Set up a welcome sequence
A welcome sequence is the single highest-impact automation you can set up. This guide builds a 3-email sequence that runs automatically for every new subscriber.
The welcome sequence pattern
New subscribers are at peak engagement — they just opted in and your brand is fresh in their mind. A welcome sequence takes advantage of that moment by delivering three emails spaced over the first week:
- Email 1 (immediately)
A warm welcome. Confirm they subscribed, introduce who you are and what they will get, and set expectations.
- Email 2 (2 days later)
Deliver value. Send your best piece of content, a tip, a guide, or something genuinely useful. This builds trust and establishes you as worth opening.
- Email 3 (3 days after email 2)
A soft call to action. Now that they know you, invite them to take the next step — read a blog post, book a call, use a discount, or explore your product.
This sequence works because it matches the subscriber's state of mind: curiosity → trust-building → action.
Create the automation
Go to Automations → New Automation. Give it a name like "New subscriber welcome sequence".
- 1Click the trigger block. Select "Subscriber added to list".
- 2Choose the list you want to trigger from — this is the list new subscribers join when they fill out your form.
- 3Leave "Re-enter allowed" off. This prevents existing subscribers who are moved into the list from entering the sequence again.
Email 1 — Welcome message
Click + Add step and choose Email. This email fires immediately when a subscriber enters the flow.
Write a subject like "Welcome to [Brand] — you're in." or "Thanks for joining us, {{first_name}}."
In the body, include:
- A genuine, warm greeting that confirms they signed up
- A brief introduction: who you are and what kind of emails they will receive
- What to expect and when (e.g. "you'll hear from us weekly")
- One optional low-friction action, like following on social or visiting your site
Save the step. The first email is done.
Wait step — 2 days
Click + Add step and choose Wait. Set the duration to 2 days. This pauses the sequence so the subscriber does not receive three emails in quick succession.
Wait duration tips
Two days between the welcome and the first follow-up is a good starting point. It gives the subscriber enough time to engage with email 1 before they hear from you again. If your audience is B2B, you may want to increase this to 3 days to avoid weekends.
Email 2 — Value and tips
Click + Add step and choose another Email step. This email should deliver your best content — no ask, just value.
Ideas for email 2:
- Your most popular blog post or guide
- Three tips relevant to the reason they subscribed
- A curated list of resources you recommend
- A case study or before/after story
- An exclusive piece of content just for subscribers
Subject: "The [X] resource most [brand] readers bookmark" or simply "Something useful for you, {{first_name}}."
Second Wait step — 3 days
Add another Wait step, this time for 3 days. Total sequence span so far: day 0 (email 1), day 2 (email 2), day 5 (email 3 — next step).
Email 3 — Call to action
Add the final Email step. This is where you invite the subscriber to take the next step in their relationship with you.
The CTA should be one specific action — not five options. Common choices:
- Book a free consultation or demo call
- Use a welcome discount code on their first purchase
- Try your product's key feature
- Join your community (Facebook group, Slack, Discord)
- Read the most important page on your site
Keep the email short and focused. One ask, one button. Subject lines like "One thing I want to show you" or "Ready to take the next step?" tend to perform well here.
Activate and test
Before activating, use the Test with a subscriber button to simulate the flow with a test email address. This sends a preview of each email step and lets you see the rendered content without waiting for real timers.
- 1Click "Test automation" in the top toolbar
- 2Enter a test email address (or your own)
- 3Mally fires each email step immediately, skipping wait durations
- 4Check your inbox — confirm all three emails arrive correctly
- 5Once satisfied, click Activate
From now on, every subscriber who joins the list will receive the sequence automatically. Monitor the Enrolments tab over the first few days to confirm everything is running as expected.