Best practices for first email marketing impressions

Most B2B companies are sabotaging their email marketing from day one. They're copying e-commerce welcome sequences and wondering why their results are mediocre at best. After years of testing with dozens of service-based businesses, I've discovered something counterintuitive: the "best practices" for welcome sequences are actively harming B2B service companies with long sales cycles. ❌ They treat high-touch relationships like quick transactions. When your sales cycle is 6+ months, why would you use the same approach as someone selling $30 t-shirts? ❌ They prioritize immediate sales over deliverability. If your emails don't reach inboxes consistently for your full sales cycle, nothing else matters. ❌ They focus on single-channel communication. Once someone unsubscribes, you've lost them forever with no backup plan. ❌ They send generic "thanks for subscribing" messages. When everyone does the same thing, you become invisible. Take a different approach: → Email 1: Generate a reply, not just an open. The first email should be conversational and designed to get a response. This dramatically improves deliverability for all future emails. Our clients see 10-20% reply rates with this approach, many directly sales-related. → Email 2: Set clear expectations. Explicitly tell subscribers what types of content they'll receive and how often. This reduces unsubscribes and builds trust for the long relationship ahead. → Email 3: Connect on secondary channels. Establish multi-channel relationships early so that even if they unsubscribe from email, you haven't lost them completely. → Email 4: Gather critical intelligence. Use strategic questions to understand: What content do they want? How did they find you? Where else do they spend time online? This data improves all your marketing, not just email. → Emails 5-7: Provide soft pathways to sales conversations. Instead of aggressive pitches, create natural progression points that align with your sales process. The traditional welcome sequence works fine for consumer products with short sales cycles. But in the B2B service world, where relationships drive revenue and sales cycles extend for months, this approach is fundamentally broken. I've seen companies with mediocre products outperform superior competitors simply because they understood this difference and engineered their welcome sequence accordingly. The welcome flow is the foundation for a six-month relationship that may eventually lead to a conversation. Often the welcome flow is the highest-engagement touchpoint you'll ever have with prospects. It deserves a strategy as sophisticated as your services. What's one change you could make to your welcome sequence this week?

60% of welcome emails get opened. Yet 90% of SaaS still get them wrong. When I try a new product, I always look for the welcome email. Why? Because it sets the tone. And because of the average open rate, it's the best chance to help new users. In my view, a great welcome email should: - Introduce the founder(s). - Help users get started fast. - Show users they made a good choice. But too often I see this: - No help or next step. - Too much push to upgrade. - Or even worse, no email at all. What a waste. That first email can do so much: → Start the onboarding journey → Train users to open your emails → Show the real value of your product So how do you write a great one? Here’s the structure I use: 1. Warm welcome A short message from the founder or CEO. 2. What to expect Tell users what will happen in the trial or the first steps. 3. Reassure Remind them why your product is a good choice. 4. First step Guide them to take action right away. 5. Offer help Add a link to support or a demo call. That’s it. A simple email that builds trust and gets users moving. Don't waste your best email. Make it count.

Let’s talk cold emails. The first cold email you send can make or break whether a prospect ever engages with you. After years of writing (and reading) thousands of them, here are a few best practices I share with my team for crafting that first outreach: 1. Keep it short - No one is reading your novel. Aim for 3-5 sentences max. Respect their time and get to the point. 2. Make it about them - This is not your moment to explain everything about your company. Focus on the problem they might have, not the product you sell. 3. Personalize with purpose - “Hope you’re well” and “Saw you went to XYZ University” are not personalization. Reference something that actually connects to their business or challenges. 4. Have a clear, low-friction ask - End with something easy to say yes to, like “Open to a quick chat next week?” or “Would it make sense to explore this?” 5. Write like a human, not a marketer - Skip the jargon and over-polished lines. Read it out loud... does it sound like something you’d say in real life? Most importantly, remember: the goal of a cold email is not to close a deal. It is to earn a conversation.

