the exact welcome email I send every new free subscriber (steal it)
copy it, fill in your blanks, make it yours
I launched my Substack on March 13th.
I had no idea what I was doing.
I knew I wanted a community. I knew I wanted to write. I knew I wanted something that felt more real than Instagram. But the actual setup? The settings? The emails? I was figuring it out as I went.
And the welcome email. Oh the welcome email.
I left the Substack default up for longer than I want to admit. You know the one. The bland, generic, clearly-written-by-nobody email that goes out to every single person who trusts you enough to subscribe.
It was embarrassing. And I did not even realize how much it mattered until I actually fixed it.
Here is the thing about your welcome email. It is the first thing every new subscriber sees. Before they read a single post. Before they know if they like your writing. Before they decide if they are staying.
That email is your first impression and most people never touch it.
So today I am handing you mine.
The actual template I use, with every bracket so you know exactly what goes where && honestly, I’d have Chatgpt or Claude help me write it if I was you. Edit it, make it your own. It’s your story, no one else has your story.
THE FREE SUBSCRIBER WELCOME EMAIL TEMPLATE
Subject: you’re in. here’s everything you need to get started.
Thank you for subscribing. It’s really good to have you here.
Free subscribers get a new post every [DAY] and [DAY] — honest, real, and completely free from the perfection and highlight reel energy that’s everywhere in the [YOUR NICHE] space right now.
Plus your free [YOUR FREEBIE NAME] is waiting for you right here. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Want to go deeper?
Paid subscribers get all of that plus instant access to everything in the vault -[LIST YOUR PAID CONTENT: guides, trackers, deep dives, live Q&As, etc.]. Real questions, real answers, no script.
Join the paid side here: [LINK] - only $[PRICE] per month. Seriously, buy me a coffee and get all of my paid content.
Who’s writing this?
I’m [YOUR NAME] and I talk about [YOUR TOPIC IN ONE SENTENCE].
I started [BRIEF ORIGIN STORY — 1-2 sentences]. [TIME PERIOD] and [RESULT] later, I’m still [WHAT YOU ARE STILL DOING] and still showing up every single week to document what this actually looks like from the inside. Not the highlight reel version. The real one.
I’m a [YOUR ROLE] who is living this in real time, and I built this community because the space I needed didn’t exist. [DESCRIBE THAT SPACE IN 1-2 SENTENCES].
That’s what we talk about here.
Now that you’re subscribed, here’s where to start:
If you’re brand new to [YOUR TOPIC]: [LINK TO BEGINNER RESOURCE]
If you’re in the middle and feeling stuck: [LINK TO MIDDLE PHASE RESOURCE]
For daily inspiration and reminders that you’re doing better than you think: [LINK TO YOUR SOCIAL]
Please say hi.
Reply to this email and tell me where you are in your journey. I read every single one and I genuinely love hearing from you.
You can also reach me anytime at [YOUR EMAIL].
P.S. If you’re ready to go deeper, join the paid side. It’s the most honest conversation you’ll have about this all month. [LINK] - $[PRICE]/month or $[PRICE]/year.
P.P.S. Or just settle in and start reading. Either way, I’m really glad you found this place.
xo, [YOUR NAME]
That is it. Copy it. Open your Substack settings. Go to Emails > Welcome email to new subscribers > Edit. Paste it in and fill in your blanks.
It will take you twenty minutes and it will be the most important twenty minutes you spend on your Substack this week.
I want to tell you what I am building.
In 66 days on Substack I went from zero to 82 paid subscribers and $864 in revenue.
And I am turning it into a guide.
The Substack Starter Kit. Every setting, step by step, explained the way I wish someone had explained it to me. The stuff I had to figure out the hard way so you do not have to.
It is not out yet. But if you want to be first on the list when it drops, plus get three more free templates right now, the waiting list is open.
You will get:
This welcome email template (the one you just read)
The paid subscriber welcome email template
An about page template
A first post template
All four. Free. Just for joining the list.
Either way, go fix that welcome email.
You will thank yourself later.
xo, Nyk