A Welcome Flow That Will 10x Your Revenue

Hi, how are you?

I know quite a few folks have been in NYC for NRF early this week. Congestion pricing aside, it’s been a delightful week, and arguably more social interaction than I needed for a full Q1.

That aside, I spoke to a few Retention leaders over dinner this week and learned that many brands are taking Q1 as an opportunity to re-zhuzh their stale welcome flows.

Welcome flows are the core of a retention strategy. It’s the opening of your brand door to the universe post the ad funnel (tornado), and it’s very rarely done well.

To see what kind of chaos we’re dealing with in welcome flow territory, I opened my spam folder and GOT WHIPLASH. The sheer volume of poorly thought-out, borderline spam emails was tough to handle on an early Thursday morning.

So, I took a deep breath, refocused, and went back to the core discussion for today:

The DNA of a solid welcome flow.

I’ve read a million blogs and books about email over the last few years, worked on 50+ welcome flows, and have some strong feelings about what should go in your flow (and what really doesn’t).

Let’s try to decipher it all into something useful.

Onwards.

This week’s news is brought to you by Passport, the international solutions provider transforming how brands expand globally while delivering world-class customer experiences.

Yesterday, Passport announced their acquisition of Brand Access, enabling them to expand their Passport Global all-in-one solution with in-country enablement and marketplace management. With these new capabilities, paired with their existing cross-border management solutions, Passport is empowering brands to act like a local in every market—making international growth more accessible and profitable.

Brands like Ridge, HexClad, Dolls Kill, and Ogee are already seeing the benefits, including:

• Effortless Localization
  Offering global shoppers localized pricing, currency options, and checkouts tailored to their preferences for frictionless shopping experiences.
  

• Proven Growth Strategies
  Harnessing insights from millions of orders to optimize pricing, site-specific testing, and conversion strategies that drive global revenue.
  

• Cost-Effective Local Operations
  Reducing transactional costs through localized storefronts, payment processing, and tailored merchandising, all while building customer trust.
  

• Comprehensive Logistics Management
  Managing the full logistics spectrum—from inbound freight to fulfillment and returns—so brands can focus on growth.
  

• Market-Ready Product Compliance
  Ensuring local labeling and regulatory standards are met, making market entry seamless, and building trust with global customers.

These enhancements make it easier than ever for brands to grow globally while improving customer experiences, from checkout to delivery. 

Curious how Passport can transform your international experience?

Contact them to discover how their solutions can help your brand grow profitably and act local anywhere in the world.

The Art of the Welcome Flow: Crafting Your Brand’s First Impression

Welcome flows are arguably the most important and brand-centric flow in a brand’s toolhouse. Yet, for something so critical, most welcome flows feel rushed, generic, and forgettable.

Why?

Well, most folks are either optimizing for the short term, copying someone else’s homework they think works well, or just flat-out lazy.

Whether you’re dusting off an old flow or building one from scratch, the goal is the same: create an experience that makes customers excited to engage with your brand and, ideally, stick around and purchase a few times.

Here’s how to think about building a welcome flow that actually welcomes:

Timing is Everything:

Timing can make or break your flow. Send too many emails too quickly, and it feels spammy. Stretch it out too far, and they’ve forgotten who you are by the second email.

Go for a balanced rhythm (sample timeline): 

• Email 1: Immediate post-signup

• Email 2: 24 hours later

• Email 3: 48-72 hours later

• Email 4: 5 days later

• Email 5: 7 days later

Each email serves a purpose. It’s not about cramming your message down their throats but creating a natural conversation that builds trust over time.

What Goes Into Each Email?

Email 1: Warm Welcome

What this email needs:

• A genuine welcome that feels human, not templated.

• Clear yet basic explanation of the brand: What is it? What are you about?

• One simple, low-commitment action (explore your site, follow on social, etc.).

What it doesn’t need: hard selling. You can offer a signup discount if you promised one, but no need for a massive blinking timer. 

Email 2: Your Why (24 Hours Later)

This email is all about your brand’s story and values. What inspired you to start your business? What makes you different? This is your chance to build an emotional connection.

But keep it concise. Nobody wants to read a novel about your brand’s origin story. Focus on the parts that resonate with your target audience and align with their values.

3. The Education Email (48-72 Hours Later)

Education is underrated in welcome flows. Instead of shoving product features down their throat, focus on solving a problem or adding value to their lives.

For example:

• A skincare brand might share tips for building an effective routine.

• A cookware brand might share recipes or cooking hacks.

• A SaaS company might share a quick-start guide or a case study.

When you teach first, selling something that can help with an adjacent solution becomes a natural next step.

4. The Social Proof Email (5 Days Later)

By this point, your subscribers should feel more connected to your brand. Now it’s time to show them they’re in good company.

Share a story about a customer who overcame a common problem using your product. Show how your brand fits into their lives. Highlight a great review or two.

Or some headlines from popular news articles in your category that may have highlighted your product. 

5. The Gentle Nudge (7 Days Later)

This is your closer, but it shouldn’t feel like one. It should be subtle and friendly, even if it creates a bit of urgency.

For example: “Thanks for letting us introduce ourselves this week. We really want you to try x, and we want to make the decision as easy as possible. If you snag our x in the next 24 hours, feel free to use code xx to take 15% off your first purchase. Just a little something to say we’re glad you’re here.”

What Separates the Best from the Rest

Over the years, a few key elements have emerged that make the best welcome flows stand out:

1. Let Your Personality Shine:
   Your emails don’t need to feel like they were crafted by a F500 creative team. Customers respond to brands that feel human. Write the way you’d talk to a friend—relatable, conversational, and with a clear sense of who you are as a brand.

2. Segment from Day One:
   Every subscriber isn’t starting from the same place, so your emails shouldn’t treat them that way. Someone who joined via a post-purchase opt-in has different needs than someone who signed up through a blog or a popup. Tailor their experience from the start, and you’ll keep them engaged longer.

3. Think Mobile First
   Most people open emails on their phones. If your welcome flow isn’t clean, easy to scan, and visually appealing on a mobile screen, you’ve already lost a huge chunk of your audience.

The Mistakes to Avoid

While it’s tempting to overdo things in an attempt to stand out, these are the biggest traps to steer clear of:

• Overloading Your Emails: Bombarding subscribers with too many emails too quickly or cramming every feature and benefit into one email only creates fatigue. Pacing and focus matter.

• Generic Messaging: Sending the same bland email to everyone might seem efficient, but it’s a shortcut that leaves engagement on the table.

• Trust Killers: Misleading subject lines, bait-and-switch tactics, or hidden terms are surefire ways to lose customers’ respect. Once trust is broken, it’s nearly impossible to regain.

A great Welcome Flow starts a relationship. When done right, they set the tone for everything that follows.

So, take a second look at your welcome flow this week. Ask yourself: does this feel like a handshake or a hard sell? Does it make your customer feel seen, or does it treat them like just another email address?

If it’s the latter, it might be time to zhuzh things up.

That’s it for this week!

Any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future?

Just shoot me a DM or an email!

Cheers, 

Eli 💛

P.S. Looking for inspo on your next email/sms campaign? 

I know you will love this.