Email and customers · Lesson 5.2
Free Welcome Email Template: Copy, Fill, Ship
The blank page is the slowest part of writing a welcome email. This post removes it. Below is a template you can copy, a filled example next to it, three subject lines to choose from and a checklist to run before you switch it on. It should take you about fifteen minutes.
Copy the template, replace the brackets, keep it near 150 words, run the checklist, and switch on the automation.
The template
Copy everything between the lines and paste it into your email tool.
Subject: [Welcome, here is your (thing they signed up for)] Hi [first name], Thanks for joining. I am [your name], and I help [who you help] [what you help them do]. Here is the [thing you promised]: [link]. [One sentence on the quickest way to use it, about five minutes]. One question: [easy question about their biggest problem]? Just hit reply with a sentence. I read every answer. I will send [how often] about [topic]. Next, you will get [what the next email is]. [Your name] [One line: role or company]
The same template, filled in
This example is made up to show you the shape. Use your own details.
Subject: Welcome, here is your pricing checklist Hi Priya, Thanks for joining. I am Rafay, and I help small business owners price their work without guessing. Here is the checklist you asked for: [link]. Start with item one. It takes about five minutes and usually shows a price that is too low. One question: what is the hardest part of pricing for you right now? Just hit reply with a sentence. I read every answer. I will send one short email each Tuesday about getting paid properly. Next, you will get a simple way to work out your hourly cost. Rafay Founder, Halftime
That is about 105 words, so you have room to add a two sentence story if you like.
Three subject line options
Pick one and test it against another after a few hundred sends.
- Direct: "Welcome, here is your [thing]"
- Question: "Quick question about your [topic]"
- Promise: "Your first three steps (2 minutes)"
Keep it short so it is less likely to get cut off in a preview, and do not use all caps. Check how it looks in the test email you send to your own phone.
What to put in each blank
| Blank | Good | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Who you help | Small business owners, new dog owners | Everyone, people who want more |
| What you help them do | Price their work, train a puppy | Reach their potential |
| Thing you promised | Exactly what the form offered | Something different |
| Easy question | One you can answer in a sentence | Open ended essays |
| How often | One short email each Tuesday | Regularly |
Fill it faster with AI
If you want a head start, paste the template into an AI assistant along with a short brief. Give it:
- Who you help and what they signed up for.
- Your tone in a few words, such as plain, warm, no hype.
- A sentence about you that is true.
- Instructions to ask you questions first, and then to write three subject lines and the email in under 150 words.
Then read the result out loud and change anything you would not say. The reason this works, and how to build a reusable brief, is the subject of Lesson 5.2, A welcome email people actually open.
The pre send checklist
Run this before you switch the automation on.
- Read it aloudDoes it sound like you? Cut anything that does not.
- Count the asksOne useful thing and one question. No more.
- Send two testsUse two addresses on different providers.
- Check placementInbox, not promotions or spam. If not, check your tool's sender authentication.
- Click every linkOn a phone, not just a computer.
- Check the replyHit reply and confirm it reaches you.
Set it to send itself
In your email tool, make an automation. Trigger: new subscriber added to the list. Action: send this email, immediately. If you have several signup forms, either attach the automation to all of them or make one version for each. If you keep subscribers in a central list, as taught in Lesson 5.1, Every customer in one place, the trigger can sit on that list.
What to do with the replies
Read them. Reply to the interesting ones within a day, and sooner if you can. The answers to your question tell you what to write next, and the second email in your series should respond to the most common answer. Planning that run is covered in Lesson 5.3, An email journey that keeps paying.
Make it yours over time
After a month, change one thing. Try a new subject line, a different question or a shorter body. Record the date and the numbers before and after. A template is a starting point, and the version that fits you will emerge over a few rounds.
Questions people ask
Can I use this template for any business?
Yes. The structure works for most lists. Change the blanks to fit your reader and your promise.
Should the email be plain text?
A plain or lightly styled email can feel more personal. Use whichever you can keep consistent, and test it.
How do I make the first email less salesy?
Give the useful thing first, ask a question instead of pitching, and save any offer for a later email.
Before you send it
Read the email once as the person who just signed up. Does the first line tell them why they are getting it? Is there one clear next step? Is anything in it a promise you cannot keep? Send it to yourself first and open it on a phone, because most people will read it there. If a sentence needs two reads to make sense, shorten it.
Go deeper with the lesson
This guide gives you the idea. Lesson 5.2, A welcome email people actually open takes you through it step by step, in plain words, so you can do it for your own business.