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Best Onboarding Email Tips and Templates

Beefree team
Beefree team
Jul 5, 2023
Best Onboarding Email Tips and Templates
Best Onboarding Email Tips and Templates

You’ve scored a win by signing up a new customer or client - nice work! This isn’t the finish line, though, but only the beginning. Now is the time to start establishing a loyal relationship with that new client by guiding them through your onboarding process so they understand your product better and feel more like a part of your community. An onboarding email (or emails) is a low-maintenance but effective way to do this, and we have all the tips you need to make those onboarding emails worthwhile.

What Is an Onboarding Email?

An onboarding email campaign is a campaign that is sent to new users after the signup and is designed around initiating them into your community. Think of it as both a tutorial and a “getting to know you” process - it can guide new users through your product’s features and introduce them to your product more fully.

Why are Onboarding Emails Important?

Onboarding emails are a key part of building a relationship of trust, familiarity, and loyalty with your new customers. If your email is well-executed, it can make the difference between customers giving your product a cursory trial and moving on or investing their time and becoming loyal users for years to come.A strong onboarding email campaign can offer advantages like:

  • Showing customers the features and uses of your product that they may not find on their own
  • Improving customer satisfaction (and customer retention and referrals as a result) because customers learn how to best use your product
  • Strengthening brand loyalty because the customer feels like you are guiding and welcoming them, not just accepting their money and setting them loose to figure out the product on their own
  • Keeping your product in new customers’ minds so they use it more often

Here are some best practices to make sure you’re getting the most out of your onboarding emails.

When to Send An Onboarding Email

It goes without saying that onboarding emails should be sent after a new customer signs up for your product or service. There are several types of onboarding emails, though, that can be sent at different times in the onboarding process. These can include:

  • Welcome email: A welcome email is sent automatically when the customer signs up. It confirms that their sign-up was a success and gives them anything they’ll need to get started, like a log-in button, customer code, or basic instructions for logging in.
  • Instructional emails: To help your customers be as satisfied with your product as possible, you want to make sure they see all that your product can do. By sending instructional emails in the first days after a new customer signs up, you can highlight certain features, provide tutorial videos, or otherwise teach the customer about their new product. You could send one instructional email or a series of them.
  • Onboarding survey emails: Survey emails during the onboarding process allow you to learn more about why a customer signed up, how they plan on using the product, how their experience with the product has been so far, and so on.
  • Upsell emails: If your product or service has multiple options, like a basic subscription and a premium subscription, an upsell email could be an excellent addition to your onboarding campaign. After your customer has been using their basic subscription for some time, send them an email about what they’re missing out on and invite them to upgrade to the premium option.

Tips for Writing Effective Onboarding Emails for Customers

Like any customer emailing campaign, onboarding emails need to be well-executed for them to be effective. How can you master the art of powerful, profitable onboarding emails? Follow these tips.

TIP #1: Write compelling onboarding subject lines 

Your onboarding emails only work if customers open them, and that largely depends on your subject line. Craft a subject line that is compelling and interesting, giving customers a reason to open the email. Consider these examples:

  • Let’s unbox your new subscription to !
  • More 💥 for your 💸: Here’s how to use .
  • Welcome to the  family! Let us show you around.

Different audiences respond better to different types of subject lines, so it can take time to discover what subject lines give you the best open rates. You can find out with A/B testing - use one subject line for a randomly chosen half of your new customers’ onboarding emails and a different subject line for the other half and see which one performs better.

Tip #2: Offer a clear how-to guide

Even if users have already signed up for your product or service, they may need additional information to start using it successfully. Sending a how-to guide early on in the onboarding process is a great way to help new subscribers get started. A how-to email also reminds users of your product or service’s features and benefits, encouraging them to fully utilize its potential. Here’s an example of an onboarding email from MailChimp, which includes a step-by-step guide. The email itself is kept clutter-free with a link to the guide and a clear call to action (CTA).

Mailchimp Getting started emails

TIP #3: Don't overload users with too much information 

All your onboarding emails should be short and to the point. Your users are busy people, and if they open an email that has a wall of text, they’re likely to skip the whole thing. The less text you have, the more attention your call-to-action or other important elements will get because they aren’t being crowded by all that visual clutter. Twitter has done this excellently in this example:

inspiration for onboarding emails

Think of all the information Twitter could have sent. Maybe a list of suggested friends, a list of those potential friends’ tweets, a message about customizing your profile… you get the idea. Instead, the email focuses on a single action: find your friends. That makes the email easy to read and understand and, thus, easy to act upon.If your users seem to be inactive or don’t respond to your CTAs in your getting started emails, it’s likely that they’re overwhelmed or confused, so keep your emails simple and test your email design layout.

