Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth
Episode: The 3-Step Onboarding System Every Newsletter Needs
Hosts: Chenell Basilio & Dylan Redekop
Date: April 8, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, Chenell and Dylan unpack the essential onboarding steps every newsletter operator—beginner or advanced—needs to welcome new subscribers, maximize early engagement, and set the stage for long-term retention. Pulling from their own experiences, subscriber feedback, and newsletter teardowns, they offer a practical, actionable "3-step onboarding system" (with advanced options for those ready to level up). The conversation is rich with examples, best practices, and pitfalls to avoid, ensuring listeners leave ready to upgrade their onboarding flows.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Onboarding Matters (00:38–03:01)
- New subscriber onboarding is crucial for trust-building and long-term engagement—but often neglected by both beginners and seasoned operators.
- Many tools (Substack, ConvertKit, etc.) provide default onboarding flows, but those are rarely optimal for growth-focused newsletters.
Quote:
"This might sound like an episode for beginners, but this is a mistake I see so many advanced people making… Listen up because I think this is important for almost every newsletter operator out there."
— Chenell (02:15)
2. The 3-Step Onboarding Checklist
Step 1: The Landing Page (03:10–14:38)
- Purpose: Converts visitors into subscribers; sets expectations.
- The "3 Cs" Formula: Clear, Credible, Compelling.
- Clear: Simple, direct language about what readers get.
- Quote: "Clear over clever—try not to use these 12th grade words… try and keep the reading level for your words down to like seventh grade if you can." —Chenell (05:14)
- Credible: Social proof (testimonials, subscriber numbers, logos of recognizable companies), personal expertise, or endorsements.
- Quote: "You want to tell people why you are the person they should be listening to… this can come across via social proof or experience." —Chenell (06:17)
- Compelling: Intrigue and clear benefit. Specific, desirable outcome in as few words as possible.
- Memorable Example: Caitlin Burgoyne's "Become the smartest marketer in the room." (12:22)
- Clear: Simple, direct language about what readers get.
- Practical Tips:
- Avoid overwhelming text blocks or jargon (04:40)
- Feature accurate subscriber counts and endorsements even if modest—every bit helps
- Use visuals, quotes, or company logos ethically to boost trust
Step 2: The "Almost There" Page (14:38–21:42)
- Purpose: Redirect after sign-up to avoid the “dead-end” default thank you; propels subscriber to check inbox and engage.
- Custom pages should:
- Nudge to check inbox with urgency or curiosity (“I’ve got a surprise waiting for you!”)
- Provide links/buttons (Gmail, Outlook “sniper links”) to quickly access confirmation or welcome email.
- Quote: "It's such a small thing, but it's so impactful when you can get people to stay focused... and actually open that email." —Chenell (17:12)
- Encourage immediate reply to boost email deliverability.
- Use visuals or playful copy to delight and nudge (animated arrows, images, faux-timers with humor)
- Warning: Avoid fake scarcity or “shady” tactics.
- Quote: "It's very hard to build someone's trust, but it's very easy to kill it…" —Chenell (21:42)
Step 3: The Welcome Email (22:28–30:28)
- Purpose: Make the first inbox impression count. Foster connection, reinforce expectations, and prompt a single focused action.
- Best Practice:
- Single, Focused Call to Action: Ask for a reply, or direct to a primary resource. One action per email.
- Incentivize the reply: promise something valuable for responding (secret tip, bonus resource).
- Quote: "I incentivize it saying reply with the word thank you and I'll send you a surprise gift… I stole this right from Caitlin Burgoyne." —Dylan (23:19)
- Use the reply as a deliverability boost and to open a conversation (Gmail/ESP's see it as genuine engagement).
- Template: Short intro, clear value reiteration, and the “reply” request.
- Pitfall to Avoid: Don’t overwhelm with asks (debut email shouldn’t have multiple CTAs, surveys, upsells).
- Quote: "Try to just keep the welcome email focused on one action... And our preference... is to make that action a reply." —Dylan (29:20)
3. Advanced & Nuanced Onboarding (Five-Step Sequence) (35:31–37:21)
- For those ready to get more granular:
- Landing Page
- Almost There Page
- Almost There Email (false double opt-in, gets real confirmation click)
- Welcome Page (could feature survey, resource, soft pitch, sponsor, webinar, etc.)
- Welcome Email (follow-up and depth)
- Use tools like Right Message for surveys or Senja for testimonials.
- A/B test to see which extra steps yield meaningful data or stronger subscriber engagement.
4. Collecting First-Party Data & Segmentation (30:47–35:21)
- Embedded surveys (e.g., via Right Message on the thank-you or welcome page) help you understand your audience for better targeting, sponsorship, or personalized messaging.
- Quote: "This helps me understand who's on my email list... I can use this for sponsorship stuff... just really helps you understand your audience." —Chenell (31:48)
- Balance getting useful data and not stalling the engagement momentum
- Real testimonial: Some users feel “seen” and valued just by being asked for more context!
5. Common Pitfalls and Final Audit Tips (37:21–39:59)
- Even experienced operators can break onboarding flows by adding forms, new tools, or unlinked automations. Audit regularly.
- Not all platforms (e.g., Substack) allow for deep customization, but you should still optimize what you can.
- Revisit onboarding copy and flows quarterly for staleness, errors, or missed engagement opportunities.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On clear copywriting:
"You want it to be clear instead of clever..." —Chenell (05:14) -
On reply-boosting tactics (and honesty):
"I do think it's important… if you don't reply to this, there’s a chance you might not get my emails… but I've just heard people say 'if you don't hit reply you won't get my email'—that's not accurate." —Dylan & Chenell (27:47; 28:04) -
On onboarding as an evergreen priority:
"One, make sure these three to five things are still working and optimized... The more automations you have, the more complexity you’re adding to your business—which isn't a bad thing, but…it will require more maintenance." —Dylan (37:21; 38:26) -
Best landing page copy cited:
"Become the smartest marketer in the room." —Cited by both hosts as a gold standard (12:22)
Timestamps for Major Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|-------------| | Why onboarding matters | 00:38–03:01 | | Step 1: Landing Page ("3 Cs") | 03:10–14:38 | | Step 2: Almost There Page & tactics | 14:38–21:42 | | Step 3: The Welcome Email | 22:28–30:28 | | Embedded surveys & segmentation | 30:47–35:21 | | Advanced (5-step) onboarding | 35:31–37:21 | | Auditing & common pitfalls | 37:21–39:59 |
Takeaways & Action Steps
- Review your onboarding flow for clarity, credibility, and compelling offers; don’t settle for ESP defaults.
- Ensure you have an engaging "Almost There" page to close the loop and get subscribers to their inbox.
- Keep your welcome email tight and focused—ideally prompting a reply to boost engagement/deliverability.
- Consider advanced steps (like surveys, multi-step flows) as you scale, but only if you can maintain a personal touch.
- Regularly audit your forms, emails, and automations—little mistakes can cost lots of engagement.
For further resources & examples:
Visit vault.growthinreverse.com (as recommended in-episode).
“Make sure all of your onboarding stuff is crystal clear, compelling, and credible. And then, just make sure you’re getting people through your little welcome email and getting them to reply. That’s pretty much it.” —Chenell (39:14)
Episode rich with tactical insights and friendly banter—perfect for anyone serious about newsletter growth, whether launching your list or refining your onboarding engine.