80% of email newsletters get this wrong—are you one of them?
The most slept-on opportunity I see with newsletters is the first message they send, and I'm willing to bet you're missing out.
Ok, so this is something weird about me. I LOVE FUNNELS! No, not the plastic things you find in your kitchen, but the ones that help bring people into our universe and keep them interested.
Saying you like sales funnels is a little like telling strangers at a cocktail party that you like collecting antique staplers. They may say it’s interesting, but they soon try to escape to talk to someone a bit more normal. But yes, I’m a funnel nerd, and finding new funnel strategies brings me joy.
HOLD ON! Before your head rolls to the back of your neck, but stick with me because, whether you like the idea of a sales funnel or not, you have one, but like most people, it’s flat as an armadillo on a Texas highway.
The thing is, I’m posting my content on Substack, and you may be too, which is cool, but Substack doesn’t have the same sophisticated automation tools as other email platforms like Kit, Mailchimp, or Beehiiv. In fact, Substack is the epitome of the flat funnel, but it doesn’t have to be.
I’m currently in the thick of rebuilding my makeshift Substack funnel. Once I get it dialed in, I’m betting it’ll move upward in popularity like a rocket full of tone-deaf celebrities — fast, loud, and headed for outer space.
And when it does, I won’t hoard the information. I’m going to hand it all over to you — what worked, what didn’t, and how you can use it to make your numbers climb, too. However, this isn’t just about adding more subscribers, but bringing in the right subscribers; the ones who sit in front of their Gmail account every Friday in anticipation of my next update (that’s you, right).
Lofty claims? Yeah, absolutely, and the only evidence I have is seeing someone else in a different niche execute on this process with tremendous success. It can work, and the only thing I need to work out is how to frame it for an audience filled with creative (and often skeptical) individuals.
Sad-boy welcome strategy
It doesn’t matter if you’re on Substack, Ghost, Beehiiv, or old school with AWeber. Every single service allows you to send an introductory welcome letter to new subscribers.
If you’ve subscribed to more than one Substack newsletter, you’ve probably seen the default Welcome email from accounts that never updated their message. You know, the one that feels less like “Welcome to the club” and more like “Take a seat in the back, and we’ll get to you eventually.”
I call that the sad boy welcome message, and NOTHING about that page above helps you. On the contrary, outside of the confirmation that someone subscribed to your newsletter, everything on that page is meant to benefit Substack. I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché that goes, “If a platform is free to use, then you’re the product.” This default welcome page (Figure A) is that idea personified, but it’s an easy fix. Start calling yourself Domino’s because you can give your new subscribers something valuable to chew on in thirty minutes or less.
The perfect Substack welcome email strategy
Horrible name, but sometimes things that look bad still taste delicious, am I right? A quality welcome letter that’s built for engagement and conversions should do five things, and if you do these things, you’re ahead of 80% of Substack publishers.
Ask them questions to know more about them and make them feel seen.
Remind them of who you are, but keep it brief.
Remind them of the value you are providing and tell them how often to expect you to show up in their inbox.
Deliver whatever benefit, freebie, discount, or other welcome gift you promised.
Ask for the sale!
Because I will never advise anyone to do something without jumping headfirst into it myself, this is how I’m taking action on it. I recently updated my welcome message to meet these requirements, minus the welcome gift (to come later). There’s no way for me to share the new message with you, but it follows the structure above.
For legends like you who have been here for a while, the promise I originally made is changing, and I’m welcoming your input (did you fill out the survey?). I’m in exploration mode right now and working out the best value I can bring to subscribers.
Dave's Semi-Annual "Get to Know You" Survey
HELP! A couple of times a year, I like to get a sense of who is subscribed and paying attention to what I’m sharing. In nine short questions, here’s your chance to tell me what you like or don’t like, what inspires you most, and how I can be of better service to you.
I’m working to develop a welcome gift that provides a 10x exchange in value that benefits subscribers more than me (and yes, current subs will get access to it). Lofty goals, and I don’t know what that is yet (waiting to see what people say in the survey). Maybe there will be more than one, but whatever it is, I want it to be a legitimate value proposition to readers, not fluff.
I want to share more about my process of attracting and captivating the attention of the audience. I’m also still sharing my creative lessons and experiences mixed with oddball stories about cloven-hooved animals and burglary attempts.
Allow me to drop the other shoe
After I’ve shared my value proposition, a little about myself, and whatever freebie I deliver, my welcome email closes with the benefits of becoming a member. Currently, Pieced Together members get access to digital tools and assets, additional content, and tutorials to help them expand their creative skills.
However, unlike many publications with paid memberships, I’m not holding back on the non-member content. When I publish something for free subscribers, I want it to be beneficial, or at the very least, entertaining enough to keep you coming back.
Granted, there are not a lot of assets available yet because I just started offering them, but the Asset Library is growing. In fact, earlier this week, I dropped Copy Scan Print, a texture pack made to give tasty Xerox vibes to any image, and comes with a tutorial video. Want a taste? Test out the membership for a week for free.
Dynamic Linkage
I love watching videos of craftsmanship, and Atelier Sang-Bleu had me binge-watching their handcrafted leather wallet videos for an absurd amount of time last night.
On the other hand, Struthless had me questioning whether to close my Spotify account, buy a record player, and repurchase every audiobook in print format, ditching the internet altogether.
The time is ticking on the presale of Substrate, my latest art zine, 24 pages of digital designs, all made on my iPhone using the Procreate Pocket app (Wow, Dave, how’d you do that??) Get Substrate Volume 1 now for 20% off and free shipping.
I never thought I would buy a zine. Books are more than I can handle. But somehow you’ve convinced me. Can’t wait to see it!
In thinking about this I realized that part of why I haven’t thought about this much is that I always delete those automated first messages from newsletters when I subscribe — not even opening them. So I haven’t thought much about my own.
But I guess I shouldn’t assume everyone is like me.