Tip #4: Send onboarding emails in a short sequence

As we’ve discussed, an email is most effective when it has a focused message paired with a single CTA. One strategy brands can use to avoid dumping too much information all at once is to create a series of onboarding tips. The getting started guide email from MailChimp we saw earlier, for example, was just one in a series called a drip campaign. This is how the email sequence looked in my inbox in the first week after I activated my account:

Mailchimp Getting started emails

Similarly, the music app Spotify sends three key tips across three welcome emails:

Spotify Getting started emails

Each email has the same structure: a GIF, brief text, and a CTA button. Brands like Mailchimp and Spotify deliver a sequence of tips to avoid overwhelming users to the point they take no action at all. As Customer.io points out, most activation funnels make customers confused because they aren’t very funnel-like at all. Here’s how they illustrate that confusion:

Customer.io newsletter activation funnel

Illustration credit: Customer.io

Customer.io suggests treating the onboarding process like the tutorial mode in a video game. Walk customers through each step, one by one. The steps should follow the natural progression of how a user will engage with your product. Start with tips on building their profile, for example, and then move on to highlight specific features, gradually reaching more complex features. The goal is to guide your customers to fully understand and enjoy your product.

Tip #5: Provide a product visual

Instead of taking the “how-to” route for onboarding emails, Canva, the graphic design tool, uses two effective strategies in its onboarding email:

  1. Encourages users to explore their product by showing visual examples of Canva templates.
  2. Positions the product as a solution to a problem (problem: design takes time; solution: Canva has easy-to-use templates).

Here’s their onboarding email:

Canva Getting started emails

Canva’s email follows all the best practices (single CTA, focused message, solutions-oriented) while inspiring users to get started with a preview of its product.

Onboarding Made Easy: Effective Onboarding Email Templates You Can Use

The tips above can help you boost the impact of your onboarding email sequence, but how do you get started? Good news: there are many free templates available from BeeFree that are pre-designed with best practices in mind to help you nurture a longstanding relationship with your new customers. There are templates available for various industries and various points in your onboarding funnel - check out the options below, for example.

Onboarding Email Templates for HR 

If you’re in HR, your onboarding process is an essential part of ensuring a strong company culture. Not only is it a way to get important information to new employees but also a way to ensure employee engagement is high from the start. This Beefree onboarding email is the perfect start to your HR onboarding communications. However, this template can also be easily adapted to any other industry looking to make email creation a whole lot easier!

Use this template in Beefree!

Use this template in Beefree!

Higher Education Onboarding Email Template

For Higher Education institutions, a welcome message provides new students with valuable information that will help them navigate their new journey. The Beefree Higher Education template collection helps these institutions build email campaigns effortlessly, from recruitment to onboarding and beyond.

Making the most of your onboarding emails 

Each brand needs to carefully evaluate how to engage with its new users. Important factors in onboarding email campaigns include the number of emails, the timing of those messages, and the content. As you consider the best path for your users, keep today’s tips in mind:

  1. Lead with a compelling subject line. Make your subject line eye-catching and punchy while also making it transparent about what the email holds.
  2. Offer a guide. Whether it’s in the email or on a landing page, make sure users have the resources needed to get the most from your product or service.
  3. Keep your message focused. Don’t overwhelm users by telling them everything about your brand all at once. Send concise, thoughtful messages to show how your product or service can help them.
  4. Set up an onboarding sequence. You shouldn’t send all your onboarding tips in one email; keep information well-paced in a series of sends.
  5. Use product visuals. Try to show your product or service with images and screenshots.

Get started and go pro!

Feeling inspired? Design get started designing your onboarding email sequence with our easy-to-use, drag-n-drop email editor. No HTML or design experience is required, plus your emails will be mobile responsive. Sign-up for a Beefree account today! The best part? It's free.

Editor’s Note: This post was updated on July 2023 to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Now, let's be honest—you’ve likely heard about all of these rotating for the last few years. While email marketing has come a long way and is changing faster than ever, there’s only so much you can do within 600x1,500 pixels. However, there are no limits to where your creativity can take you. 

Let’s get into it.  

#1. Unique, tailored experiences 

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “We faced the challenge of connecting meaningfully with an audience that expects more than one-size-fits-all communication.” 

When we speak about crafting tailored emails we mean going beyond the recipient's first name in the subject line. We’re talking about optimizing your entire email strategy to design multi-stage touchpoints to nurture leads across the customer lifecycle. As well as, leveraging data to send hyper-personalized, relevant, and engaging emails that feel less like a broadcast message and more like a conversation. 

