What is onboarding?
Onboarding is the process of introducing a new subscriber to your email list, your products and services, and the type of content that you create. When someone signs up for your email list the first time, they’re often skeptical about whether they’re a fit for your list or not (often, they just wanted the lead magnet you offered them). When they join, it’s important to have a system for warming them up to your email list and introducing them to the type of content that they can expect from you and when they can expect it.
Note: It’s important to differentiate between customer onboarding and subscriber onboarding. Onboarding customers is the process of introducing a new customer to your product and teaching them how to use it. Here, we’re discussing onboarding new subscribers, which is the process described above.
Why is email subscriber onboarding important?
Onboarding is important for turning skeptical subscribers into warm leads. Imagine, for instance, that you go to someone’s house for the first time. They invited you over for dinner and you accepted the invitation. Now, you arrive and, although you know the person from work, it’s a little more uncomfortable being at their home. To warm you up, they give you a tour of their home and then tell you to have a seat by the fire. You feel a bit better, don’t you?
The same is true for your email list — new subscribers need an introduction to your type of content, your various products, and your brand personality. Without an onboarding system, you’ll struggle to build meaningful relationships with your subscribers. And without meaningful relationships, you won’t get as many opens, clicks, and purchases as your business deserves.
To further understand onboarding, let’s discuss…
- Effective Onboarding Strategies
- Helpful Onboarding Tools