1.
Smarten Up Your
Email Onboarding
JOEL KLETTKE, CONVERSION COPYWRITER,
BUSINESS CASUAL COPYWRITING

2.
@Kissmetrics
#Kisswebinar
@thuelmadsen

3.
Thue is the Kissmetrics Webinar Wizard and Marketing
Ops Manager. Before joining forces with Kissmetrics, he
was a Lyft driver in SF, which is also how he ended up as
a Kissmetrics marketer. Whenever Thue is not trying to
automate everything around him, you can find him hiking
in the Sierras.
THUE MADSEN
Marketing Operations Manager, Kissmetrics
@ThueLMadsen
Joel believes that being able to write persuasively is a
bonafide superpower. Over the past five years, he’s
helped dozens of B2B and SaaS businesses multiply
their conversion rates with smarter copy.
His next adventure? Fatherhood—coming this July.
JOEL KLETTKE
Conversion Copywriter, Business Casual Copywriting
@JoelKlettke

4.
#Kisswebinar
@JoelKlettke
BusinessCasualCopywriting.com

5.
Put down the champagne.
A sign up is not the finish line.
#Kisswebinar

6.
#Kisswebinar
“Welcome! Enjoy
the trial!”
“Time’s up,
bye forever.”
THE “WE’RE NOT EVEN TRYING”
“Is it… going ok?”

7.
#Kisswebinar
“Welcome!
Can we help?” “Can we help?” “How’s it going?
Can we help?”
“Last chance!
Can we help?”
“Your trial is
over.”
THE OVER-EAGER BEAVER

8.
#Kisswebinar
“Welcome!
Do the thing.”
“Do the
thing!”
“I noticed you didn’t
do the thing.”
“Do the thing
before time’s up.”
“Trial’s up. Why didn’t
you do the thing?”
THE INSUFFERABLE NAG

9.
Smart onboarding series do not…
#Kisswebinar
• Treat all customers the same way
• Ignore customer behavior
• Revolve around your goals
• Nag customers into action

10.
1 Do Your Homework
Days 1 - 4
Days 5 - 10
Beyond the “Aha!”
Winbacks & Rescues
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
#Kisswebinar
Plan Your Series
3 Write for Opens, Clicks, and Conversions
Aha Moments
Segments

11.
Do Your Homework
MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR DATA

12.
The “AHA” Moment:
The moment your user realizes your
product’s value in their life.
Once achieved, it’s hard to stop.
#Kisswebinar

13.
How do you find your “AHA”?
#Kisswebinar
• Find your most successful users
(Most retained, few churned)
• Understand who they are/what they want
• Find the patterns that separate those who find value
from those who don’t
(e.g. Finished your in-app onboarding, interacted with a feature,
added their team, integrated their platform)
• Help EVERYONE to do those things

14.
METHOD 1: COHORT ANALYSIS
Cohort users based on actions they have completed
relative to retention/conversion
#Kisswebinarhttps://apptimize.com/blog/2016/02/this-is-how-you-find-your-apps-aha-moment/!

15.
METHOD 2: ASK THEM
#Kisswebinar
Ask (quickly)…
1. “Why did you sign up?”
2. “What does success look like for you?”
3. “What are the specifics for that success?”
4. “What steps did you take to achieve that success?”

16.
EXAMPLE: WISTIA MAKES IT PAINLESS
Ask about goals and interests
#Kisswebinar

17.
EXAMPLE: FRESHBOOKS LETS USERS IDENTIFY THEMSELVES
Ask about meaningful scenarios/segments
#Kisswebinar

18.
Example: if “AHA” is sending 1st invoice…
#Kisswebinar
1. Log in
2. Add business details
3. Connect payment platform
4. Add client details
5. Create new invoice
6. Send new invoice
MAP OUT MILESTONES

19.
Different segments?
Different priorities and AHA’s.
#Kisswebinar

20.
Plan Your Series
BUILD A BLUEPRINT

21.
#Kisswebinar
ONBOARDING SERIES BREAKDOWN
Day 0 Days 1 - 4 Days 5 - 10 Trial Period Winbacks + Rescues
AHA!
ONBOARDING SERIES BREAKDOWN

22.
Goals for each phase:
#Kisswebinar
• Day 0: Welcome to adventure
• Days 1 – 4: Activate
• Days 5 – 10: Value to AHA
• Near Trial End: Move to close
• Beyond Trial: Re-engage

23.
#Kisswebinar
AHA!
Combine triggers + time-based
to personalize the journey

24.
#Kisswebinar
MOVE FROM SEGMENT TO SEGMENT BASED ON BEHAVIOR
Add business
details
Connect payment
platform
Add client details
Educate re:
payment platform
Educate re:
Business Details
Add Business
Details
Engage w/email
from sales
Y!
N!
Y!
Y!
N!
N!

25.
THE RULE OF ONE
Joanna Wiebe
Copy Hackers, 10x Emails
Every email should have
one goal, one job per element,
and one-to-one tone and style.
“

26.
#Kisswebinar
Day 0: Welcome to Adventure
Set the tone for the upcoming experience
and drive that first critical action.

27.
DAY 0: WELCOME TO ADVENTURE
#Kisswebinar
• Make a great 1st impression
• Personalize to segment
• Remind of value to come
• Show them what to do next

28.
EXAMPLE: DROPBOX DRIVES LEADS INTO THE APP
#Kisswebinar

29.
#Kisswebinar
Days 1 – 4: Activate & Engage
Attention is highest.
Get them into the app and taking action.

