Why a welcome automation matters
You should always have a welcome automation set up. It's one of the most impactful tools available — welcome emails typically have your highest open rates, build trust right away, and drive revenue much like a campaign would.
Around 74% of people expect a welcome message when they sign up, so don't leave them waiting. The first email sets the tone for the relationship, and a quick hello is often all it takes to turn a fresh signup into an engaged subscriber.
If you haven't set one up yet, start with customize a pre-built welcome automation and then come back here to fine-tune it.
Timing
Send immediately upon signup. Interest is highest right after a subscriber joins, so waiting too long increases the chance they'll ignore the email or unsubscribe
Enable your automation before ticket sales begin. Automations need to be live ahead of onsale so no new subscribers fall through the cracks
Send during peak hours, typically 8 AM to 5 PM, when recipients are most likely to be active
Trigger setup
Use a dedicated entry trigger. Common options include:
Enters Segment set to "New Subscribers": For a universal welcome to all new signups (this is the default for the pre-built welcome automation). You can also point this trigger at any custom live segment for a more tailored welcome.
Signing up via a capture tool, landing page, pop-up, or embedded form: Requires building the automation from scratch.
First-time ticket buyers: For a thank-you flow specific to ticket purchasers. See Create a new ticket purchaser thank-you automation.
For most welcome automations, no extra global rules are needed - just confirm that the contact is still in the segment.
Pro tip: If you're an event promoter, trigger the welcome journey off explicit newsletter signups, not just the New Subscribers engagement level. New ticket purchasers are technically "New Subscribers" in Hive, and getting a welcome email right after a ticket transaction can feel awkward.
Email content and structure
A strong welcome series is usually three emails, spaced out over the first week.
Email 1: Immediate confirmation
Send right away. The goal is to confirm the subscription and earn that first click.
Include a Confirm your subscription button linked to your homepage or a confirmation page. A first click is a strong deliverability signal to Gmail, Outlook, and other inbox providers
Keep it concise - thank them, introduce your brand, and set expectations for what they'll receive
Email 2: Value delivery
Send 1 to 3 days later. This is where you give them a reason to stay.
If a discount code or perk was offered at signup, deliver it here with more details
Promote upcoming events, share exclusive content, or link to early access ticket opportunities
Email 3: Brand deepening
Send 5 to 7 days later. This is your chance to build a longer-term connection.
Tell subscribers more about your brand and what to expect from your emails
Ask what they want to hear about, for example, by linking to a preference center
Call to action
The CTA is the most important piece of the welcome email. Every email should have at least one strong, clear CTA.
High-performing CTA ideas for event marketers:
View Upcoming Events — links to your events page
Set Your Preferences — links to a preference center
Get Early Access to Tickets — drives clicks and enables future targeting
Pro tip: Include both a primary CTA (events page) and a secondary CTA (preference center) to maximize engagement and segmentation signals. Early clicks mean stronger long-term deliverability and the ability to segment subscribers by behavior right away.
Branding and personalization
Customize content to match your brand's voice, colors, and visual identity
Use merge tags for dynamic, event-specific content like event name, venue, or date
For event-based welcome flows such as first-time ticket buyers, make sure the email references the specific event or artist that triggered the entry
Segmentation
A welcome automation is a great place to start segmenting subscribers based on what they click and which preferences they share.
Build a separate first-time ticket buyer welcome series, distinct from your general newsletter welcome
Add a genre preference landing page as a CTA destination for ticket-buyer welcomes, so you can segment by genre right away
Consider adding a city or location field to signup forms for geographic segmentation down the road
Deliverability
Welcome emails are highly engaging, and ISPs use those first few sends to gauge subscriber interest. A solid welcome flow is one of the best ways to warm up your domain and protect your sender reputation.
Prioritize setting up your welcome automation for domain warm-up. High open rates send positive signals to inbox providers
Keep links to a minimum and review subject lines to avoid spam triggers
Test your emails by sending them to a Gmail account before going live
SMS welcome (if applicable)
Use the Splits tool to handle both email and SMS subscribers within a single welcome automation
Always include compliant opt-in language and opt-out instructions in any SMS welcome message
Add a contact card to the SMS welcome for future recognition and stronger deliverability signals
Important: An SMS welcome automation is an essential compliance feature, not just a nice-to-have.
Setup and technical tips
When Hive automatically generates a welcome automation from a signup form, popup, or landing page, review and customize the default content before turning it on
Build the email in Templates first, then apply it to your automation. Changes in one won't auto-sync to the other unless you explicitly overwrite
Use clear naming conventions when setting up automations, so they're easy to manage later
Toggle the automation on only after a final review and test send
Save your email as a template using Save As Template before saving the automation if you want to reuse it later
Performance and optimization
A/B test subject lines, CTAs, and content to learn what resonates best with your audience
Track opens, clicks, and revenue attribution to refine your welcome series over time
Note: A welcome automation that's live and connected to a key signup source is a baseline indicator that your marketing foundation is in good shape.