Product Onboarding Email
Improve activation rates with product onboarding emails that engage and educate.
What is a Product Onboarding Email?
A product onboarding email is sent to users who have just signed up for an online product or service. Product onboarding emails are designed to help users learn about the product, understand the jobs to be done with the product, and to understand product features and functionality.
Who uses Product Onboarding Emails?
Product onboarding emails are frequently used by Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) marketing teams to help increase user activation rates. Marketers often adopt a product-led approach to these emails, coordinating content and email CTAs with product and user experience teams.
What to include in a Product Onboarding Email?
There are a lot of factors to consider when building a product onboarding email.
Here are some of the email elements to consider.
| Email Design Element | Best Practices |
|---|---|
| Send Time | Send the initial email immediately, and then time subsequent emails according to the user journey. |
| Sender | Use a recognizable and trustworthy sender name and email address. |
| Subject Line | Make the subject line clear and informative, highlighting the product's value and what the user can expect to learn or achieve from the onboarding process. |
| Preview Text | Add intrigue to the email by highlighting or teasing a key product benefit. |
| Body Content | Use a clear and concise format that guides the user through the onboarding process, with clear instructions on how to get started and use the product's key features. Include visuals, such as screenshots or videos, to make it easier for users to understand. |
| Call-to-action (CTA) | Include a clear and prominent CTA that encourages users to take action, such as signing in to their account or completing specific tasks. |
| Personalization | Use the recipient's name. |
| Branding | Use the brand logo in recommended resolution; use brand fonts and colour scheme. |
| Footer | Standard branded footer with email, telephone, and full address. Provide clear contact information in case the user needs assistance with their interaction. |
Anatomy of a Product Onboarding email
Let’s look at an example from Monday.com.
Why marketing teams love Knak
95%better, faster campaigns = more success
22 minutesto create an email*
5x lessthan the cost of a developer
50x lessthan the cost of an agency**
* On average, for enterprise customers
** Knak base price
Product Onboarding Email Examples
Asana - Getting started with the product
Asana’s product onboarding is sleek, elegant, and effectively reinforces the product position.
What works well:
- Product positioning is clear
- Visuals are engaging
- Next steps outlined for user
Apple Music - Product membership renewal
Apple Music encourages users to enable auto-renewal for their subscription.
What works well:
- Impeccable branding
- CTA layout and design
- Informative copy
Mural - Product Welcome Email
Mural’s welcome email for its product onboarding sequence.
What works well:
- Impactful visuals reinforce product positioning
- Main CTA is featured
- Helpful resources section visual design
Adobe Creative Cloud - Product Emails
Adobe Creative Cloud focuses on the art of the possible with their product onboarding emails.
What works well:
- Beautiful branding
- CTAs featured prominently
- Visual design reinforces product positioning
Monday.com - Onboarding emails for marketing and creatives
Monday.com uses its product onboarding emails to help users utilize features and complete jobs to be done.
What works well:
- Sequential steps
- Brand elements
- CTAs resolve in product actions
Uber - Introduction to a New Customer
Uber welcomes a new customer to their app by highlighting their product features.
What works well:
- Beautiful, consistent branding
- Fantastic use of graphics and imagery
- Highly informative
Dropbox - Welcoming You and Your Team
Dropbox welcomes a new customer by allowing them an easy option to onboard their team.
What works well:
- Clear and accessible CTA
- Graphics help viewer visualize next steps
- Value propositions are effectively outlined
Loom - Extended Product Offering
Loom invites a recent customer to download the app across more platforms.
What works well:
- Lots of open space to increase readability
- Imagery guides readers through the product
- Concise copy entices readers to click CTA
Pitch
This email makes it easy for users to get started using a clean design that highlights the key actions they should take after signing up.
What works well:
- Aimed at feature utilization
- Links to relevant content
- Great approach with CTA to weekly webinar
Create emails - like this one - in less than 22 minutes*
*on average for Enterprise customers
Product Onboarding Email FAQ
A product onboarding email is a type of email that introduces new users to a product or service and helps them get started using it.
Typically, product onboarding emails are sent to new users or customers who have recently signed up for a product or service.
A product onboarding email should consist of a welcome message, an explanation of the product's key features, instructions for getting started, and any relevant resources or support options
The number of product onboarding emails you send may vary depending on the complexity of your product or service. However, a common practice is sending 3-5 emails spaced out over the first few days or weeks of a user's experience.
Some best practices for designing product onboarding emails include keeping the design simple and easy to follow, using clear and concise language, and incorporating visuals and multimedia to help explain key concepts.
Personalization is important for product onboarding emails because it helps users feel welcome and valued. Some ways to personalize your emails include using the user's name, referencing specific actions they have taken, and tailoring content to their interests or preferences.
The main goal of a product onboarding email is to help new users get started using a product or service, and provide them with the information and resources they need to be successful. Ultimately, the goal is to build a positive relationship with the user and encourage them to continue using the product.
To measure the success of onboarding emails, use metrics like open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, bounce rate, unsubscribe rate, and time to conversion. As you track these metrics, A/B test different email elements to see what works most effectively.
An email onboarding sequence is a series of emails that are designed to guide new users or customers through the initial stages of their experience with the new product or service. The main goal is the educate, engage, and ultimately convert recipients into active users.
The main difference is that a welcome email focuses on initial engagement and setting a positive tone, whereas an onboarding email series aims to educate and guide users through the functional aspects of the new product or service.
Want to learn more?
There are even more email example categories to explore.