Many are using AI machine learning algorithms and AI automation to analyze customer interactions, past purchases, browsing habits, website visits, and even social media behavior to curate engaging email content that resonates deeply with the real-time needs of recipients.

For PetLab Co this looked like including content such as an individual’s pet health history or product usage timelines. Damian Grabarzyk expands, “This approach transformed the conversion rate and strengthened customer loyalty. As we look ahead, I see brands in 2025 moving beyond generic personalization to adopt strategies that make customers feel truly understood and valued.”

On the other hand, many are leaning into user-generated content (UGC) for crafting tailored experiences. Customers today are more likely to trust the opinions of peers over branded messages. UGC like customer reviews, testimonials, videos, and photos are the best form of social proof depicting real people using and benefitting from your products or services. 

We see the benefits of using both AI and UGC to get the most out of your email conversions ;). 

#2. AI tools as an addition, not a substitution

Experts at NordPass state, "AI-powered content generation tools are not here to replace email copywriters and marketers. These tools make us more efficient. The smarter the tool is, the better equipped we are to create high-performing email content that drives results." 

AI tools can support us by significantly enhancing the speed, precision, and effectiveness of your emails. For instance while traditionally A/B testing has required a lot of time to analyze small variations with AI you quickly implement and test multiple email elements and make adjustments based on real-time engagement data. There are AI algorithms that can even predict which variations are most likely to resonate with different audience segments, leading to more accurate targeting and faster optimization.

In short, AI tools are revolutionizing the way we craft and optimize our email’s deliverability. There are many different types of AI solutions so we suggest finding the right one for your needs. 

#3. Even more transparency around data

With AI continuing to rise, folks are more and more concerned about where their data is going. That’s where zero-party data collection becomes a key strategy in email marketing, allowing you to gather data directly from customers rather than relying on third-party sources. 

Zero-party data includes information that consumers willingly share, such as preferences, interests, and purchase intentions. This data is often collected through surveys, preference centers, quizzes, or interactive content and is highly valuable because it is shared explicitly, ensuring accuracy and deeper personalization without privacy concerns associated with third-party tracking.

As privacy regulations tighten, zero-party data will empower you to deliver hyper-personalized email experiences while respecting user privacy. This approach will help you build trust, as customers feel more in control of their data, and you gain insights that lead to more relevant and engaging email content.

#4. The death of static emails

With attention span getting shorter day after day, digest-format emails are expected to rise in popularity in 2025. Presenting email content in an easy-to-scan, organized, and minimalistic layout will surely help deliver the most relevant information in a fraction of the time. 

Additionally, interactive emails will allow recipients to directly engage within the email without having to visit a landing page or website. Interactive elements like product carousels, polls, and quizzes create a dynamic experience that keeps subscribers engaged, especially in visually driven industries like fashion brands

So what now? 

You’ve heard these strategies before, but now it’s time to actually put them into action. The brands that win at email marketing in 2025 won’t just be sending emails—they’ll be creating experiences. Whether it’s hyper-personalized content, AI-driven efficiency, zero-party data collection, or interactive emails that break the mold, the key is to stay ahead of the curve.

So, what’s the first strategy you’ll finally implement? Your inbox (and your audience) are waiting.

How to Leverage Email Campaigns to Gather Sincere Product Reviews

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Email makes gathering authentic product reviews quick and easy. By collecting sincere feedback, you can build trust, increase sales, boost loyalty, and innovate product improvements. 

That said, requesting reviews via email requires precise timing, personalized messaging, and lots of engagement optimizations. But don’t worry—we’ll walk you through some key steps to create email campaigns that deliver the valuable feedback you need.

Why product reviews matter

Product reviews do more than confirm that you're meeting customers’ needs. Sincere feedback drives loyalty and sales, offers valuable customer insights, and helps you develop a strategic product development roadmap.

  • Fosters customer loyalty: Requesting and listening to feedback makes your customers feel valued and heard. It demonstrates that you prioritize customer satisfaction, which helps you build stronger, long-term relationships. Review requests also act as re-engagement emails by starting new conversations with customers.
  • Increases sales: Social proof drives sales. According to a recent survey by Power Reviews, 90% of potential customers use online reviews to make purchasing decisions. In fact, reviews have more influence over purchasing decisions than product prices. Turning product reviews into customer testimonials and encouraging reviews on third-party sites can significantly boost sales.
Image sourced from powerreviews.com
  • Builds Customer 360 insights: Customer feedback delivers insights into customer needs and sentiments, enriching Customer 360. Exactly what is Customer 360? It’s a unified, 360-degree view of customer data. It empowers you to tailor products and customer experiences to meet individual needs and preferences. 
  • Drives product improvements: Sincere customer feedback reveals what target customers like/dislike about your products. It provides key insight into their value, functionality, and usability, unlocking large-scale development opportunities.

