Every email you send matters. But the first one you send to a new subscriber, client, or interested party – well that one matters even more. Find out how to Make the Most of Your Onboarding Email with Growth Tactic #95–the newest tool for your 100-Day Digital Growth Plan toolbox.
OVERVIEW–Make the Most of Your Onboarding Email 
In Growth Tactic #19, we tackled the universal (but oh so important) Welcome Email. Sometimes, all your list needs is a little recognition and confirmation, “way to go, thank you for joining, welcome aboard!” but other times – they have a little work to do after opting in or signing up. In this tactic, you’ll learn how to beef up that welcome message and turn it into an easy-to-digest, actionable onboarding email. Instead of just saying “hello,” you’re going to learn the right way to say, “Hello, here’s what you gotta do next!” The key to success here is making your steps appear effortless and exciting at the same time. From where are we drawing our inspiration? Jimmy Daly’s must-read piece on The 1-2-3 Method for Lifecycle Email Marketing, in which he goes over this brilliantly simple strategy for nailing that initial email. Before you give the full article a read, whet your appetite with the summary below.
HOW-TO
STEP ONE: Figure out what actions your customers should take immediately. Do they need to opt-in again for anything? Fill out a form? Set up a profile? Do a bit of reading? Watch a video? Once you’ve decided…
STEP TWO: …tell them how to do it! In no more than three steps, and in as few words as possible, offer guidance. Gently take their hand and lead them to goal completion. If you find yourself trying to pack too much information into your onboarding email – cut, paste, and save some of that good stuff for a follow-up. You don’t have to divulge all of your wants, desires and secrets in that first email – you know, like a bad first date. Just slowly let your new friend get to know you and your service.
STEP THREE: Try it out. See how your list responds to your new onboarding email. If they seem confused or don’t follow directions, take a look at your copy and reevaluate. If things start to heat up – congrats! You 1-2-3’ed that onboarding email like a pro.
RESOURCES AND TOOLS
- SharpSring (for automated email marketing)
- 3 Lessons Learned From Testing Hundreds Of Onboarding Emails
- SaaS Customer Onboarding: 3 Steps to a Successful Welcome Email
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