5 Onboarding Email Templates That Will Surely Engage Users in 2022

Product engagement has a direct relation to perceived value. The more engaged the user is, the more valuable your product is for users. Email sign-up or trial sign-up is not the end goal for the company. It does not ensure a tremendous lifetime value (LTV). Also, there is a high probability of churning customers. Hence, focusing on the new users and presenting your value during the onboarding process contributes significantly to future growth.

Do you know that onboarding emails have an 82% open rate (60% more than the average open rate)?

No wonder having a spot-on, well-thought email campaign turn subscribers into brand loyalists. Especially, a sign-up indicates that users do not need massive persuasion. With little effort, you can direct them to make purchases.

In fact, 31% of B2B marketing professionals believe that emails are the most effective way to nurture a lead.

So, today, We have compiled 5 onboarding email templates to engage new users.

5 Onboarding Email Templates to Engage New Users
7-Step Framework For Planning and Writing Irresistible Onboarding Emails
Bonus: 3 Tips for Writing Onboarding Email

5 Onboarding Email Templates to Engage New Users

An onboarding email is not about sending that one perfect email that turns users into paying customers. It is a process to nurture leads over time. Here are 5 onboarding email templates to engage new users.

Onboarding Email Template No.1 - Congratulatory Message

Subject: {NAME}'s Team Welcomes You!/ Thank You from {NAME} team/ Get Started with {NAME}

Hey ___,

I couldn't be happier to have you on board. We are a strong community of # {target group (marketers, accountants, small businesses, etc.)}.

To head start, check this quick guide that takes you through the basics of {NAME}.

To make it easier, we have a dedicated team to help you with the product onboard. Reach out to us at {Contact details}.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and join # {target group} in their upskilling journey. Stay updated with industry trends and get valuable resources.

{CTA BUTTON}

(Add a small message from your team member, whomsoever is addressing email.

“Been working with the team as {POSITION} for # years now. Our mission is {BRAND MISSION}. We want to take this one step further and would love to get your feedback. Just hit reply to this email! We read all the incoming emails and strive to enhance your experience.”)

{SIGNATURE}

Onboarding Email Template No.2 - Highlight Features

Subject:Did you know that {NAME} supports {USP or UNIQUE FEATURE} as well?/ {FEATURE} with {NAME}/ What next?/ How to {FEATURE} on {NAME}

Hey ___,

Congratulations on taking your {OFFERING (eg: invoicing, digital marketing, email marketing, project management} game a step ahead!

You can achieve much more than {PRIMARY FEATURE} with {NAME}.

{FEATURE 1}{FEATURE 2}{FEATURE 3}

(*Support each feature with the link and a graphic)

Want a solution to a specific problem? Contact us at {CONTACT DETAILS}

{SIGNATURE}

Onboarding Email Template No.3 - Promoting Referral Program

Subject: Special Welcome Bonus for You/ Did you try {FEATURE} already?

Hey ____,

We couldn't stop ourselves from asking if you got a chance to explore {SPECIAL FEATURE}!

{BENEFIT 1}{BENEFIT 2}{BENEFIT 3}

{CTA BUTTON- Log in here}

Also, You can avail 25% discount on our app purchase with the discount coupon {DISCOUNT CODE} valid until {EXPIRATION DATE}.

(*Alternatively, you could mention a loyalty or referral program)

Our community has {WHAT DID THEY ACHIEVE?} and absolutely loves {FEATURE}.

Want a quick product tour? Contact us as {CONTACT DETAILS}

{SIGNATURE}

Onboarding Email Template No.4 - Case Study

Subject: 85% of our users saved {USP} by using {FEATURE}/ {TARGET GROUP} loves {FEATURE}/ How {A WELL-KNOWN BRAND} uses {NAME}/ Looking for inspiration?

Hey ____,

Did you know that {TARGET GROUP/ WELL-KNOWN BRAND} uses {NAME} to {ACHIEVE WHAT?}.

(*Share case study with relevant social proof and highlight benefits)

{CTA BUTTON- Log in here}

Hope you got some ideas! Want to know more? {Add SOCIAL MEDIA, CONTACT DETAILS}

{SIGNATURE}

Onboarding Email Template No.5 - Free Gift!

Subject: Here's your gift!/ Bonus for YOU!

Hey ____,

{NAME}'s team welcomes you to the community of {TARGET GROUP}!

Hope you enjoyed using {NAME} and had a great experience.

We are so delighted to have you here that we have a special gift for you! We are offering {BONUS} for a period of {PERIOD}. You will be able to enjoy:

{BENEFIT 1}

{BENEFIT 2}

{BENEFIT 3}

(*Add images)

{CTA- Log in here}

Want to get all the exclusive features for your company? Check {BEST SELLER PLAN} that our community loves.

(*Add a review or testimonial)

{SIGNATURE}

Tweak these templates and ensure to weave your brand story and make users feel valuable. Now, before we wrap this up, here are 3 tips for writing onboarding emails.

7 mistakes you should avoid while writing an Email

We all make mistakes while writing an email but mistakes are not appreciated while writing a mail to a client so here are mistakes to avoid while writing an Email.

StartupTalkyAnagha S

7-Step Framework For Planning and Writing Irresistible Onboarding Emails

In reality, you can not just pick and paste an email template on the internet and expect great results. It requires inculcating your brand personality and A/B testing (which by the way boosts ROI by 31%.). Hence, here is a 7-step framework to get you started.

1. Set Goals

What do you want to achieve from your onboarding email?

Primarily, the goal is to ensure product activation and usage.

But what is it that motivates your customer to start using your product? Is it a free trial? Is it going through your catalogue? Is it a quick tour of your product?

