7 high impact customer onboarding emails
The pandemic has considerably affected the way businesses connect with their audiences. Even though onboarding was around even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the importance of teaching customers how to navigate a new product or service online has never been higher.
That is where digital transformation enters the picture. It fundamentally changes how your business technologically and culturally delivers better value to your customers. This includes a complete overhaul of processes and operations, shifting to an online way of working.
One of the most common digital transformation examples is using email to resolve pain points in the customer journey, especially during the onboarding process in order to improve the customer’s initial success with your product or service.
The concept of onboarding customers is not new in SaaS or eCommerce. Over time, they have become an important tool to educate, inform, and upsell/cross-sell customers.
But why onboard your customers through email? As a matter of fact, it remains a popular communication channel. Research shows that 4.3 billion people will use email by 2023. Customers actually prefer email as it keeps them updated about the relevant product or service-related news they’ve willingly signed up for.
When sent on time, a well-thought-out custom email enhances the user experience with your business and fetches more engagement that lasts longer. An onboarding sequence helps you get to connect with your subscribers better.
So now that your newly-launched application or storefront has started signing up customers or subscribers, you must enable a strong email onboarding experience that engages them with your brand.
7 High-Impact Customer Onboarding Emails your Business Can Take Inspiration From
1. Introduce a freebie to the customer like Flock
Flock is a team messenger and an online collaboration tool apt for businesses of all sizes. It offers a 30-day free trial. On signing up, you receive an email welcoming you aboard that gives you a sneak peek into what you can expect from Flock’s free trial.
The layout of the email is clean and on-point from a branding perspective. The tone of voice is fun and friendly yet straightforward. With a few short introductory paras, it lays down all the things a team can do on Flock during the 30-day trial period in the form of a checklist.
As you can see, the CTA is clear and nudges you to take a single action, i.e., invite your team members. Lastly, if you want to know what you will be missing out on once the trial ends, the email includes a link to a separate web page for that, which one can explore at their discretion.
2. Lay down the next steps neatly like Peloton
Peloton is an interactive fitness platform integrated with their proprietary static exercise bike. It allows you to attend an instructor-led spin class from wherever you have stored the bike — your bedroom or garage — anytime.
Because of its unique model of online subscriptions and physical products, Peloton can be pretty challenging for new customers to understand. The email has proven to be effective in breaking down clear instructions, so it works well for Peloton.
Instead of showing the benefits of Peloton, the company lays out the steps a new customer has to take to get the most out of their service. The email, as shown below, is broken into three segments — choose your ride, choose your instructor, and choose your length.
Each segment is supported with a short copy that explains what you are in for. Such an email does not have to be dry or dull. Keep things light through good design and brief copy. Clarify the steps a customer needs to take so that they are more likely to engage.
3. Guide your customers to get started like Framer
When you sign up for the design and prototyping tool, it sends you an email comprising a list of tasks you need to do for getting your team set up. A percentage indicator also tells you how far along you are with all the tasks on Framer.
One of the reasons such an email works is because it does not beat around the bush or waste the time of the customers. It has one goal, and that is to help you get started. That is it.
In addition, if you need help figuring out where to start, Framer shares a link to the Framer Team Handbook — right at the end of the email — that consists of all the necessary resources and workflow tips for using the design system.
4. Crush your customer’s struggle and educate them like VideoAsk
One of the most common digital transformation examples is using email to resolve pain points in the customer journey, especially during the onboarding process in order to improve the customer’s initial success with your product or service. VideoAsk does it brilliantly.
It is a web application that lets your audience ask questions and receive answers face-to-face. Even though 73% of people prefer learning about a product through a short video, not everyone is camera-friendly.
VideoAsk onboarding email aims to help new customers get comfortable with using a camera through a 5-step guide. The tone is exceptionally conversational and light. The email tells you to define your goal first and then draft your message.
It asks you to think about your surroundings and use speaker notes to record a flawless video. Lastly, if the customer wants to see the five steps in action, they can check out the testimonial link shared towards the end of the email.
VideoAsk makes recording videos a straightforward task and strives to put an end to the camera-shy customers’ misery.
5. Drive your first sale by offering a discount like Cozy Earth
This is a perfect onboarding email if you are in the eCommerce space. You sell many products, and you want new subscribers to buy something from you. What is the best way to nudge them? A discount, of course!
Like its products, Luxe bedding and loungewear company, Cozy Earth, keeps it classy by sharing a one-time coupon code for first-time customers to use. Besides the coupon, the eCommerce store also shares why one must choose to shop from them.
The branding is elegant and visually attractive. If you read the email, you will feel relaxed and want to purchase from Cozy Earth!
6. Give the flexibility to explore like Howler Brothers
Onboarding emails do not necessarily have to welcome new customers and help them get started. They are designed to encourage interaction with your product or service to increase conversions. So, you can also cross and upsell your offerings during the process.
For instance, if someone has signed up for your project management tool, they may benefit from using the file-sharing software you offer.
Howler Brothers, the outdoor apparel company, welcomes a new customer with a short welcome message and shares their customer service email address. Instead of directing the customers to a specific set of tasks, it enables them to explore the site independently.
The onboarding email comprises links to their fall collections, blog posts, and social media profiles. They may or may not immediately purchase from you. But when they have the option to discover your offerings on their own, the engagement increases.
7. Foster a sense of belonging and community like Backcountry
Not every onboarding email has to nudge the customer to take action. Instead, you can show them that they have invariably become a part of a tight-knit group by choosing you. Using a sense of community helps aid customer loyalty, which is obviously a win in the long run.
Backcountry, an e-retailer that sells clothing and outdoor recreation gear, shares its love for being outdoors and introduces its branded hashtag #GoatWorthy to help its community appreciate the magic that comes from the path less traveled.
Such emails help drive an emotional connection with their customers who, with time, can grow into loyal brand advocates.
Over to You
The digital world we live in has significantly raised the bar at which customers measure companies against. They expect things to be done properly and quickly. Therefore, you must study your customers properly to make your onboarding exercise a success.
Prioritize segmentation to ensure you send the right content to the right people, for starters. Customize one email sequence according to user behavior. For instance, users who signed up for a free trial must receive a welcome email.
Or, inactive users must receive re-engagement of emails. Write a persuasive copy. Include screenshots and testimonials to add value to your email content. Lastly, do not confuse your customers with multiple CTAs in the emails. Ask them to take one step at a time.
There is no dearth of options regarding the type of onboarding emails you can create and send. Regardless of whatever you choose and your industry niche — a successful onboarding campaign can be a real win for your business. Therefore, please make an effort to get it right.
