What happens when a supporter signs up for email updates on your campaign website?
If it’s anything like the hundreds of campaign websites we’ve tested, the answer is: nothing. And that’s a mistake.
That moment – right after a voter raises their hand – is one of the highest-intent opportunities your campaign will ever get. Letting it pass without a response is a missed chance to build trust, drive engagement, and protect your email program long-term.
At a minimum, campaigns should send an immediate confirmation email. Better yet, new supporters should be enrolled in an automated welcome series that introduces the campaign and sets expectations.
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Welcome Emails Build Trust
When a supporter signs up on your website, an immediate confirmation email reassures them that their action worked and that they’re in the right place. In fact, 74% of users say they expect a confirmation email after signing up, according to one survey.
But this shouldn’t be a cold, generic system message.
A well-written welcome email confirms more than the signup. It signals legitimacy. It tells the reader who you are, what kind of information you’ll send, and why your campaign is a credible source for this election. That clarity builds trust early, before skepticism or inbox fatigue has a chance to set in.
Welcome Emails Drive Engagement
Welcome emails consistently outperform standard campaign emails.
According to GetResponse benchmark data, welcome messages see 4× higher open rates and 5× higher click-through rates than typical email sends. That spike happens once and only once.
Campaigns that skip a welcome email give up their best chance to prompt an early donation, recruit a volunteer, or encourage a supporter to take a second action while motivation is still high.
Welcome Emails Boost Deliverability
That early engagement does more than drive clicks. It also improves deliverability over time.
Inbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo increasingly rely on engagement history to decide where future messages land. When subscribers open and interact with your first email, it sends a strong signal that your messages are wanted, thus making it more likely future emails reach the inbox instead of the spam folder.
In other words, a welcome email doesn’t just help the first message perform better. It helps every message that follows.
Conclusion
Too many campaigns are missing out on the benefits of sending a thoughtful welcome email when a supporter signs up on their website. A thoughtful welcome email (or a short automated series) is one of the simplest ways to build trust, increase engagement, and protect deliverability from day one.
In competitive campaigns where every edge matters, failing to follow up with new supporters is an early mistake you don’t need to make.