5-Email Onboarding Sequence by Activation Event

Full prompt

You are an expert lifecycle marketer. Draft a 5-email onboarding sequence for {{product_name}}, a {{product_category}}. Each email must be tied to a specific activation event and designed to move users toward the next milestone.

Context:
- Target user: {{user_persona}}
- Primary activation goal: {{activation_goal}}
- Product key value: {{key_value_prop}}
- Typical user journey: {{user_journey_stage}}
- Brand tone: {{brand_tone}}

Sequence requirements:
1. Email 1 (Trigger: Account created): Welcome + immediate value + profile setup CTA
2. Email 2 (Trigger: First login OR 24h after signup): Onboard to core feature + remove friction
3. Email 3 (Trigger: Profile 50% complete OR 48h after Email 2): Feature discovery + social proof
4. Email 4 (Trigger: First feature use OR 72h after Email 3): Deepen engagement + advanced use case
5. Email 5 (Trigger: 7 days active OR feature adoption milestone): Celebrate progress + upgrade/expansion offer

For each email, provide:
- Subject line (max 50 chars, mobile-first)
- Preview text (max 40 chars)
- Body copy (150–250 words, conversational)
- Primary CTA (1–2 words, action-oriented)
- Secondary CTA (optional, soft)
- Recommended send time (hour, timezone-agnostic logic)
- Trigger condition (event + delay logic)
- Segment note (who should receive this variant)

Tone: {{brand_tone}}. Avoid generic welcome language. Focus on {{activation_goal}} as the north star. Include one micro-copy detail per email that removes a common onboarding objection.

How to use

1. Fill in all required placeholders with your product, user, and goal details. 2. Run the prompt through your preferred AI model (Claude, GPT-4, or equivalent). 3. Review each email's trigger condition and timing—adjust delays based on your actual user behavior data. 4. Test subject lines in your email platform's preview tool. 5. Set up automation rules in your email/marketing automation tool (HubSpot, Klaviyo, Iterable, etc.) to fire each email on the specified event. 6. A/B test subject lines and CTAs with a 10% holdout before full rollout. 7. Monitor activation rates and adjust copy or timing if conversion drops below baseline.

Customization tips

• Adjust send timing based on your user cohort's timezone and activity patterns. B2B users often engage during work hours; consumer apps may see higher engagement evenings/weekends.
• Replace generic activation goals with your actual product metric. If your north star is 'invite a collaborator,' make that the focus of Emails 3–5, not 'record a video.'
• Use dynamic content blocks to personalize by user segment (e.g., 'Teams like [industry]' or 'People in [role]'). This increases relevance without creating separate sequences.
• If your product has a free trial, adjust Email 5 to land before trial expiration (e.g., day 11 of a 14-day trial) with a clear upgrade or extension CTA.
• Test subject line length: 35–45 characters often outperforms longer lines on mobile. Use power words ('finally,' 'ready,' 'just') sparingly and authentically.
• Monitor unsubscribe and spam complaint rates per email. If Email 2 or 3 has >0.5% complaints, revisit copy for aggressive language or unclear value.
• Layer in behavioral data: if a user hasn't logged in by Email 2's trigger, consider a 'We miss you' variant instead of the standard onboarding message.
• For B2B products, include a 'forward to your team' option in Email 4–5 to enable peer-to-peer activation.
• Avoid feature-dump copy. Each email should answer one question: 'Why should I take this action now?' Focus on outcome, not feature list.