User Onboarding Best Practices

We were sending more than 60(🤯) emails to our trial users… sorry everyone who had to go through that. We fixed it. Here’s some context and a lesson learned the hard way: Obviously, signing up to an awork trial will subscribe users to an onboarding email series. It contains tutorials, best-practice, trial advice, the option to book a call with us, etc. Its idea is to support users and get them the value they expect from a trial asap. Fortunately, we have amazing tech that allows us to personalise these series to individual cases. Depending on your team size, industry, goals, and individual activity during trial, we adjust the content teams receive to remain relevant (not suggest features you’re already using, include cases from your industry, etc.). As we’ve grown as a team, more and more ppl became interested in those emails. Sales want’s to make sure users have direct access to their consulting calls, growth wants to push feature adoption (several, of course), marketing wants to include testimonials, product needs to announce new releases, and a few admin announcements. And of course, every change wants to be A/B tested (we’re a data driven company, after all 😅). So in no time at all, a well designed straight forward email series turned into a hydra of overlapping, out of sync emails with completely different designs, tone of voice, etc... Chaos. I’m sure users hated it. Now we stripped that down to the bare essentials (a maximum of 5 emails across a 14 day trial period). And all KPIs are 🆙 …better open rates, better click-through, higher activity metrics. Even though 90% of customization is gone. With a few exceptions, everyone gets the same emails. Clear reminder that just because you CAN personalize every last letter of every bit of comms you send out, you probably shouldn’t. Clear messaging, good copywriting, well balanced design, maintainable setups, and meaningful tests beat wild customization (AI based or otherwise) any time. 💌

Building a successful PLG motion is hard enough. Too many companies make it even harder by ignoring one of the most important elements of a successful PLG motion - the onboarding email flow. - User #1 signs up and immediately abandons > gets sent onboarding flow A. - User #2 signs up and does 20 things > gets sent onboarding flow A. - User #3 signs up and stops logging back in after their initial sessions > gets sent onboarding flow A. See a problem with any of this? These users couldn't be on more different journeys with the product. So why are companies treating them the same? It isn't a technology issue. Just about any email provider in the world can do personalization. The most common blocker I see is companies struggle with is making sense of the unlimited ways and things people are doing. Here are 2 simple strategies for segmenting users into distinct buckets: 1) Engagement Level: Track how often and how long a user interacts with the product. Are they a heavy user, a moderate one, or a ghost? Each of these requires a different communication approach. 2) Feature Usage: Identify which features are being used and which are ignored. A user only touching one specific feature might need a different nudge compared to someone who's trying a bit of everything. While there are a million other ways to personalize the flows, crawl before you walk and just start with something simple. You can continue to add complexity as you go. Remember, the goal is not just to send the emails. The goal is try and guide each user through your product. You can only do that if you meet them where they are.

60% of welcome emails get opened.| Yet 90% of SaaS still get them wrong. When I try a new product, I always look for the welcome email. Why? Because it sets the tone. And because of the average open rate, it's the best chance to help new users. In my view, a great welcome email should: - Introduce the founder(s). - Help users get started fast. - Show users they made a good choice. But too often I see this: - No help or next step. - Too much push to upgrade. - Or even worse, no email at all. What a waste. That first email can do so much: → Start the onboarding journey → Train users to open your emails → Show the real value of your product So how do you write a great one? Here’s the structure I use: 1. Warm welcome A short message from the founder or CEO. 2. What to expect Tell users what will happen in the trial or the first steps. 3. Reassure Remind them why your product is a good choice. 4. First step Guide them to take action right away. 5. Offer help Add a link to support or a demo call. That’s it. A simple email that builds trust and gets users moving. Don't waste your best email. Make it count.

