The Art of the Online Community Welcome Email

INTRODUCTIONWhen you are responsible for bringing new members into your online customer or member community, there is no such thing as a second impression. In a world where first impressions are often the only impression that you get, the task to crush it in one interaction can feel daunting.

However, in online community management, your first impression usually involves never actually coming face to face with the person you are aiming to impress. I’m talking about the all-important welcome email.

INTRODUCTIONThe welcome email that is sent to people when they first join your online community is your opportunity to get new community members to like and understand your community enough to want to learn more.There are plenty of generic, “Welcome to the community” emails out there that send automatically after members register for your online community. However, an outstanding community manager like yourself can do better than the norm.

Why Write an Awesome Online Community Welcome Email?

THE ART OF THE ONLINE COMMUNITY WELCOME EMAIL

WHY WRITE A WELCOME EMAIL?First and foremost, we live in an era of countless options where answers are just one Google search away. The first website doesn’t have what we need, so with one click of the back button we are on to the next with no intention of returning.

Keep in mind that every communication coming from your online community is competing with all of the other emails and websites thrust in front of your community members every day.

GOALS OF YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY’S WELCOME EMAILThis is your first chance to engage new members and start them down the path toward becoming regular contributing members

Common goals include:• Guiding members to an active discussion• Connecting new members to active members in the

community• Guiding their journey and relationship with your organization• Establishing the habit of going to the community for helpful

information regularly

GOALS OF YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY’S WELCOME EMAILYour online community’s welcome email is competing against hundreds of other emails in community members’ inboxes. Take the opportunity to stand out.

Writing an engaging and creative welcome email can have a significant impact on new member participation. This is your new community member’s first experience with your community (and sometimes your organization), so take the time to make your welcome email meaningful, memorable, and actionable.

Writing the Perfect Online Community Welcome Email

THE ART OF THE ONLINE COMMUNITY WELCOME EMAIL

WELCOME EMAILWhen writing your welcome email, take time to evaluate your online community's audience. The tactics that work for some communities may not work for all. As with any materials in your online community, you need to consider what makes the most sense for your goals and community members.

Regardless of how you choose to structure your first communication, there are three major themes to avoid. These are three "don’ts" of online community welcome emails.

DON’T AUTOMATE IT COMPLETELYTake the time to personalize the first contact. Personalization and relevance are paramount when it comes to customer engagement. Tools that allow for dynamic content and personalized fields in emails are easy to use and can make a big difference.

In addition to making the email itself personal, you can also customize the cadence of communication. If you are sending a series of welcome emails ( we'll talk more on this later), you can pull reports in your online community software platform that allow you to mention a specific action they have already taken or a new action that you would like them to take that they haven't yet.

DONT MAKE NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTRODUCE THEMSELVESInstead of sending your new members a link to a popular discussion forum why not send them an email introduction looping in the new member and the industry thought leader. New members can be too shy to approach established community members. This is natural and to be expected. By taking the fear out of the interaction, you’ve sent a domino into motion. That thought leader will go on to introduce them and help you involve that new member in the community.

DON’T OVERWHELM NEW COMMUNITY MEMBERSThe right communication model depends on your community and its membership. The advantage of sending multiple welcome communications is that it saves you from sending a long email that can overwhelm new community members and hurt your chances of getting them to get involved in the community then and in the future.

Creating an Effective Subject Line for Your Online Community's Welcome

Email

THE ART OF THE ONLINE COMMUNITY WELCOME EMAIL

EFFECTIVE SUBJECT LINE The subject line of your welcome email is the real first impression that your community will make on its new members. The goal is simply to get people to open your email.

Here are a few examples to get you started:• You read the 2015 State of Email Report, now try

these resources [Litmus]• We're pleased to meet you! [Headspace]• Thanks for joining, Katie [CNET Insider]

Online Community Management Takeaway

THE ART OF THE ONLINE COMMUNITY WELCOME EMAIL

TAKEAWAYGetting new members in your online community is a never-ending process. Writing a compelling welcome email is just one of many tools used to engage and encourage members to participate. However, by shifting some of your focus to engaging those members who have recently joined the community, you can make a measurable impact on the health of your online community.