Subscribers judge your email in three seconds… even before they read a single word inside. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯-𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝟭/ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 "noreply@company.com" = "Don't talk to us." "Company Marketing Team" = "You're talking to a department." "Sarah from Company" = "You're talking to a person." Sender name sets the entire tone. Human names build connection. Generic labels create distance. → Your sender name is your first impression. 𝟮/ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 This week: "John Smith" Last week: "John at Company" Two weeks ago: "Company Newsletter" They can't recognize you in their inbox. Each email feels like it's from someone new. → Pick one format. Never change it. 𝟯/ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 "URGENT: Last chance to save 50%!" = You prioritize clicks. "3 things I learned this week" = You prioritize value. "Re: Your question about pricing" = You prioritize relevance. Subject lines reveal your intentions immediately. → What you lead with is what you care about. 𝟰/ 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗦 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 "OPEN NOW - LIMITED TIME" "YOU'RE MISSING OUT" "FINAL WARNING" Caps lock is the email equivalent of yelling. It doesn't create urgency. It creates annoyance. → Loud subject lines repel quality subscribers. 𝟱/ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 "View this email in your browser" = wasted space. "Unsubscribe | Update preferences" = footer leaked into preview. "Hi [First Name]," = you didn't customize the preview. Preview text is your second subject line. Most people waste it on technical junk. → First 100 characters should add value, not clutter. 𝟲/ 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 🔥💰🎉 = You're targeting consumers or trying too hard. No emojis = Professional, straightforward, serious. Neither is wrong. But they attract different audiences. → Your emoji usage defines your perceived sophistication. 𝟳/ 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 "Are you making this mistake?" = Clickbait energy. "Here's what I learned about X" = Direct value. Questions can work. But weak questions signal you're fishing for opens. → Strong statements beat weak questions. Check your last five sent emails. What do those three elements say about you? ♻️ Repost if first impressions happen before the first word. ➕ Follow me, Louis Shulman, for more tactics to stay top of mind and beat the competition. 📧 Join our weekly marketing newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gYGzEeTb

👉 Unlock the secrets of consumer psychology to enhance your email marketing effectiveness 📧 In the crowded space of email marketing, understanding and applying behavioral economics can significantly improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. By tapping into how consumers think and make decisions, you can craft emails that not only get opened but also convert. ▪️ The Scarcity Principle ⏰ : Utilize the Scarcity Principle in your email campaigns to create urgency. Informing recipients that a deal is limited-time only or that only a few items are left can significantly increase the likelihood of immediate action. For example, "Only 3 hours left to claim your offer!" or "Just 5 items remaining at this price!" ▪️ The Paradox of Choice ✅ : Simplify consumer decision-making by limiting the number of options. The Paradox of Choice teaches us that too many options can overwhelm and deter decision-making. Optimize your emails by providing one clear call to action or focusing on a single product or service rather than multiple. ▪️ Personalization and the Liking Bias 🙋♂️ : Leverage the Liking Bias by personalizing your emails. People are more likely to engage with content that appears tailored to them. Use data to address recipients by name, reference past purchases, or suggest items based on browsing history. This not only captures attention but also enhances the feeling of intimacy and relevance. ▪️ Loss Aversion 🔚 : Capitalize on Loss Aversion by highlighting what your customers stand to lose if they don’t take action. Phrasing like, "Don’t miss out on this opportunity!" can be more effective than simply presenting the benefits of an offer. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: Review your current email marketing strategies. How can you implement these behavioral insights to increase open rates and conversions? Test different approaches in your campaigns to see what works best with your audience. #BehavioralEconomics #EmailMarketing #DigitalMarketing #ConsumerPsychology #ServingMarketing #SirviendoMarketing

Instantly analyzed 1M+ cold emails. Campaigns getting 20-30% replies had one thing in common that campaigns getting ghosted didn't: Hyperenriched data + micro-targeted lists. Here’s the framework used by the companies that book the most meetings: 1️⃣ STRONG OFFER Your ICP isn't just titles and company size. It's: - The outcome they want - The specific pain keeping them up at night - The language they use to describe their problem Get this wrong, and nothing else matters. 2️⃣ HYPERENRICHED DATA Going beyond name + email is non-negotiable. Job postings. Tech stack. Recent funding. Case studies. LinkedIn activity. The more data points you collect, the more relevant your personalization becomes. 3️⃣ AI PERSONALIZED LINES "Hope you're doing well" → delete "Saw you're hiring 3 AEs after your Series B" → open Make them think you actually researched them. Because you did. 4️⃣ MASTER THE FUNDAMENTALS Stop chasing 100 different angles. Get obsessive about three things: - Who exactly you're targeting (ICP) - What specific outcome you deliver (Offer) - How you communicate value (Copy) Depth > width. 5️⃣ SMALLER, SMARTER LISTS 500 hyper-targeted prospects > 100,000 spray and pray Smaller lists = more specific copy = better deliverability = higher reply rates. 6️⃣ FOLLOW-UP PROTOCOL Most replies don't come from Email #1. 4-touch sequence: Email 1: Personalized opener Email 2: Short bump (3-5 days) Email 3: Different angle (3-5 days) Email 4: Breakup email (3-5 days) Keep them short. Reference the original. Add new value. 7️⃣ VALUE-DRIVEN EMAILS Stop asking for their time immediately. Start offering value first: - "Happy to share what's working best right now" - "Would it make sense to send over a quick example?" - "Can I send you something that could help with [specific pain]?" Build trust. Then earn the conversation. 8️⃣ LONG GAME MINDSET Cold email isn't a magic pill. It's a compounding client acquisition system. Quality > rushing. Presence > pressure. Pipeline > quick wins. 9️⃣ DELIVERABILITY None of this matters if you land in spam. - Multiple domains - Multiple inboxes - 30-50 emails per inbox max - Proper technical setup - 30-day warm-up minimum Master deliverability or waste everything else. The top 1% don't use tricks. They master fundamentals, use better data, personalize at scale, and obsess over deliverability. What's the #1 mistake you see people make with cold email?

