“Thank You for Subscribing” Email Inspiration (with Templates)

“Thank You for Subscribing” Email Inspiration (with Templates)
Nina De la Cruz Nina De la Cruz Jun 8, 2023 —  8 min read

Of all emails you’ll ever send to your subscribers, the first one is crucial. That’s the email where you thank them for subscribing to your newsletter.

So how do you make it memorable?

In search of inspiration, I’ve subscribed to 30 different ecommerce brands’ newsletters and sneak-peeked at their welcome emails.

Below, I’ll share 9 of my favorite email examples, explain why they work well, and provide a couple of templates you can steal.


What should I write in a “Thank you for subscribing” email?

If you’ve ever experienced the blank page paralysis trying to craft an email – any email – you’re not alone. The good news about welcome emails is that most of them fall into one of these 3 categories:

  1. Thank you for subscribing – here is your coupon
  2. Thank you for subscribing – shop our bestsellers
  3. Thank you for subscribing – here is who we are

Sometimes it’s a short discount delivery email; other times, it’s a long-form email that has it all: a welcome coupon, a product showcase, and a brand story.

The key goal of any welcome email, however, is to bring your new subscriber back to the store.

Let’s see exactly how other brands are doing it.

“Thank you for subscribing” subject lines

Before diving into the email content, let’s have a quick look at the subject lines and email previews companies use to welcome new subscribers.

Here are a few examples from my inbox:

Subject lines for “Thank you for subscribing” emails

As a newcomer to someone’s inbox, you want to make two things clear: who the email is from and why it’s worth opening. The rest is optional. For example, you can use your subscriber’s first name and insert relevant emoji in the subject or preheader.

Got ideas brewing already? You can start by grabbing any of these examples:

  1. Welcome to {Brand name}! – Shipping of your first order is on us
  2. Your discount is here – Use 15% off your first order
  3. It’s nice to meet you, {First name} – Find out what makes us different
  4. Your 15% code is inside – Hurry up, your welcome offer is valid for a week
  5. Welcome to the club, {First name} – Thank you for subscribing! Here is what happens next

9 Examples of “thank you for subscribing” emails we love

Now that we got the subject line out of the way, it’s time to dive deeper into the email content.

1. “Your discount is here”

Since most ecommerce companies grow their email lists using discount incentives, their welcome emails are crafted around discount delivery.

Let’s see a couple of examples.

Bandolier, a luxury bag and iPhone case brand, delivers a short, straight-to-the-point welcome email featuring a 10% discount code:

Bandolier email designed to welcome new email subscribers

My favorite part about this email is the headline saying “You’re now a Bandolier insider” because it makes me feel as if I’ve joined a VIP club. However, that’s not the only reason why it’s a good email to learn from.

Here is what else is great about it:

  • Eye-catching image – so I can remember what Bandolier is selling
  • Clear call to action – inviting me to go back to the store and use my coupon
  • Social media accounts – so I can connect with the brand and see real customers wearing the products

Adidas welcomes new subscribers to their newsletter using a similar approach. However, unlike Bandolier, Adidas encourages subscribers to act fast by adding the date when the offer becomes invalid. That’s the sense of urgency in action:

Adidas welcome email delivers a limited-time offer

💡 To make the sense of urgency even more apparent, we recommend adding a countdown timer to the email.

If you also need to craft a brief welcome discount email, feel free to use these templates and tailor them to your needs 👇

Welcome

We’re thrilled to have you here, {{name}}

As a thank you for joining us, here is your 15% discount code:

15OFF

[Visit store now]

You can apply this coupon to any order amount. Just copy the code to the clipboard and paste it at checkout.

Come back soon! It's a pleasure shopping with you.

{{Brand name}} team

You’ve received this email because you signed up for a {{Brand name}} newsletter

Here is a more concise version of an email, however, it evokes a sense of urgency:

You’ve unlocked a welcome offer, {{Name}}

We’ll now keep you posted about new collections, sales, and promos.

Next time you visit our store, use your personal discount code to get 15% off your purchase.

15OFF

[Visit store]

Hurry up! The promo expires in 14 days.

{{Brand name}} team

You’ve received this email because you signed up for a {{Brand name}} newsletter

These templates will work well if you’re using welcome popups offering the first-purchase discount in exchange for an email, such as this pop-up form by Getsitecontrol:

Wondering what else you can include in a welcome email, except for a discount code? Keep reading to see 6 more ideas.

2. “Peek at our bestsellers”

Suppose you aren’t offering a discount in exchange for an email. How do you pique the interest of new subscribers then?

One way to do that is by showcasing some of your best items.

Mejuri is an excellent example of a jewelry brand benefiting from email marketing. In their welcome email, they introduce their vision and feature some of the most beautiful pieces:

Mejury welcomes new email subscribers and features their bestsellers

Besides the fact that these visuals are absolute thumb-stoppers for anyone mildly interested in jewelry, the images are also clickable, so the shopping experience starts right in the inbox.

Here is what else you can learn from this brand:

  • Bold copy – Mejury isn’t afraid of saying things like “gift your damn self” and using their own tone of voice, making the message more memorable
  • Quick links at the bottom – featuring the most popular product categories to entice you to explore further

True Classic, a men’s apparel brand uses a similar approach. However, instead of a gallery, they use a GIF to showcase their most popular T-shirt collection:

True Classic uses a GIF in their welcome email

Sidenote: GIFs are an excellent solution to promote bestsellers, show product features, or even evoke the right emotion in your subscribers. Don’t be afraid of using GIFs instead of still images in your emails and see if you notice engagement spikes.

