A five-email welcome sequence for a consulting business
A welcome sequence should deliver what someone asked for, explain how you can help and let them decide what comes next.
The outline below assumes a person deliberately subscribed to receive your material and relevant follow-up emails. Downloading a file, attending an event or appearing in your address book does not automatically establish permission for every marketing use. Check the rules that apply to your audience and keep a record of the subscription context.
Plan the five messages
| Timing to test | Purpose | One useful action |
|---|---|---|
| Immediately | Deliver the promised resource and explain what emails to expect. | Open the resource. |
| Day 2 | Explain one common problem and a small practical fix. | Complete a short checklist. |
| Day 4 | Show a worked example with clearly stated assumptions. | Apply the example to their process. |
| Day 7 | Explain when your approach is useful and when it is not. | Read a relevant guide. |
| Day 10 | Offer an optional next step and describe future messages. | Book a conversation or choose email preferences. |
These intervals are a starting hypothesis, not a proven optimal schedule. Adjust them to what was promised at signup and what subscribers find useful.
Make the first email specific
A suitable subject might be “Your client follow-up checklist”. Start with the resource link, then explain one way to use it today. Identify the sender clearly. Do not hide the download below a sales story or add urgency you cannot justify.
Use evidence honestly
If you have a documented case study and permission to share it, explain the starting point, work performed and limits of the result. If you do not have a case study, use an explicitly hypothetical example. Do not invent customer quotes, revenue increases or client identities.
Configure the sequence before sending
- Authenticate your sending domain using the records required by your email provider.
- Use an accurate sender identity and a working unsubscribe mechanism.
- Exclude unsubscribed and suppressed contacts from every later message.
- Test using addresses you control. Confirm links, mobile layout, subscription confirmation and unsubscribe behaviour.
- Keep transactional service messages separate from promotional sequences where appropriate.
Measure actions that matter
Track confirmed subscriptions, useful link clicks, replies and qualified enquiries. Treat opens cautiously because mail privacy features can distort them. A lower-volume list of people who want your material is a better foundation than a large imported list with unclear permission.
Related: Keep follow-ups organised and budget for contact-based pricing.