How to create an email campaign to collect product reviews

Want to unlock the power of product reviews? Let’s explore how to create email campaigns that encourage customers to share their feedback.

Segment your audience

Like promotional emails, product review requests shouldn’t be sent to every subscriber.

If subscribers haven’t had the chance to try your product, product review requests will feel irrelevant and may trigger unsubscriptions. So, only send review email requests to customers recently trying your product.

You can do this by segmenting your email list based on where customers are in the buying cycle. Target loyal customers, recent purchasers, and first-time buyers with tailored email campaigns. This ensures that you’re sending emails to customers most likely to respond with insightful feedback.

Write a compelling email subject line

According to Superoffice, 33% of people open an email based on the subject line. 

Image sourced from superoffice.com

To get the click-through rates you want, your email subject lines should be personalized, relevant, and engaging. Here are some examples:

  • Did you love [product]? Or hate it? Let us know!
  • We value your opinion — help us improve!
  • We want YOU to help us make our product better!
  • Up for a discount? Share your feedback for 10% off! 

Learn more > Tips for writing open worthy subject lines.

Optimize for customer engagement

A successful email marketing strategy relies on customer engagement. Here are some key email elements you need to encourage interactions.

  • An attractive email design: With the right layout, color scheme, typography, and images, you ensure easy readability and promote interaction. Use these engagement-boosting email design best practices to help you create a design that boosts conversion rates.
  • Gratitude and value: Thank customers for reading the email and explaining why their feedback is so important. Also, consider including a personalized Gmail email signature with your content details to build trust and encourage customers to engage with your review request. 
  • Personalized, relevant content: Personalized email content motivates engagement. Use customer data platform (CDP) data to tailor messages to individual customers. What is a CDP? It’s a centralized platform that collects and unifies customer information, building comprehensive customer profiles. 
  • Incentives: Offering a small discount can motivate customers to leave reviews, especially first-time buyers. That said, incentives can (sometimes) generate insincere reviews, so stress the importance of honesty. 
  • A strong call-to-action (CTA): Your CTA should direct readers straight to the reviews submission page. Use clear CTAs with bold buttons and typography to make it stand out.
  • Mobile responsiveness: If your emails are slow to load or don’t display correctly on mobile devices, your bounce rate will spike. Leverage solutions that offer advanced mobile optimization features — such as Beefree— to create responsive emails every single time.

Ask specific, concise questions

Complex, drawn-out questions that are too open-ended can disengage customers. So, get straight to the point with concise, direct questions. Here are some examples:

  • What did you think of [specific product feature]?
  • How often do you use our product?
  • What are your favorite/least favorite features?
  • How likely are you to recommend this product?
  • What could we do to improve our product?

Use a mixture of closed and open-ended questions to increase your chances of receiving meaningful responses.

Make it easy to respond

The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the more responses you’ll receive. So, make the process as seamless and convenient as possible. One way to do this is with survey emails.

Email surveys have high response rates. They can be completed within the email with minimal effort, which is a big plus for busy customers. And, they can generate a wealth of quantitative data and metrics that are quick to analyze, leading to faster improvements. BeeFree has an extensive collection of email survey templates to suit every need.

For longer review requests, include a CTA that directly links to the review submission page. Review forms should use simple, clear language, be optimized for mobile, and have a progress bar. 

You could even provide your telephone contact details to allow customers to leave a review via telephone. It’s the preferred communication method for 55% of Baby Boomers according to Hubspot, so it’s worth considering. 

Leverage small business telephone services from Vonage to access call center capabilities like virtual receptionists and CRM integrations, streamlining processes.

Also consider directing customers to leave reviews on popular review sites, such as Google and Amazon.

Optimize email timings

If you send product review requests too early, there’s a chance your customers won’t have tried your product yet. But if you send them too late, your customer might have forgotten their experience. 

So, when’s the best time to request reviews? 

Aim to send review requests within 7-14 days post-purchase. This gives customers a chance to try the product a few times, leading to more sincere, meaningful reviews. Plan for seasonal surges such as Black Friday and incorporate them into your schedules.

Key takeaways

Do email campaigns work for gathering valuable product reviews that drive improvements, boost trust, and increase sales and loyalty? 

Absolutely — but they need to be strategic.

To generate sincere reviews and valuable data, ensure your marketing emails are personalized, engaging, and optimized for convenience. And, use email list segmentation and marketing automation to ensure they’re sent to the right customers at the right time.

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