Growth In Reverse Podcast: "3 Steps To a Perfect Subscriber Onboarding"
Hosts: Chenell Basilio & Dylan Redekop
Date: September 24, 2025
Episode Theme:
How to craft the perfect onboarding experience for new email newsletter subscribers by following a proven, three-step process that increases engagement and sets the stage for loyal, high-quality readers.
Episode Overview
Chenell and Dylan break down why onboarding isn’t just “beginner stuff”—it’s an often-overlooked growth lever for newsletters at every stage. They present a minimum, highly effective “three-step onboarding” to maximize new subscriber engagement, retention, and inbox deliverability. The conversation dives into landing page strategy, the critical “almost there” page, and the all-important welcome email, with actionable tips, examples, and real-world anecdotes.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Onboarding Matters (00:05–01:40)
- Many newsletter creators neglect onboarding steps, leading to disengaged subscribers and missed opportunities.
- Even advanced newsletter operators experience onboarding failures, often due to broken forms or overlooked steps with new tools.
- Good onboarding builds trust, makes subscribers feel welcomed, and clarifies what they can expect.
“Listen up, because I think this is important for almost every newsletter operator out there.” — Chenell (01:42)
2. The Three-Step Onboarding Framework (02:01–36:46)
Step 1: The Landing Page (02:37–13:17)
- Purpose: Converts visitors into subscribers.
- “Three Cs” for high-performing landing pages:
- Clear: Simple, straightforward value proposition. Lower-grade reading level, avoid jargon or clever puns.
“You want it to be clear instead of clever... try and keep the reading level for your words down to like seventh grade if you can.” — Chenell (04:41)
- Credible: Use social proof, years of experience, testimonials, subscriber counts, or company logos to show legitimacy.
“If you have people who are replying to your newsletter saying, ‘hey, this was amazing’... you can still clip those quotes and share that stuff too.” — Dylan (07:00)
- Compelling: Create intrigue and clearly express the benefit of subscribing.
“My favorite... Caitlin Burgoyne’s ‘Why We Buy’... her headline just says, ‘Become the smartest marketer in the room.’ There’s a mic drop after that.” — Chenell (11:17)
- Clear: Simple, straightforward value proposition. Lower-grade reading level, avoid jargon or clever puns.
Tactics & Examples:
- Use tools like Senja to capture and display testimonials. (08:23)
- Display logos of companies where your readers work for instant brand credibility. (09:13)
- Don’t overload the page with words; leave some intrigue.
Step 2: The ‘Almost There’ Page (14:05–21:22)
- Purpose: Keeps the conversation going after sign-up, pushes user to confirm their email, boosts deliverability.
- Directs subscribers to check their inbox (and sometimes, specifically, to find and open your email).
- Features like “sniper links” filter the reader’s inbox to show only your message, reducing distraction.
“The most important piece is getting a reply from them. It’s going to help with deliverability...” — Chenell (14:39)
- Example: Animated arrows, compelling text (“I’ve got a surprise for you waiting in your inbox!”), and buttons straight to Gmail/Outlook.
- Opens a “curiosity loop” with an incentive to take action and check the email.
“‘The almost there language is essentially saying, ‘Hey, you’re not fully subscribed yet. Make sure you head over there and like fully subscribe.’” — Chenell (18:09)
Best Practices:
- Avoid “shady” urgency or fake countdown timers.
- Use creativity or humor to delight subscribers at this crucial moment.
- Example: Caitlin Burgoyne adds a surprise to her “almost there” page, stoking excitement (19:44).
Step 3: The Welcome Email (21:55–30:15)
- Purpose: Sets expectations, motivates a reply (for deliverability), and encourages engagement.
- Focus: One clear call to action (ideally, reply to this email).
“I am a big proponent of trying to make sure that you get a reply in that very first email.” — Dylan (22:46)
- An incentivized reply increases open rates and signals inbox providers of engagement.
- Avoid cramming multiple asks into one message (e.g., reply, check resources, buy, etc.).
“Try to just keep the welcome email focused on one action. I think that’s the main takeaway.” — Dylan (28:11)
- Replies give you future content ideas and create a relationship.
Optional Enhancements:
- Simple automations for replies; not every reply needs a personal answer, especially if you become high-volume.
- “False double opt-in” flows promote action, even without a hard technical requirement.
“I like doing a false double opt-in where... to the user [it looks] like an actual double opt-in, but if they don’t actually click that button... you can keep messaging them...” — Chenell (18:10)
3. Collecting First-Party Data (30:15–34:58)
- Using short post-signup surveys (powered by tools like Right Message) can help segment readership and collect valuable info for targeting or sponsors.
- There’s a trade-off: asking for data may decrease reply rates, so prioritize based on your goals.
“Some people will be really data driven... they need this data more than getting the reply... but you can do both too.” — Dylan (32:24)
4. The Five-Step Onboarding Sequence (Teaser) (34:58–36:46)
- For advanced operators, a five-step sequence includes:
- Landing Page
- Almost There Page
- “Almost There” Email (false double opt-in)
- Welcome Page (after confirming)
- Welcome Email
- May add surveys, resource links, or even product offers.
“I like just focusing on the three-step because I feel like it’s the most... easy to remember...” — Chenell (36:46)
5. Maintenance & Optimization (36:48–38:41)
- Regularly revisit your onboarding flows—broken automation, stale messaging, or new tech can cause issues.
- Especially important as you grow, add more forms, or run multiple funnels.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Probably killing 75% of your conversions right there just in the headline. Because if people don’t know what they’re getting, it’s not compelling...” — Chenell on generic landing pages (13:01)
- “It’s very hard to build someone’s trust, but it’s very easy to kill it and make them not trust you anymore. So don’t do anything sleazy or shady.” — Chenell (21:09)
- “The more complexity you’re adding to your business... [means] a little bit more maintenance than just a super basic newsletter.” — Dylan (37:53)
Timestamps for Key Topics
- 00:05 – Why onboarding matters and who this episode is for
- 02:37 – Step 1: Landing page (Clear, Credible, Compelling)
- 14:05 – Step 2: The “Almost There” page
- 21:55 – Step 3: The Welcome Email
- 30:15 – Surveys & collecting first-party data
- 34:58 – Advanced: five-step onboarding sequence
- 36:48 – Auditing your onboarding flow for issues
Actionable Takeaways
- Audit your landing page for Clarity, Credibility, and Compelling copy.
- Add an “almost there” page after signup—direct users to check their inbox and incentivize action.
- Focus your welcome email on a single call-to-action, ideally prompting a reply for better deliverability and rapport.
- Use testimonials, subscriber counts, and logos judiciously for social proof.
- Optional: Insert short post-signup surveys for deeper data (balance with reply goals).
- Regularly review and update your onboarding process to keep it sharp and high-performing.
Resources Mentioned
- Growth Vault (vault.growthinreverse.com) — Chenell’s onboarding and newsletter strategy library.
- Senja — tool for collecting testimonials/social proof.
- Right Message — survey and segmentation tool.
- Growth.Design — recommended UX-focused newsletter with strong onboarding.
- Caitlin Burgoyne/Why We Buy — example of a high-converting landing page and onboarding flow.
Episode Tone
Warm, informal, and tactical—with candid examples, minor friendly roasts, and encouragement that even pros must regularly review their onboarding systems.
Whether you’re just starting out or optimizing an enterprise-level newsletter, this episode provides a proven foundation for winning new subscribers and creating a brand experience that drives trust, deliverability, and lasting engagement.