Hey Smart Marketers!
Every single SFMC project I’ve been involved in contained a set of journeys.
The most common one being the Welcome Journey.
Many brands do not have a welcome journey.
And there are a lot of things to review for those who have.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned Welcome Series as a Fundamental Journey to have.
Let’s now dive in the Dos and Don’ts of Welcome Series!
The Dos:
- Send the first message immediately: My take is that the first message in a welcome journey should ideally be sent immediately after a subscriber opts in. This helps reinforce the subscriber’s decision to join your list and reduces the likelihood of them forgetting about your brand.
- Personalize messages based on subscriber data: Personalization is a crucial component of any successful welcome journey. Unless you only collect email addresses, you do know a few things. Use them!
- Provide value in every message: Each message in your welcome journey should provide value to the subscriber, whether it’s information about your products or services, helpful tips, or exclusive offers.
- Use a clear and engaging subject line: A compelling subject line can increase the likelihood that a subscriber will open and engage with your message. Make sure your subject line is clear, relevant, and enticing. (If you need help with Copy generation, I mentioned a useful app here!)
- Test and refine the journey over time: To ensure that your welcome journey is effective, it’s important to test and refine it over time based on feedback and performance metrics. Use A/B testing to experiment with different messaging, timing, and other variables to optimize your journey.
The Don’ts
- Delay the first message by more than 24 hours: Delaying the first message by more than 24 hours can lead to a decline in engagement and an increase in unsubscribes. As said earlier, it’s best to send the first message as soon as possible after the opt-in.
- Send too many messages in a short period: Bombarding new subscribers with too many messages in a short period can overwhelm and drive them away. Strike a balance between engaging subscribers and respecting their time and space. (Read more about Marketing Fatigue)
- Not personalizing messages: Failure to personalize messages can make subscribers feel disconnected and reduce the likelihood of engagement. (Read more about personalization mistakes)
- Not segmenting your audience: Not all subscribers are the same. It’s important to segment your audience and tailor messaging to each group based on interests, behavior, or other relevant factors. At subscription, let your subscribers choose their preferences and use this data.
- Failing to test the journey: Failing to test your journey can lead to technical issues or messaging that misses the mark. Testing each step of the journey is essential to ensure that everything is working properly.
Special Advice
While there are a few other things to keep in mind when creating a welcome journey in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, one important consideration is the length of the journey.
Yes, you want to provide value to subscribers, but it’s important not to overdo it and create a journey that is too long or overwhelming. Strike a balance between providing enough information to engage subscribers and keeping the journey concise and focused.
Also, don’t forget to include a clear call to action in each message to encourage subscribers to take the next step in their relationship with your brand.
Other ways I can help you:
- Extend Marketing Cloud capabilities: Have a look at my SFMC AppExchange
- Find a Job: Create your profile on my new job board!