It’s not that people aren’t using email marketing and automation. It’s that they aren’t using it well. Usecase: Onboarding Wrong way -> Nearly every B2B product has an onboarding flow. Sometimes from their marketing tool, sometimes from their CS tool, and nearly always it’s generic, unhuman, and not segmented. Better way -> Over the last decade, working with countless lifecycle teams, here is what I have found elevates an onboarding sequence and increases activation… - Stick to no more than 3-4 emails in the first 2 weeks - Audit your whole lifecycle flow to make sure they aren’t getting 4 standard onboarding emails, and another 2 triggered emails based on having not put in their CC yet and another 2 emails from sales. - Have your onboarding come from a person, not just the brand generically. name@domain.com will inbox better and get more engagement than team@, support@ etc. - Set expectations. In that first email let them know the core things that will help them be successful and to expect emails around those. Let them know the "when" - Don’t make them dig. What’s not helpful is the “If you have questions about setting up your first XYZ, here is the help doc” and they get linked to a 50 page monstrosity. Instead, link them to a specific video (that is up to date!) that walks them through step by step. Usecase: Newsletter Wrong way -> You send a newsletter that reshares your favorite blog article or social media post. You figure, if I have a good message, why not distribute it in more spots? Better way -> You want every channel to have a unique reason to go there. A better way is to have your social posts tease the value, and then the newsletter can expand on it. Or you take your great blog content and get a dozen experts to weigh in and make the newsletter send that. Other best practices…. - Use a personal name and company in the send-from name. “Casey at ActiveCampaign” for example. And have a unique tone of voice. All the top newsletters in B2B from Growth Unhinged, to Scaling SaaS to ProducTea come from an individual perspective, not the generic brand. - In terms of value of engagement, think opens < clicks < page views < replies. Replies are the gold standard that will get you into the primary folder and build relationships. - Have a clear purpose. Your customer newsletter is very likely different from your lead newsletter. Provide unique information and perspective. - Set expectations in a welcome email. The best newsletters do three things really well when you sign up… 1) Give you a recap of exactly when you will hear from them and what about “We message you on Fridays at 8AM PST about a usecase of a brand that scaled with SEO to their first $1m ARR”. 2) Give them content they can engage with immediately on your blog or elsewhere. 3) ask a targeted question to drive more engagement. What other applications of email marketing would you love to optimize in your business? I am happy to add insights in a future post.

If I were starting email marketing for an ecom brand today, these are the top 5 mistakes I’d avoid at all costs: 1) Dropping coupon codes in the first welcome email only This is a rookie mistake. A discount code right in Email 1 adds friction and gives you a false sense of performance. So I’d show the code on the success page right after sign-up (when intent is highest), and then remind them in Welcome Email 1. Cleaner attribution, better UX, and you separate the freebie hunters from actual buyers. 2) Ignoring deliverability My brilliant copy means nothing if it lands in spam. So I’d treat deliverability like the holy grail because it IS. - no sketchy sending behavior - warm up domains properly - clean the list ruthlessly Cannot afford Google and Apple to not trust my brand. 3) Skipping DNS setup If SPF, DKIM, and DMARC aren’t correctly configured, my emails might never even hit the inbox (or worse, get blocked entirely). Most brands leave this to chance or half-bake it. I wouldn’t. 4) Building just an email list Email is king, sure. But relying on it alone can limit my brand’s reach. So I’d collect phone numbers from day one, using: - Dual opt-in popups - Exit-intent popups for returning users - SMS-only perks Then set up a basic SMS welcome flow alongside email 5) Blasting nothing but sales emails Everyone’s doing it and that’s exactly why it doesn’t work. Sure, people want deals… but not at the cost of being spammed every week. So I’d focus on value-driven content and engagement-first emails: - Tips and use cases - Product stories - Creator/influencer content - UGC - Light-hearted quizzes - Seasonal ideas and hacks Sales emails are the reward for building trust. Not the default. We build systems like these: VEX Media

