New members who are imported to Ghost manually or through a webhook integration don’t trigger a welcome email cycle. They’re just ignored. People only get the welcome email(s) if they go to your website to type in their address.
I don’t know if this is a bug or a choice, but either way it’s a really damaging one. Imports aren’t just for migrating platform. Lots of growth happens via partnerships or social. I had a viral reel on Instagram, 1,700 people signed up for my newsletter via my Trustfnd link in bio, not one received a welcome email. I missed out on tons of new paid members! (The conversion rate was 7.5% on the much smaller group that did get the welcome email.) I’m also working with a big publisher considering a move from Substack to Ghost, but they get most of their new signups through partnerships (and a manual csv import) and this would be a blocker for them.
This isn’t growth hacking. In both cases, people sign up very explicitly and know what they’re getting. It’s a shame they can’t get the same welcome experience. I’d be very grateful if that could be fixed as a matter of urgency and that’s the main thing slowing my business down right now, and I can’t be the only one.
Thanks!