product yet. But if you send them too late, your customer might have forgotten their experience. 

So, when’s the best time to request reviews? 

Aim to send review requests within 7-14 days post-purchase. This gives customers a chance to try the product a few times, leading to more sincere, meaningful reviews. Plan for seasonal surges such as Black Friday and incorporate them into your schedules.

Key takeaways

Do email campaigns work for gathering valuable product reviews that drive improvements, boost trust, and increase sales and loyalty? 

Absolutely — but they need to be strategic.

To generate sincere reviews and valuable data, ensure your marketing emails are personalized, engaging, and optimized for convenience. And, use email list segmentation and marketing automation to ensure they’re sent to the right customers at the right time.

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