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Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

blog.palabra.io

101–110 of 178 posts

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#101

I run a SAAS and still personally (non-automated) send a welcome /check-in/onboard email to every single signup. I've sent a 1000+ in the last year. I try to make them really personalized. Like if your website is acmewidgets.com - I'll put "Acme Widget Help?" as the subject. My own takeaways: 1. Plain Text for sure 2. Super short - my standard sort of email is now about 3 sentences. 3. Ask a question - in my case the…

This is exactly what I do to. I get around a 15% response rate, which I'd thought was pretty good before reading your 30% - though TBH I've no idea what might be expected?

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#102
post #89
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. Further to this, I consider it spammy when the same organisation uses a range of different From addresses in its mailings. I have unsubscribed from lists for this triage-hostile behaviour.

I see it as the exact opposite. If organization sends me marketing from marketing@ and order details from orders@, I easily have a way to quickly delete or classify marketing@ as spam. I can't do that if they send everything from the same email.

Yeah, but what if they send you marketing from Ivan, and also Sara and John?

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#103

I really hate these cheesy lines that are "excellent" according to the article, like: - "You had enough fluff marketing content and so did we. So the absofreakinlutely BEST thing you could do right now..." - "Writing this from my couch at home, hoping to find you safe and well at yours. It's been a busy summer! I wanted to share more about out 2.9 release..." No, just no. Leave me alone, we aren't friends, you did no…

This is a great insight, our users are mostly american and they are pretty receptive to cheesy lines. I personally smile even though I know it's automated, just appreciate the creativity i guess? But I hadn't really thought about how these would sound for european readers. Will definitely keep that in mind

I am American and these kinds of things are hard eye rolls to me

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#104
post #29
post #9

To add to the points others have made: If I see an email with a name in the title I don't recognize, I instantly think it is spam. Please do not do this, it neither helps with your credibility nor does it help to build a "connection". I want to know where this email is coming from, and if I have signed up at Spotify, I expect to recieve my emails from Spotify, not Tom whoever at Spotify.

> I always feel awkward when I don’t know who is writing on the other side. Is it the CEO? Someone from Sales? Is it a super intelligent baby? Why would someone feel awkward? It's from neither of those. It's automated so I think it's awkward and misleading to use a name.

Well, someone wrote the email. It didn't write itself.

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a great insight, our users are mostly american and they are pretty receptive to cheesy lines. I personally smile even though I know it's automated, just appreciate the creativity i guess? But I hadn't really thought about how these would sound for european readers. Will definitely keep that in mind

I'm American and agree with the GP 110%. If I get an email like that, not only do I delete it, but I'm less likely to read your future emails. I think it is a California-centric "it's all good" vibe. Not all of America has California culture.

California native (east bay) checking in. These fake ass, liposuction, collagen injected carnival exhibit emails are bullshit. You should delete them and the companies from your life.

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#106
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Coffee shops ask for your name so they can write it on the cup to make sure you get the right order at the pickup counter. It's a quality control measure. I guess they could ask you to think up a random number instead, but some people would find that mildly offputting I think .

Perfect,your order is #56 You don't have to ask for a number, just give them one.

You'd need a ticketing system so people even remember what their number is. And for what upside when names work fine?

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#107
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see it as the exact opposite. If organization sends me marketing from marketing@ and order details from orders@, I easily have a way to quickly delete or classify marketing@ as spam. I can't do that if they send everything from the same email.

Yeah, but what if they send you marketing from Ivan, and also Sara and John?

    from:(organization) -from:(orders@organization)
Select all, mark as spam, delete.

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#108
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perfect,your order is #56 You don't have to ask for a number, just give them one.

You'd need a ticketing system so people even remember what their number is. And for what upside when names work fine?

There's potential overlap using names when it's busy. This happened to me once and my name isn't particularly common.

Re: Lessons learned from onboarding emails with no HTML styling

#110

I really hate these cheesy lines that are "excellent" according to the article, like: - "You had enough fluff marketing content and so did we. So the absofreakinlutely BEST thing you could do right now..." - "Writing this from my couch at home, hoping to find you safe and well at yours. It's been a busy summer! I wanted to share more about out 2.9 release..." No, just no. Leave me alone, we aren't friends, you did no…

Could you give a counter example of a well written, successful mass mail in your eyes that you loved to read?

Is there such a thing? Either I go out of my way for something or I don't. An email is just annoying.
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