I analyzed 100+ SaaS onboarding email sequences. Here's what actually works: 📊 After reviewing over a hundred onboarding email sequences across various B2B SaaS products, clear patterns emerged distinguishing what drives user activation from what gets ignored. ⏱️ Timing is as crucial as content ▪️ First email: Sent within 3 minutes of signup to capitalize on user engagement. ▪️ Key information: Delivered promptly, ideally within the first day, to guide users effectively. ▪️ Follow-up emails: Aligned with typical user behavior patterns, not arbitrary schedules. 🧠 Subject line psychology ▪️ Specific value propositions: Outperform generic welcomes. ▪️ Personalization: Including the user's name or specific goals can increase open rates. ▪️ Concise phrasing: Subject lines under 7 words tend to perform better. 📱 Content structure that converts ▪️ Single, clear CTA: Avoid multiple calls to action to reduce decision fatigue. ▪️ Bulleted action steps: Enhance readability and user engagement. ▪️ Mobile-first design: Essential, as a significant portion of users access emails on mobile devices. ▪️ Strategic placement of social proof: Position testimonials or success stories before key actions to build trust. 🔄 Effective sequence logic ▪️ Optimal sequence: 7–10 emails over 14 days. ▪️ Day 0: Immediate value and quick win. ▪️ Days 1–2: Core feature education. ▪️ Days 3–7: Use cases and success stories. ▪️ Days 8–14: Advanced features and potential upsells. 💡 Key insight: Emails that help users visualize outcomes ("Here's what you'll achieve") tend to drive more engagement than those focusing solely on product features. What strategies have you found effective in your onboarding email sequences?

The worst onboarding mistake: A welcome email with no next step. “Thanks for signing up!” And then what? Better onboarding emails: 👉 Start here: 3-minute setup walkthrough 👉 Your first win: How to [achieve outcome] today 👉 Unlock your bonus: [Free guide/demo/trial perk] Every email needs a job. Every email needs a CTA. Don't waste an opportunity.

A PSA for job searchers! We've been made aware that Hook is unfortunately one of the many companies being used in a recruiting scam. This time around, there's a scammer named "Scott Riley" claiming to be a Hook recruiter who is emailing people with resumes on Indeed to set up interviews via Skype for a Freelance Photographer role. Keep in mind, this is happening to many companies, big and small, right now. They’re reaching out about full-time and freelance positions, using different names and various email domains. Job searching can be tough enough, so we’ve pulled together some tips to protect yourself from fake recruiters: - If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Plain and simple. Take your time to review the outreach closely.  - Check that email domain. Keep an eye out for the fishy ones like .store and .site or free email services like Yahoo, and always reference the official company site to check contact info. For example, Hook’s legitimate recruiters will only contact you through official @byhook.com email addresses. - Visit the careers page of the company and verify that the role and description match the recruiter's outreach, especially if their initial message is vague. - Most company career pages will have a careers@ or jobs@ email alias that you can reach out to to confirm legitimacy.  - Is the person on LinkedIn? In this day and age, ain't no way a recruiter doesn't have a LinkedIn profile. If they do, check to see if they are verified or if they have the company they claim to be working for listed and tagged as their current employer.  - If a job offer comes way too soon (before any interviews or only after one interview) and the individual is pushing you to sign immediately, this is a warning sign. Legitimate employers will respect your decision to take time to review and think about the offer.  - Do not provide any personal information to these individuals. We will never ask you for things like IDs, Passports, banking information, etc. until after you have started at our agency and during our onboarding or orientation period. #recruitingscam #fakerecruiters

Job seekers, beware. If you’re searching, networking, or just active here on LinkedIn, you’ve probably seen them: ✨ The “too good to be true” recruiter ✨ The “HR manager” who insists on WhatsApp or another chat app ✨ The brand-new account offering remote work and a signing bonus today Like many of you, I’ve reported and blocked more scammers than I can count. They’re getting more creative and subversive, but their patterns, if you're familiar or informed enough to see them, rarely change. Here are common red flags to watch for: 🚩 They ask for money or bank info early. Legitimate employers never charge you to apply, train, or onboard. 🚩 They push you to use Telegram/WhatsApp/Signal. Real companies use official emails, LinkedIn, or an ATS, not encrypted chat apps. 🚩 Their email isn’t from the company domain. Look closely at the email domain. @company.com vs. @companyjobs.com. Google the domain to confirm. 🚩 Too flattering, too urgent. If they act like you’ve as good as landed the role before a real interview, it’s bait. 🚩 Vague job descriptions. Scammers often paste generic text with no substance. 🚩 The role isn’t on the company website. Always cross-check on the official careers page (not the link they send you). 🚩 They get defensive when questioned. Legit recruiters want you to feel informed. 🚩 Suspicious profiles. Check “More > About this profile.” Is it brand new? Low activity? Repetitive posts? 🚩 They ask you to install software. Don’t. Ever. Not every scammer is a bot. Some are real people with real reputations, using real profiles to make a quick buck at your expense. If they rely on fear, exploiting myths, urgency, or fluffy promises instead of transparent information, you can bet it’s not legit. If something feels off, trust your instincts. Take a screenshot or ask a trusted connection. Report it and block it. It’s not embarrassing to be targeted. By speaking up, you protect yourself and others. Your safety matters more than any job lead.

