The Case for Email Welcome Journeys (By the Numbers)
I was recently on the phone with a client who told me that their email list is seeing really low open rates. Their messages are being opened by less than 10% of their recipients, and sometimes as low as 6%.
Except.
Except for their email welcome journeys. Those messages are seeing 30%, 35%, even 40% open rates. The back-of-the-napkin math tells us that is THREE TO FOUR TIMES their typical open rate!
Was I surprised? No. This is what happens every single time we create an email welcome journey for a client. I’m not exaggerating. Every time.
If you haven’t heard of email welcome journeys before, what I’m talking about is a series of automated emails sent directly after someone takes an action with your organization. Actions can include making a donation, signing up for your email newsletter, or filling out a volunteer interest form.
It’s like getting greeted like this:
Just like the dog in this photo, sending an email welcome journey is the equivalent of saying, “Yay, you’re here! You’re home, and I’m so happy. I'm so glad that you’re here—right where you belong.”
I’m baffled why more organizations don’t do this. This is easy money. This is emailing your supporters exactly when they are most excited about you (and most want to hear from you). This is a set-it-and-forget-it system that will bring in revenue in the background while you do your regular job.
Don’t believe me? Hear it straight from our clients:
“I don't know what kind of wizardry you just used, but I have gotten over a dozen emails from people absolutely moved by this message and thanking me for reaching out. Wow.” — Brooklyn Debate League
Take an inside look at the email stats for Brooklyn Debate League:
Average open rate for nonprofits: 25.17%
Average open rate for the organization: 42%
New donor welcome journey open rate: 64%
“The Purpose Collective asked me a question in the very beginning, when we first started talking about working together: ‘How are you communicating with your donors?’ It was hard for me to answer. At that point, I had nothing. I’d thought about it, but never done anything.
Now, all of our donors hear from us automatically after they give, and every month they get our newsletters. Every message is so good at doing what it’s meant to do. It’s such a huge part of our strategy now. As a new organization, I think the reason we’re raising so much money is because our donors know we love them.” — Ron King, Co-founder and CEO of Oscar’s Place
Take an inside look at the email stats for Oscar’s Place:
Average open rate for nonprofits: 25.17%
Average open rate for the organization: 37.5%
New donor welcome journey open rate: 58%
Let’s talk about setting up an email welcome journey for you, already! If you’re ready to chat, click here to pick a time to meet with me.
P.S. We’re hosting a webinar on this topic on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 12 pm MT/2 pm ET. Join us to see a real example of a new donor welcome journey. We’ll tell you everything you need to set this up for your nonprofit. Plus, one of our amazing clients mentioned above, Ron King of Oscar’s Place, will be there to share what a new donor welcome journey has meant for their fundraising strategy.