30.
DAYS 1 – 4: ACTIVATE
#Kisswebinar
What’s Next Email
• Get ‘em in the app
• Look for quick wins
• Don’t make it complicated
• Make sure it’s crucial

31.
DAYS 1 – 4: ACTIVATE
#Kisswebinar
Finish Up Email
• Get ‘em in the app
• Prove proximity to value
• Keep it simple

32.
DAYS 1 – 4: ACTIVATE
#Kisswebinar
“Side-Kick” Email
• Get ‘em in the app
• Make it personal (real reply)
• Offer sincere help
• Appeal from authority

33.
DAYS 1 – 4: ACTIVATE
#Kisswebinar
Lincoln Murphy’s
“Success Bot”
• Sent during your business hours
• Looks like a reply to a ping
• Subject line psychology
• Short n’ sweet
https://sixteenventures.com/personal-emails!

34.
#Kisswebinar
Days 5 – 10: Value to AHA
Leads won’t move until they realize value.
Your job is to deliver it at their pace.

35.
Don’t assume that trial members…
#Kisswebinar
• Are conversions waiting to happen
• Know (and are sold on) your benefits
• Aren’t comparing with other products
Move them from “product aware” to “most aware”
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA

36.
#Kisswebinar
AHA!
Combine triggers + time-based
to personalize the journey

37.
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA
#Kisswebinar
Instead of nagging…
• Address common questions or objections
• Show the benefit to be gained
• Educate on the impact of use/action
• Sell the future with a “Nearly there”
• Congratulate on progress

38.
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA
#Kisswebinar
Benefit-in-Reach Email
• Get ‘em in the app
• Point to desired outcome
• Tie back to feature
• Add social proof
https://copyhackers.com/2017/08/saas-onboarding-email/!

39.
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA
#Kisswebinar
The “Use-Case” Email
• Applicable to AHA
• Tie to their scenario
• Add social proof

40.
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA
#Kisswebinar
Educational Email
• Assist with current milestone
• Relevant, fast, free
• Bring in differentiators
• Send back to app

41.
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA
#Kisswebinar
Milestone Email
• Trigger from in-app data
• Tie to “AHA”
• Call them to the next action

42.
DAYS 5 – 10: VALUE TO AHA
#Kisswebinar
Summary Email
• Pull from real data
• Show them value tied to goals
• Tie in next steps

43.
Multiple unopen emails?
If qualified, now’s the time to intervene.
#Kisswebinar

44.
#Kisswebinar
Near Trial End: Move to Close
Coffee is for closers.

45.
NEAR TRIAL END: MOVE TO CLOSE
#Kisswebinar
Don’t just count down. PITCH!
• Leverage FOMO
• Offer incentives
• Drive smaller steps
• Keep emphasizing value
• Offer to help

46.
#Kisswebinar
FOMO
• Remind of primary goal
• Agitate fear of loss
• Use social proof
NEAR TRIAL END: MOVE TO CLOSE

47.
#Kisswebinar
Fear of Loss
• Show what they stand to lose
• Emphasize benefit of staying
• Make it easy to act
NEAR TRIAL END: MOVE TO CLOSE

48.
#Kisswebinar
Pitch the Value
• Remind them of why they started
• Emphasize benefit of staying
• Make it easy to act
NEAR TRIAL END: MOVE TO CLOSE

49.
#Kisswebinar
Make a Smaller Ask
• Add value and clarity
• Keep it simple
• Tie to primary goal
NEAR TRIAL END: MOVE TO CLOSE

50.
#Kisswebinar
Beyond Trial: Re-engage
Learn why and keep in touch.

51.
BEYOND TRIAL: RE-ENGAGE
#Kisswebinar
“Why?” Email
• Single question
• Personal and sincere
• Try the “Success Bot!”

52.
BEYOND TRIAL: RE-ENGAGE
#Kisswebinar
Product Update Email
• Announce new value
• Invite back to app
• Consider trial extension

53.
BEYOND TRIAL: RE-ENGAGE
#Kisswebinar
FOMO/Goal Email
• Point to original goal
• Share previous progress
• Sweeten the deal

54.
BEYOND TRIAL: RE-ENGAGE
#Kisswebinar
Discount Email
• Remind of value
• Make incentive clear
• Push right into the app

55.
Write for Opens, Clicks,
and Conversions
THE LIGHTNING ROUND!

56.
“FROM” LINES
#Kisswebinar
1. From a real person
2. At a company I recognize
3. Written like a human being
4. Without bizarre personalization

57.
SUBJECT LINES
#Kisswebinar
DO NOT: Bait n’ switch, all caps, boring corporate newsletter
• Open loop: “X users saw 50% lifts when they did this…”
• FOMO: “You’re missing out on this early discount”
• Pain point: “Escape copy/paste/print hell – here’s how”
• Quote: “That’s unbelievable.”
• Inquiry: “What keeps great marketers down?”
• Intro: “[Customer] <> Drift’s CEO”

58.
HOOKS
#Kisswebinar
1. Ease ‘em in with short sentences
2. Try AIDA
3. Stay human, stay personal
4. LinkedIN’s evil trick is A-OK

59.
THUE MADSEN
Marketing Operations Manager, Kissmetrics
@ThueLMadsen
tmadsen@kissmetrics.com
Questions?
JOEL KLETTKE
Conversion Copywriter,
Business Casual Copywriting
@JoelKlettke
joel@businesscasualcopywriting.com