You just got 500 new subscribers from that lead magnet. You're pumped. So you do what every marketing blog told you to do: set up a 7-email welcome sequence and blast them daily.
By email 3, your open rates have cratered. By email 7, you're talking to yourself.
I ran the numbers on a client's welcome email sequence last month. Email 1: 52% open rate. Email 7: 6%. That's watching your list slowly unsubscribe while you wonder what went wrong.
The problem isn't your copy. It's your entire approach.
What a Welcome Sequence Actually Needs to Do
The goal isn't to send emails. The goal is to build a habit.
You want subscribers to see your name in their inbox and think "oh, this will be good" instead of "ugh, them again."
That takes two things:
Consistency without annoyance. Your emails should feel like a friend checking in, not a salesperson with a quota.
Value before asks. If your first three emails all push products, you've already lost. Give something useful first.
The data backs this up. Welcome emails have 4x the open rate and 5x the click rate of regular campaigns, according to Experian. But only if people actually want to open them.
The 5-Email Welcome Sequence That Actually Works
Stop overcomplicating this. You need five emails.
| Timing | Purpose | CTA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Immediate | Deliver the thing they signed up for | Use it now |
| 2 | Day 2 | Share your best content piece | Read this |
| 3 | Day 4 | Tell your origin story (briefly) | Reply and say hi |
| 4 | Day 7 | Address their biggest objection | Learn more |
| 5 | Day 10 | Soft pitch with social proof | Try it |
That's it. That's the whole sequence.
Most marketers screw up email 1 by burying the download link under three paragraphs of "we're so excited you joined!"
Nobody cares that you're excited. Give them what they came for.
The Timing That Doesn't Annoy People
You're probably emailing too frequently.
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 sequences feel aggressive. Your subscriber just met you. They don't want a relationship that moves this fast.
Space it out:
- Email 1: Immediately (within 5 minutes of signup)
- Email 2: 24-48 hours later
- Email 3: 3-4 days after that
- Email 4: One week from signup
- Email 5: 10 days from signup
After that, transition them to your regular newsletter cadence. Weekly is fine. Daily is psychotic unless you're a news outlet. Need help setting this up? Check out our email marketing automation strategy guide.
Campaign Monitor data shows that emails sent 2-3 days apart have 30% higher engagement than daily sends. Your subscribers have lives. Respect that. If you want to dig deeper into cadence, read our guide on email send frequency.
What to Write When You Have Nothing to Say
"But I don't have enough content for 5 emails!"
Yes you do. Oh please.
Email 1: Deliver the lead magnet. Add one line about what's coming next. Done.
Email 2: Link to your single best blog post or resource. The one that actually helps. Not your homepage.
Email 3: Write 150 words about why you started this business. Make it human. Include a failure. Ask them to reply.
Email 4: Answer the question everyone asks before buying. If it's price, address price. If it's "does this work for [my situation]", address that.
Email 5: Share a customer result. One specific story. Then make a soft offer.
Each email takes 20 minutes to write. Stop overthinking.
The Metrics That Tell You It's Working
Forget vanity metrics. Here's what matters:
Email 1 open rate: Should be 50%+. If it's below 40%, your deliverability is already in trouble or your subject line is boring.
Sequence completion rate: What percentage of subscribers open at least 3 of 5 emails? Below 30% means you're losing them.
Reply rate on email 3: If nobody replies to your origin story, it's either too long or too corporate. Rewrite it.
Unsubscribe rate: Should be under 1% for the whole sequence. Higher means you're either emailing too much or attracting the wrong people. Consider segmenting your email list to send more relevant content.
FAQ
How many emails should be in a welcome sequence?
Five is the sweet spot. Enough to build familiarity without overwhelming new subscribers. More than seven and you're just annoying people.
What should the first welcome email contain?
Deliver whatever they signed up for immediately. If it's a lead magnet, link it in the first line. Don't bury it under paragraphs of introduction. Respect their time.
How often should welcome emails be sent?
Start immediately, then space them 2-4 days apart. Day 1, Day 2, Day 4, Day 7, Day 10 is a solid cadence. Daily emails in a welcome sequence will tank your engagement.
What's a good open rate for welcome emails?
Your first welcome email should hit 50%+ open rate. If you're below 40%, either your deliverability is suffering or your subject line needs work. Welcome emails perform 4x better than regular campaigns when done right.
Should welcome emails sell or just provide value?
Provide value first. Your first 3-4 emails should be purely helpful. Save the pitch for email 5, and even then, lead with social proof rather than hard selling.