Identify the “activation point” and direct your new users there. Look back and see what worked and what did not for past users. Set these actions as KPIs for your email campaign.

For instance, if every new user to your CRM SaaS uses the product after a quick tour and sales representative call. Set sales rep call as KPI for measuring success.

2. Identify Gaps and Incentive

What made my previous user onboarding a success or failure?

As discussed before, identifying activation points is crucial to shaping your email campaign. This step involves looking at records and doing A/B tests to understand users and get the best results.

For instance, A great brand story with a simple CTA could give 25% product activation for your brand. Contrarily, a similar email could lead to 35% product activation for another brand. You need to experiment with different elements and understand success points for your users.

3. Segment Audience

What are the different categories and preferences of my new users?

Segmentation is dividing your customers based on their journey or preferences. Understand where your customer is coming from? Did they opt-in from a landing page or a blog? Or Did they sign-up for a free trial? Segmentation can be based on job titles, company size, or any other relevant detail.

The best example is HubSpot. Whenever a user checks out their sales page or CRM products, they receive an email addressing if they want to purchase anything?

Segmenting your audience is crucial for better results as it enhances CTR by 50%. It opens a window for personalization and makes emails more relevant.

4. Curating Catchy Headline

What is the hook for your audience?

The classic “8-sec rule” to grab your audience’s attention. How are you opening your email? Is it the cliche “Welcome to the community” or “Congrats on making a smart purchase for your business”. Your headline should be evoking and compel users to hang in till the end.

5. Crucial Elements of Onboarding Email

What all should you include in your onboarding email?

Apart from the email address and contact details, many other elements are crucial in your onboarding email. These are:

Brand introduction

What is your brand all about? Highlight that one core pressing problem that your brand solves.

Brand story

What was the journey of identifying and solving the problem? Tell users brand mission and vision for the future.

Benefits and value proposition

What are the features of your product? Do not just mention the quality of your product but show how your product is a solution to their problem. Highlight any other value that people might not know about. You could support this with social proof and case studies.

Competitive edge

What sets you apart? Support your USP with a real-life example and show how your users get better results than your competitors. Give them a reason to stay and not switch to your competitors.

Future expectations

What should your users expect from any future email? You do not just send an onboarding email and forget your users. Email marketing is a continuous process, and you need to tell your users what you have in store for them. For instance, “Look out for the guide on ___ in the coming week”.

Feedback

How do users perceive your emails? Knowing what they feel about your emails is crucial. Just insert a questionnaire at the end of your email and ask for feedback. You could do a small survey and get to know answers to “How do you identify yourself” “How satisfied are you with the email” “How did you discover our brand”. It improves the quality of your email and customer experience.

You do not need to include these all in one email. Users can get overwhelmed with all these details at once. Inculcate these in a series of emails as a part of the onboarding process.

6. Personalize and Humanize Emails

What makes your emails personal?

Personalization is an effective way to build relationships and grow your community. But it is more than adding the user’s name. Leverage segmentation and send relevant emails that align with your users’ journey.

Another way to humanize is to send emails from a team member, on behalf of the team. Add an avatar and send emails from employees’ email IDs. It leads to better connections, especially for B2B businesses.

Also, do invite replies for your onboarding emails. This might lead to friction initially, but our current focus is to engage users and reduce the churn rate.

7. Add Call-to-Action

What do you want from your users?

At this stage, you persuade users to opt for the activation point discussed earlier. CTA does not always have to be buying a product. It can be as simple as:

• Striking conversations
• Sign-ups
• Social media share
• Following on social media channels
• Freebie download

But, do not opt for many CTAs together. Make sure that your CTA is simple, clear, and strong. Make it stand out and ensure it does not get lost in the email.

These steps will help you get clarity over curating and using onboarding emails. Now, let us look at the onboarding email templates to engage your new users.

Top Creative Ways to Reduce Email Newsletter Unsubscribe Rates

Are people unsubscribing your newsletters?. Here are top tips to retain customers and avoid customers from unsubscribing your newsletter.

StartupTalkyMuskaan Kapoor

Bonus: 3 Tips for Writing Onboarding Email

Before you finally start using these templates, do not miss these writing tips. These take you a step closer to customer satisfaction and increased engagement of new users.

1. Make emails customer-centric

Share your brand story and mission, but tell users how they are a crucial part of it. Bring a sense of community.

Want a tip on how to boost your click rate?

Remember- A story well told is a story well sold. So, make them part of your brand story. Also, share your brand values and product benefits with a personalized touch. You do not want a user who already signed up to receive an email with the sign-up process. Segment wisely and prioritize customer fulfilment.

2. Experiment

Do not stick to one template or one proven subject line. Try multiple formats, templates and analyze the performance. Keep consistent brand voice & personality. Work until you find that one hit-point that makes users fall in love with the product.

3. Keep it simple

Avoid adding 10 elements to emails or making them longer. Onboarding emails should be short, simple with no fluff. Do not try to give all the information in one email. Also, you can not persuade users to subscribe to your social channels, make a purchase, download the freebie, check the resource library with one email. Stick to one CTA and goal at a time.

Conclusion

Onboarding emails can turn mere visitors into the highest paying customers! Aim to identify communication gaps and convey brand value. It does not have to be that complicated. Just keep it short, simple, and to the point.

FAQ

How do you write an onboarding email?

Write personalized emails, include Call-to-Action, segment your audience, and write a catchy headline.

When should you send onboarding emails?

You should send an onboarding email when a customer signs up for your product, service or newsletter.

Are welcome emails important?

Yes, welcome emails engage new users and have higher open rates than other marketing emails.