It’s one of those words that says so much. ‘Onboarding’: it goes much deeper than ‘orientation’ or ‘induction.’

It’s not just about pointing customers in the right direction, or giving them a cursory introduction to your product or service.

It’s about bringing them ‘on board’ – ready to sail, if you’ll excuse the horrendously cheesy line, on a mutual journey, towards a shared destination.

There are many reasons why onboarding has become such a hot topic in the last decade. Perhaps most importantly, customer expectations have increased. Customers don’t expect to have to work things out for themselves. They expect the same level of support and service post-sale as they had while they were making their mind up.

And it all means that companies are investing heavily in onboarding.

Unfortunately, the data suggests they aren’t going far enough.

A whopping 86% of people say that they’re more likely to stay loyal to brands which support, welcome and help them post-sale with onboarding content…

…and yet an even bigger 90% of customers feel that the companies they buy from ‘could do better’ when it comes to onboarding.

It’s pretty clear, then: whatever you’re doing to welcome and onboard your new customers – there’s always room to do more!

Why email?

Email is, quite simply, a phenomenal tool for powerful user onboarding at scale. It’s right up there with the best. There are a few reasons for this.

Firstly, it’s very cheap compared to other marketing channels.

Secondly, it’s direct – straight into the recipients’ mailbox, with options available to personalise and tailor messaging accordingly.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it can be automated. You can create powerful onboarding email workflows and then simply sit back and let them work their magic for as long as you want! Each new sign up or purchase can trigger these emails, meaning the ongoing input is minimal – but the support you’re giving to your customers is comprehensive and long-lasting.

But what does a great onboarding email look like? Well, we’re glad you asked! In this article, we’ve compiled 33 of our absolute favourites, from brands (big and small) across all kinds of different niches.

Let’s dive into them, and take a look at what exactly makes them so great…