Gusto Onboarding Email Series Breakdown

Gusto Onboarding Email Series Overview

This series really had me fooled. 

I dutifully saved and reviewed each email I received for around 20 days, with a plan to capture up to 30 days. Then I started to get suspicious - “aren’t these all basically saying the same thing?” Yep. They were. So after I clicked through and took the next step, I got a new batch of emails.

All of this is to say, this seems like a combination triggered onboarding email sequence. First, the email send days were spaced out. Then, as I began to interact with the app, the emails were more frequent. If I took the desired action, I was moved on to the next email and action. However, they weren’t about to let me out without seeing any emails during the times I was inactive.

So, instead of plotting the days I received emails, they’ll be grouped by the desired action Gusto was pushing for me to take. Here we go!

Account Authentication

Subject Line: Please confirm your email address

Sender Name: Gusto

Send Time: Immediately after signup

Objective/Content: Get users to confirm email address and sign up

CTA: Yep, confirmed!

Strengths:

This authentication email is similar to one from Zendesk, but with a little extra flair. It covers the bases for an authentication email: welcomes and thanks, asks to confirm your email address, and features a big button to press. Bonus points for the cartoon waving hello. 

What to learn from it:

• A basic email can be jazzed up with some simple imagery or button upgrades

Subject Line: Payroll with Gusto!

Sender Name: Megan Gillespie

Send Time: Immediately after authentication

Objective/Content: Welcome new users and give them a contact number for questions

CTA: 

Strengths:

While more formal welcome emails can do a good job of introducing a new user to your brand, a personal email from a single point of contact is a nice gesture. Megan still manages to get a few Gusto selling points in, but it’s rounded off with a unique signature. 

What to learn from it:

• A more personal hello and welcome can go a long way to make a new user feel like your company cares

Weakness:

I think it’s best to leave the sender name as your company’s name so that it’s easier for trial users to catch in a crowded inbox. However, the company name is at least in the subject line. 

I also think the CTA could have been stronger, perhaps linking resources to get started.

What to learn from it:

• If the sender name is something other than your company name, make sure the brand name is in the subject line

Add a Company Address

Subject Line: Welcome to Gusto

Sender Name: Danielle Grant, Gusto

Send Time: Day 4, 8:30 AM CST

Objective/Content: Have the new user enter their business address for payroll

CTA: Add company address

Strengths:

Once again, Gusto keeps it simple. A headline, image, sentence of copy, and a big red button. This email is also a no-frills note that adding a company address is the first step to organizing payroll. No ambiguity here. 

What to learn from it:

• Explain why a building block matters. For example, it might be the only starting point for achieving goals with the product

Want to know when to send SaaS emails and what to say?

I’ve got 30+ free email templates in the SaaS Essential Email Series Templates guide here.