I want to share something I recently experienced that could help someone else avoid being caught off guard. Scammers are no longer hiding behind poorly written emails or obvious fake offers. They’ve changed strategy. Now, they use the names of real people in reputable companies and craft messages that look professional, polished, and almost convincing. I received an email from someone claiming to be a Talent Acquisition Manager at Lumen Technologies. The message was detailed, personalized, and even referenced my LinkedIn profile and professional work. At first glance, it felt legitimate. But then I noticed the red flag: - The email came from danielle.gray.lumen.manager@gmail.com instead of a verified corporate domain like @lumen.com. That was the giveaway—it was a scam. This is the same trick I saw in Frank Anwana, MBA. post last week: it looked real, but the scammer slipped up on the email details. 💡 How to Spot Fake Recruiter/Job Scam Emails: 1. Check the Email Address – real recruiters use company domains (e.g., @microsoft.com, @lumen.com), not Gmail/Yahoo. 2. Look for Overly Generic Praise – scammers often exaggerate your achievements without specifics. 3. Verify on LinkedIn – cross-check if the recruiter exists and works at the company. Don’t rely only on the email signature. 4. Beware of Urgency or Suspicious Links – if they rush you to click, apply, or share details, pause immediately. 5. Trust Your Gut – if something feels off, it probably is. Scammers are getting smarter, but we can be smarter too. Slow down, double-check, and verify before you respond. PS : Lumen Technologies please take note. Someone is impersonating your company and using your ex-staff Danielle Gray to run this scam Br, Segun Sobodu

You can’t afford to give new clients a poor onboarding experience. The moment they pay, they start questioning if they made the right decision. And if they don't hear from you within 24 hours, you've already lost them. Not because your service is bad, but because you left them in the dark when they needed reassurance most. Here's the 24-hour activation framework that fixes this: - Send a welcome email immediately after payment. - Make it personal, introduce them to whoever will handle their account. - Give them two clear next steps: fill out the onboarding form and book a kickoff call. - Set up their communication workspace while they're completing the form. - Get them access to any resources they need to see results. When clients know what happens next, who they're working with, and what their role is, doubt disappears. Instead of wondering if they made the right choice, they're excited about the progress they're already making. You may think onboarding starts after they've "caught up" on other work. Wrong. Onboarding starts the second payment processes. Those first 24 hours determine whether you have a long-term client or not.

Your first email sets the tone for the rest of the interaction So I analysed the welcome emails of the top creators and found some valuable lessons (& patterns) First up: Justin Welsh's welcome email We all know he’s a master of newsletter writing and his emails have been key to his business success Here are the points to note from his email: 1/ Set expectations and lay them in stone He sets the expectations crystal clear from the start He even specifies the day, time, and reading time for each message. 2/ Share other social links He anticipates his readers’ journey and invites them to join his community across all platforms he’s active at. Thus he makes it easy for readers to find him—and be exposed to offers he’d launch later. 3/ Ensure email deliverability He gives them 2 clear instructions to ensure that email providers don’t send his emails to the spam. He shows empathy by sharing what non-gmail users can do to ensure this. Another reminder to know your audience inside out. 4/ Share your most valuable free resources By the time he sends his welcome email, he has a repository of articles on subjects that his ideal reader is interested in. So he shares a direct link to the same. Overall, it’s a brilliantly designed, simple, effective welcome email that does its job. You can use these as inspiration and write your own welcome emails that show your personality and touch P. S. What do you look for in welcome emails? Let me know in the comments please.