Activation email template: nudge a new sign-up
An activation email for somebody who signed up and has not started: the words Kicklace sends on day 2, subject lines to pick from, and when it stops.
- Goes
- 2 days after sign-up
- To
- Everyone still at the start two days after signing up.
- Stops
- Once they've started using your app.
The email
Your first step in [Product]
Hi {{first_name}}, Most people get the most out of [Product] once they've done the first real thing in it. If you haven't yet, now's a good time. Anything unclear? Reply to this email.
{{first_name}} is each person’s first name. If your tool uses another tag, swap it in.
Subject lines
- Your first step in [Product]in the email above
- Did you get [Product] working?
- One thing to try in [Product]
- Ready for your first [project]?
- A two-minute start in [Product]
- {{first_name}}, have you tried [the first step] yet?
Why it works
An activation email is for the person who signed up, looked around once and got pulled away. They did not decide against you, because the day ended and something else came up.
Two days later, one small step with an easy way to ask for help can be enough to bring them back. It names one thing, so there is nothing to compare and nothing to decide.
Make it yours
- Name the action. “The first real thing” is a placeholder: write “import your contacts” or “create your first invoice”.
- Decide what counts as started. The email stops when your app says they did it, so it never reaches somebody who already has.
- Keep one link, straight to that step.
Write yours from your URL
Paste your site's address and the generator writes this email for your product, in your site's own voice.
Where it goes
On your Lifecycle map this email hangs off the Created an account stage. The emails there, in the order they go:
- WelcomeRight away, when they make an account
- Your first stepthis page2 days after sign-up
- Anything in the way?7 days after sign-up
How Kicklace sends it
Your app tells Kicklace when somebody has started: post an activated event from your server with the kicklace package, kl.track("activated", { email }), and the sequence on the Created an account stage stops for that person. Events lists what else can move people along. Kicklace stops a sequence for somebody the moment they move on from its stage, so the email goes to the people who are stuck and to nobody else.
Kicklace writes a first version in your voice from what it reads on your site, and you change whatever you like. Nothing sends until you switch it on. Before you do, it shows who would have got it over the last 30 days, and you can send yourself a test. Each person gets it once.
Questions
Is an activation email an onboarding email?
Yes, it is one of the SaaS onboarding emails. The welcome comes first, this one follows on day 2 for anybody who has not started, and the check-in on day 7 closes the first week.
What is an activation email?
An email to somebody who signed up and has not yet done the first thing your product is for. It is not the welcome, since it comes a day or two later and is about one action.
How many activation emails should I send?
Two or three, a few days apart, and then stop. Kicklace's starter sends one on day 2 and a plain check-in on day 7, the inactive user email.
How do I decide what counts as activated?
It is the first thing a person does that they could not do by only signing up: the first invoice sent, the first note saved. You say which event it is. The activation email guide goes through choosing one.
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We're building Kicklace so you can get back to building your own product. We'll email you when there's something new worth showing.