# Welcome sequence skeleton

The 3–5 emails a subscriber gets after they confirm. This window has the highest
engagement they will ever show — every email earns one job and one CTA. Send the
first one immediately on confirmation; space the rest over the first week.

## The one-job rule

Each email answers a single question for the new subscriber. If an email is doing
two jobs, split it or cut the weaker one. Never open the sequence with a sell.

## Email 1 — deliver the promise (immediate, on confirmation)

- **Job:** hand over the exact thing they subscribed for, right now.
- **Why first:** the confirmation click is peak intent; a fast payoff sets the
  expectation that every issue ships value.
- **CTA:** consume the promised asset (read / download / watch) — one link.
- Subject + preview pair example:
  - Subject: `Here's the field guide — start here`
  - Preview: `Plus the one section most people skip first`

## Email 2 — set expectations + best-of (day 1–2)

- **Job:** tell them what arrives, how often, from whom; then show your ceiling
  with one strong past issue.
- **Why:** predictable cadence lowers unsubscribes; the best-of proves the bar.
- **CTA:** read the best-of issue — one link.
- Subject + preview pair example:
  - Subject: `What to expect (and our best issue)`
  - Preview: `Every Thursday, 4-minute read — here's the one to start with`

## Email 3 — the referral ask (day 4–5)

- **Job:** ask them to share, now that they have received value.
- **Why:** the theSkimm pattern — the referral ask lives *inside* the welcome
  sequence, not bolted on months later when engagement has decayed.
- **CTA:** share their referral link — one link.
- Subject + preview pair example:
  - Subject: `Know one person who'd want this?`
  - Preview: `Your link's below — first reward unlocks at 3`

## Email 4 (optional) — segmentation / preferences (day 6–8)

- **Job:** let them pick topics or frequency so you can route them to the right
  engagement track from day one.
- **CTA:** set preferences — one link. Skippable; defaults must be sane.

## Email 5 (optional) — feedback prompt (day 9–12)

- **Job:** ask one question ("what made you subscribe?") to mine future angles
  and surface at-risk subscribers early.
- **CTA:** reply to the email — replies also help inbox placement.

## Rules across the sequence

- One primary CTA per email; secondary items go in a one-line P.S.
- Every email carries the visible unsubscribe footer (compliance is not optional
  in the welcome stream).
- Subject payload in the first ~33 chars; preview extends, never repeats.
- If they click in the sequence, they enter the **active/heavy** cadence tier
  (see `growth-loops.md`); if they never open the welcome stream, they go to the
  re-permission path before the main list.