I’ve generated 10,000,000+ email subscribers for clients in the past 2 years. Here’s a simple hack to take your open rate from terrible (30%) to world-class (60%): Nail your welcome email. Your welcome email is the most important email you send to subscribers. It’s your first impression. And a great first impression = better future engagement. → If subscribers take the right actions in your welcome email, your future emails will land in their primary inbox. → If not, they will land in promotions, updates, or spam. Here are two changes you need to make to your welcome email to boost the engagement of all your future emails: 1. Write a subject line that stands out and gives the reader a reason to open. Too many subject lines are uninspired, and give the reader no reason to open. Yours, for the sake of your newsletter, must give the reader a reason to open. Here are some examples you can steal: - Inverse Daily - ❗️wtf - Jon Morrow - Quick favor? - The Hustle - Look what you did, you little jerk... - Tim Bourquin - Who said you could join my newsletter? - Morning Brew - ☕️ Caution: Morning Brew coming in hot 2. Use my WE-PAC framework for writing body copy: - W - Welcome (welcome them to your newsletter) - E - Expectations (tell them what to expect from it) - P - Primary (ask them to move the email to primary) - A - Ask for reply (ask for a simple reply, explain why) - C - Click link (link to your blog, podcast, lead magnet…) Example below! (PAC = the 3 key deliverability actions to make sure your future emails land in their primary inbox.) 3. Measure against these benchmarks. Welcome email open rate: - 30%+ open rate = Very bad - 40%+ open rate = Bad - 50%+ open rate = Okay - 60%+ open rate = Good - 70%+ open rate = Great - 75%+ open rate = Excellent - 80%+ open rate = World class Welcome email CTR: - 1%+ CTR = Very bad - 5%+ CTR Bad - 7%+ CTR = Okay - 10%+ CTR = Good - 12%+ CTR = Great - 15%+ CTR = Excellent - 20%+ CTR = World class Tweak as needed. To recap: Write a great subject line, implement the WE-PAC framework, measure against the above benchmarks, and watch your engagement go up. Hope this helps!

Most Emails Struggle to Hit 20% Open Rates. My Client Got Over 80%😱 Here’s the exact strategy I used. Listen... It’s not just about writing emails—It’s about writing the right emails. When my client approached me, they had just started exploring email marketing. They had a growing audience, a solid offer, but no idea how to turn that into emails that people actually open and click. Their biggest worry? That their emails would go unnoticed or, worse, land in spam. Fast forward a few weeks, and here are the results from their very first campaigns: —Open Rate: Over 80% —Click-Through Rate: Above 20% Here’s how we made that happen: 1.Focused on Deliverability Right From the Start: - Helped them set up essential records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to establish domain credibility. - Avoided buying email lists (yes, it’s tempting, but don’t!). - Started small with a warm-up strategy to build trust with email service providers. 2. Dove Deep into Audience Research: - Mapped out their ideal customer’s pain points, interests, and needs. - Created segments for personalized messaging, even in a small list. 3. Crafted Compelling Sender Names, Subject Lines, and Preheader Texts: - Used their name and brand consistently to build familiarity. - Wrote subject lines that made their audience curious while being clear about the value inside. 4. Built an Engaging Welcome Series: - Introduced their brand’s story and unique value right away. Storytelling to the rescue. - Provided actionable tips and insights to hook their audience from the first email. 5. Balanced Value with Strategic CTAs: - Every email offered value first—be it tips, inspiration, or answers to pressing questions. - Each email ended with a single, clear call-to-action to make engagement easy. 📌Here’s What You Need to Know About Email Marketing: It’s not about hitting “send” and hoping for the best. You need to: - Ensure your emails get delivered (or no one will ever see them). - Get them opened (your subject lines matter more than you think). - Get them read (your content should resonate and provide value). - Get them acted upon (CTAs need to be clear, compelling, and click-worthy). My Advice? Start strong with a solid foundation—build your deliverability and pair it with audience-centric, conversion-focused emails. P.S. I'm just curious. Do y'all really check your spam folders, cos I don't😂 #emailmarketing #emailcopywriter