How to create an engaging warming email
The one email your warming process runs on should offer subscribers something they want, never ask them to prove they still want you.
Warming your list only works if people actually open and click. That means the email you send matters just as much as the segments you send it to.
What makes a warming email perform well?
A warming email performs well when it gives subscribers something they're excited to click on, not something that asks them to justify staying on your list. Some examples of great warming email content:
First access to a freebie that isn't public yet
A story about you or your brand that you've never told
A relaunch of your newsletter after a hiatus
Choose something that fits your brand, and make it something your best subscribers would want to read regardless of when they receive it.
Why "Is this goodbye?" emails don't work
Emails like "Is this goodbye?" or "Do you still want to be on my list?" are some of the worst-performing emails in email marketing. They ask subscribers to prove their loyalty instead of giving them something worth engaging with. Skip this format entirely when building your warming email.
Why does the email need to be evergreen?
The email needs to be evergreen because the same email goes out to every segment in your warming process, and segments receive it at different times, sometimes weeks apart. If your email includes a time-sensitive offer or deadline, it may expire before your last segment receives it.
To check your draft, ask: does this make sense for someone reading it on day one of the warming process, and for someone reading it on the last day? If the answer is yes for both, it's ready to send.
How this affects your sender reputation
A strong, evergreen warming email improves open and click rates across every segment, which directly improves your sender reputation over the course of your warming process.
FAQ
What's the biggest mistake in a warming email?
Asking subscribers to confirm they want to stay, instead of giving them a reason to click.
Can I use a time-limited offer in a warming email?
We recommend avoiding time-sensitive offers unless the offer is available on a rolling basis or is available throughout the whole warming process. The email needs to work for every segment, no matter when they receive it.
What kind of content works best?
Content your best subscribers would want regardless of timing: an unreleased freebie, an untold story, or a newsletter relaunch. The goal is for your subscribers to click on and engage with the email.