Onboarding involves a great deal of content creation. In the last video we talked about communications with customers post-purchase, but also about instruction manuals, video tutorials, email newsletters, and other content to help them make the most of the product they’ve purchased.

Content creation is essential to the onboarding lifecycle!

In today’s video, you will outline the actual content you’ll need to create for onboarding in the first 30 days after purchase.

This month we are talking onboarding. Last week we went over the post-purchase experience for your clients or customers so we are continuing with setting them up for what happens during the first 30 days.

Onboarding involves a great deal of content creation. In the last lesson, we talked about communications with customers post-purchase, but also about instruction manuals, video tutorials, email newsletters, and other content to help them make the most of the product or service they’ve purchased. Content creation is essential to the onboarding lifecycle. In this lesson, you will outline the actual content you’ll need to create for onboarding in the first 30 days after purchase.

Before you start outlining specific pieces of content, it’s good to review the goals you have for your product or service. Ask yourself:

• How do you want your customers to use their purchase?
• How will your customers get the best results?
• What results will the customers get during their first 30 days after purchase?

Next, we have the onboarding content – what you can include.

Here is a list of ideas and what I did, because there is so much information in each one of these, I put together for you in the Resources section a download for this week. You can go in there and look at examples of what these mean. Of course, you’re talking about the welcome email, or the invoice receipt and if you are sending out a physical product, that can include the shipping information. There is also a lot of other information that you need to include and I give you ideas for those below in the download.

Try to find onboarding follow-up communications or tasks that can be automated wherever possible. This is my reason for living if you haven’t noticed. Love me some automation!

You can use your CRM as an organizational tool by setting up notifications for the different steps in the process. Your CRM can send you an automated notification that you need to send a personal note of thanks or arrange a face-to-face meeting or call somebody. By automating tasks like this, you don’t have to watch the schedule yourself for each customer.

Your email autoresponder can be used to send automated follow-up messages post-purchase including your welcome message and informational emails. You can create a broadcast schedule on your autoresponder so that select emails go out at an appointed length of time after purchase. For example, your first tutorial can go out the third day after purchase.

Automation also removes human error. If a customer has bought a second product from you, you don’t want to send them an email making the same offer again. Everything can be set up to run smoothly through your autoresponder.

Also, try to think of ways to automate for the ease of the customer. You can set them up with digital reminders and other time-sensitive communications. Another good automation option for customers is e-statements or e-signing. Create automation tools to help your customers more easily use your products and enjoy their benefits.

Finalizing Your Content Schedule

Your first 30 days of onboarding are almost all mapped out but there are just a few more things to consider. First, space out your deliverables and communications so that you don’t overwhelm the client or customer. If you give them too much at one time, they may not give your content the attention it deserves.

Finally, create a plan for testing and monitoring. A/B or split testing is a great way to discover what works and what doesn’t. You can create two versions of the same content or schedule and see which performs better. Whether or not you split test, you need to create some system for monitoring to see whether or not your content is successful in helping your customers use your product or service to its fullest.

I have some action steps for you right below this video. Once you download the PDF file I walk you through fleshing out your outline for the first 30 days post-purchase experience. Remember, you are only doing this for the one product or one service you’ve already identified, not overhauling all your product catalog, we are doing just one thing for now. And don’t worry, I also give you lots of ideas for specific pieces of content you can include.

Next week we continue with creating your process for beyond the 30 days. 

Catch up on other “Creating Your Onboarding Process” episodes + resources mentioned in the video:

• [Video] Why you need customer onboarding in your sales cycle
• [Video] How to Plan Your Customer Onboard Process
• [Video] Creating your onboarding process for the next few months and beyond
• [Video] Common Mistakes to Avoid with Customer and Client Onboarding
• Set up Your Customer Onboarding (First 30 Days) – Download Step 3 Action Steps

Did you enjoy this episode and want to put it into action? Grab this kit!