A welcome chain is a series of automated emails that greet a subscriber or customer after their first contact with a brand. It's one of the most powerful tools in email marketing. When set up correctly, a welcome chain warms up the audience, introduces the product, builds trust, reduces the number of support questions, and drives sales.

In this article, we'll cover:

  • why welcome chains matter and in which industries,
  • how many emails to build them from,
  • how to write each email,
  • how to analyze their performance.

What a welcome chain is

A welcome chain is an automated series of emails sent after registration, subscription, or a first order. It usually includes:

  • a welcome email,
  • an email with useful materials,
  • an email with a promotion or offer,
  • an email with a product or service overview,
  • an email with reviews and case studies.

The goal of a welcome chain is to create a strong first impression and prepare the customer for the next step.

Why welcome chains matter

Welcome chains are needed to:

  • increase first purchases, registrations, or activations,
  • explain the value of the product,
  • build trust,
  • teach people how to use the product,
  • reduce the load on support,
  • warm up the audience ahead of sales.

Read more about the importance of the first contact in Letteros's article on subscriber engagement.

Industries where welcome chains matter most

  1. E-commerce → introducing the product range, a welcome discount, product recommendations.
  2. Online courses and schools → introducing the personal account, the schedule, useful materials.
  3. Services and SaaS → explaining features, demonstrating value, onboarding.
  4. Media and content → a curated selection of top content, setting up interests.
  5. B2B → introducing the account manager, case studies, research.
  6. Nonprofits and charities → the organization's story, where donations go, success stories.

Scenarios and number of emails

There's no universal formula — the chain depends on the goal.

E-commerce (4 emails)

  1. Thanks for registering + a discount.
  2. A selection of popular products.
  3. Reviews and social proof.
  4. A reminder about a promotion or a personal offer.

Online courses (5 emails)

  1. Welcome + instructions.
  2. Schedule and curriculum.
  3. Useful articles and videos.
  4. Student success stories.
  5. A call to complete the intro lesson.

SaaS (5-6 emails)

  1. Welcome + a feature overview.
  2. Account setup.
  3. Tips and tricks.
  4. Case studies and usage examples.
  5. An invitation to a demo.
  6. A special offer.

Media (3-4 emails)

  1. Subscription confirmation.
  2. Top stories of the week.
  3. Setting up interests.
  4. A call to invite friends.

How to build it: email by email

Email 1: Welcome

  • Thank them for registering.
  • Confirm the value (why the person subscribed).
  • Explain what's coming next.

Example:"Thanks for subscribing to Letteros! Over the next few days, we'll show you how to use email marketing to increase sales and retain customers."

Email 2: Useful information

  • Tell them about the product.
  • Give 1-2 quick tips.
  • Keep their interest up.

Example:"Here are 3 ways Letteros helps you put together the perfect campaign in 15 minutes."

Email 3: Social proof

  • Case studies, reviews, success stories.
  • Links to publications, awards.
  • Emphasize that the product has been validated by others.

Email 4: Engagement

  • A call to try the product.
  • A specific task: complete a lesson, build an email, set up a catalog.

Email 5: Promo or special offer

  • A bonus or deal for taking the first actions.
  • A personalized offer.
  • A time limit.

Important elements of every email

  • Personal address.
  • A clear CTA (call to action).
  • Short, specific copy.
  • Lightweight design, responsive layout.
  • UTM tags for tracking.

For more on creating emails, see Letteros's article on CTAs in campaigns.

Why measure the performance of welcome chains

Without data, it's impossible to know if a chain is working. Analysis lets you:

  • find weak spots (where you're losing the audience),
  • understand what to improve (subject line, CTA, timing),
  • prove the value of automation to the business.

Read more in Letteros's article on the importance of analyzing email campaigns.

Key metrics

  1. Open rate → Shows how well the subject lines and senders grab attention.
  2. Click rate (CTR, clicks) → The share of clicks on links inside the email.
  3. Click-to-open rate (CTOR) → The ratio of clicks to opened emails — shows how engaging the content is.
  4. Conversion rate → The number of completed target actions: registration, purchase, app install.
  5. Unsubscribes → The share of users who unsubscribed during the chain.
  6. Spam complaints → A signal that the chain is annoying or doesn't meet expectations.

How to collect data

  1. Use UTM tags Add UTM tags to every link:?utm_source=email&utm_medium=welcome&utm_campaign=onboarding
  2. Connect website analytics → Yandex Metrica: goals, segments, ecommerce.→ Google Analytics: events, conversions, ecommerce.
  3. Analyze data in your email platform Unisender, Mindbox, and Retail Rocket all provide reports for each email.
  4. Compare with CRM data Export leads from your CRM and see who came from the welcome chain.

How to analyze performance

  1. Look at the whole chain Don't fixate on a single email. What matters is how many people made it to the end.
  2. Track progress at every step
  • Opens → clicks → conversions.
  • How many people dropped off after the first email? The second?
  1. Compare segments
  • New subscribers vs. returning ones.
  • Subscribers from different sources (website, social media, ads).
  1. Evaluate ROI
  • How much money did the welcome chain bring in?
  • How much did it cost to set up?

Common mistakes

❌ No single goal for the welcome chain.❌ No UTM tags.❌ No control over the timing between emails.❌ Ignoring complaints and unsubscribes.❌ No automated testing (A/B tests of subject lines, CTAs, content).

How to improve welcome chains based on analysis

  1. Optimize subject lines If the open rate is below 30%, test new wording.
  2. Improve the content If the CTOR is below 10%, add more value, shorten the text, change the CTA.
  3. Revisit the timing If unsubscribes are growing, check how often you're sending emails.
  4. Add segmentation Don't send the same chain to your entire list. For example: B2C vs. B2B, new vs. returning.
  5. Add automation Set up trigger scenarios: opened it — get email 1, didn't open it — get a reminder.

Which tools to use

  • Letteros → preparing templates.
  • Mindbox or Retail Rocket → launching campaigns, analytics.
  • Yandex Metrica, Google Analytics → tracking conversions.

Conclusion

The performance of welcome chains isn't just about nice-looking reports — it's about concrete improvements. Analyze every email, and track end-to-end conversions, not just clicks. Regularly improving your welcome chains turns them from basic automation into a powerful sales tool.

For more on the importance of analysis, see Letteros's article on email metrics.