3. “Be the first to see the new collection”

Bestsellers aren’t the only category worth featuring in a welcome email. You can also talk about the seasonal collection, holiday collection, products on sale, or new arrivals.

For instance, Gymshark, a training apparel company, thanked me for subscribing to their newsletter and invited me to explore their latest drops right away:

Gymshark email sent to thank for subscribing to their newsletter

Gymshark does a lot of things well in this email. One of my favorite parts is the way they make you feel special by offering sneak peeks at the new drops and an “inside” look at the sales.

Here is what else is great about this email:

  • Free shipping reminder at the top – removes one of the most common buyer’s concerns (unexpected shipping costs)
  • Sense of urgency – encourages to act fast because the code is valid for a limited time
  • Scarcity – motivates to check the sale because it “doesn’t happen so often”

4. “Learn what makes the brand stand out”

Your welcome email is also a great place to share your brand’s unique value proposition (UVP) and show what makes you different.

Everlane, an online clothing store, does an amazing job at explaining how its core values – exceptional quality, ethical production, and transparency – are reflected in the brand, and what it means to customers.

Everlane welcome email features the brand’s mission

Here are 3 things in their welcome email you may want to replicate:

  • The brand’s vision – shows you that Everlane is not just another fashion brand
  • Clickable sections – feature the most popular product categories
  • Color theme – makes the email visually appealing (notice that all visuals are in similar cool tones)

On our blog, we often use Everlane as an example: if you’re growing an online store, there’s a lot to learn from this brand. For instance, we recently featured Everlane’s mobile popups because of the customer-centered strategy they use to convert their mobile visitors. You can read more about it in this piece.

5. “Get to know the story behind the brand”

Instead of focusing on the core values, you may want to go the extra mile and share the story behind your brand, talk about the team or the founder. While it’s not the most common approach, it helps create a deeper level of connection with subscribers.

Here is an example of how Lete, a nature-inspired lifestyle brand from New Zealand thanks new email subscribers for joining the newsletter:

Lete thanks subscribers for joining the newsletter with a brand story

Notice that before getting to the brand story, Lete delivers the first-purchase discount and creates a sense of urgency by explaining that it’s only valid for a week. Next, they set expectations and explain what their newsletter is about.

From there, this email does it all:

  • Showcases the product
  • Shares their choice of charity
  • And tells the story from the founders’ perspective

6. “See what other customers are saying”

Even if your brand is well-known, customer reviews, testimonials, and ratings make an excellent addition to the welcome email sequence. However, if your company is new, using social proof is crucial. No one wants to be the first customer of a new brand, and you want to work with this objection on every step of the funnel including your welcome sequence.

The Sill, a houseplant delivery and plant care brand, recognizes the power of social proof – and uses it in their welcome email:

The Sill “Thank you for subscribing” email example

Here is what else is great about this email:

  • Brand’s mission – the email opens with the “Plants Make People Happy” motto, and segues into the role of The Sill
  • List of resources – acknowledging that caring for plants might be a new activity for some, The Sill links to the beginner-friendly resources

7. “Welcome to the club”

If you prefer to keep your welcome email concise, you can just show your appreciation and tell subscribers what happens next. Explain what they have signed up for, what types of emails they’ll be getting, and how often.

Looks Like Summer (LLS), a fashion brand from Portugal, does exactly that. Their email welcomes new subscribers to “The Sun Lovers Family” and reminds them of the biggest benefit of being on the list – exclusive deals available to subscribers only:

Looks Like Summer “Thank you for subscribing” email

A quick welcome note like this one will work well, regardless of the incentive and the channel people use to join your newsletter. And in the case of LLS, images speak better than words.

Here is what else we love about this email:

  • Free shipping notification – LLS ships all orders for free worldwide, it’s the type of information worth mentioning at the top of the email
  • Product showcase – Instagram-grid style collage helps feature bestsellers in a natural, unobtrusive way
  • Links to popular categories – the email ends with clickable blocks leading to the product categories

Time to craft (or revise) your welcome email

Out of the 30 brands I’ve subscribed to, several companies haven’t sent me any confirmation email. I hold no grudge, but it’s a lost opportunity.

Even if you haven’t crafted your perfect welcome sequence, you can always send a quick note saying “Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Stay tuned to hear about our new collection.” After all, when someone grants you access to their inbox, it’s polite to show your appreciation.

At Getsitecontrol, we know how challenging writing an email from scratch can be, so we’ve implemented a system of templates. For example, if you’re using Getsitecontrol popups to collect emails, you’ll find several premade welcome emails already built into the platform:

All you need to do is select a premade email from the gallery, replace the visual, adjust the copy, and schedule the delivery. The entire process – from creating an email subscription popup to finishing your welcome email design – will take less than 30 minutes.

Go ahead and give it a try!

Nina De la Cruz is a content strategist at Getsitecontrol. She is passionate about helping small and medium ecommerce brands achieve sustainable growth through email marketing.

You're reading Getsitecontrol blog where marketing experts share proven tactics to grow your online business. This article is a part of Email marketing section.

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