# Email Types Reference

A comprehensive guide to lifecycle and campaign emails. Use this as an audit checklist and implementation reference.

## Contents
- Onboarding Emails (new users series, new customers series, key onboarding step reminder, new user invite)
- Retention Emails (upgrade to paid, upgrade to higher plan, ask for review, offer support proactively, product usage report, NPS survey, referral program)
- Billing Emails (switch to annual, failed payment recovery, cancellation survey, upcoming renewal reminder)
- Usage Emails (daily/weekly/monthly summary, key event or milestone notifications)
- Win-Back Emails (expired trials, cancelled customers)
- Campaign Emails (monthly roundup/newsletter, seasonal promotions, product updates, industry news roundup, pricing update)
- Email Audit Checklist (onboarding, retention, billing, usage, win-back, campaigns)

## Onboarding Emails

### New Users Series
**Trigger**: User signs up (free or trial)
**Goal**: Activate user, drive to aha moment
**Typical sequence**: 5-7 emails over 14 days

- Email 1: Welcome + single next step (immediate)
- Email 2: Quick win / getting started (day 1)
- Email 3: Key feature highlight (day 3)
- Email 4: Success story / social proof (day 5)
- Email 5: Check-in + offer help (day 7)
- Email 6: Advanced tip (day 10)
- Email 7: Upgrade prompt or next milestone (day 14)

**Key metrics**: Activation rate, feature adoption

---

### New Customers Series
**Trigger**: User converts to paid
**Goal**: Reinforce purchase decision, drive adoption, reduce early churn
**Typical sequence**: 3-5 emails over 14 days

- Email 1: Thank you + what's next (immediate)
- Email 2: Getting full value — setup checklist (day 2)
- Email 3: Pro tips for paid features (day 5)
- Email 4: Success story from similar customer (day 7)
- Email 5: Check-in + introduce support resources (day 14)

**Key point**: Different from new user series—they've committed. Focus on reinforcement and expansion, not conversion.

---

### Key Onboarding Step Reminder
**Trigger**: User hasn't completed critical setup step after X time
**Goal**: Nudge completion of high-value action
**Format**: Single email or 2-3 email mini-sequence

**Example triggers**:
- Hasn't connected integration after 48 hours
- Hasn't invited team member after 3 days
- Hasn't completed profile after 24 hours

**Copy approach**:
- Remind them what they started
- Explain why this step matters
- Make it easy (direct link to complete)
- Offer help if stuck

---

### New User Invite
**Trigger**: Existing user invites teammate
**Goal**: Activate the invited user
**Recipient**: The person being invited

- Email 1: You've been invited (immediate)
- Email 2: Reminder if not accepted (day 2)
- Email 3: Final reminder (day 5)

**Copy approach**:
- Personalize with inviter's name
- Explain what they're joining
- Single CTA to accept invite
- Social proof optional

---

## Retention Emails

### Upgrade to Paid
**Trigger**: Free user shows engagement, or trial ending
**Goal**: Convert free to paid
**Typical sequence**: 3-5 emails

**Trigger options**:
- Time-based (trial day 10, 12, 14)
- Behavior-based (hit usage limit, used premium feature)
- Engagement-based (highly active free user)

**Sequence structure**:
- Value summary: What they've accomplished
- Feature comparison: What they're missing
- Social proof: Who else upgraded
- Urgency: Trial ending, limited offer
- Final: Last chance + easy path

---

### Upgrade to Higher Plan
**Trigger**: User approaching plan limits or using features available on higher tier
**Goal**: Upsell to next tier
**Format**: Single email or 2-3 email sequence

**Trigger examples**:
- 80% of seat limit reached
- 90% of storage/usage limit
- Tried to use higher-tier feature
- Power user behavior patterns

**Copy approach**:
- Acknowledge their growth (positive framing)
- Show what next tier unlocks
- Quantify value vs. cost
- Easy upgrade path

---

### Ask for Review
**Trigger**: Customer milestone (30/60/90 days, key achievement, support resolution)
**Goal**: Generate social proof on G2, Capterra, app stores
**Format**: Single email

**Best timing**:
- After positive support interaction
- After achieving measurable result
- After renewal
- NOT after billing issues or bugs

**Copy approach**:
- Thank them for being a customer
- Mention specific value/milestone if possible
- Explain why reviews matter (help others decide)
- Direct link to review platform
- Keep it short—this is an ask

---

### Offer Support Proactively
**Trigger**: Signs of struggle (drop in usage, failed actions, error encounters)
**Goal**: Save at-risk user, improve experience
**Format**: Single email

**Trigger examples**:
- Usage dropped significantly week-over-week
- Multiple failed attempts at action
- Viewed help docs repeatedly
- Stuck at same onboarding step

**Copy approach**:
- Genuine concern tone
- Specific: "I noticed you..." (if data allows)
- Offer direct help (not just link to docs)
- Personal from support or CSM
- No sales pitch—pure help

---

### Product Usage Report
**Trigger**: Time-based (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
**Goal**: Demonstrate value, drive engagement, reduce churn
**Format**: Single email, recurring

**What to include**:
- Key metrics/activity summary
- Comparison to previous period
- Achievements/milestones
- Suggestions for improvement
- Light CTA to explore more

**Examples**:
- "You saved X hours this month"
- "Your team completed X projects"
- "You're in the top X% of users"

**Key point**: Make them feel good and remind them of value delivered.

---

### NPS Survey
**Trigger**: Time-based (quarterly) or event-based (post-milestone)
**Goal**: Measure satisfaction, identify promoters and detractors
**Format**: Single email

**Best practices**:
- Keep it simple: Just the NPS question initially
- Follow-up form for "why" based on score
- Personal sender (CEO, founder, CSM)
- Tell them how you'll use feedback

**Follow-up based on score**:
- Promoters (9-10): Thank + ask for review/referral
- Passives (7-8): Ask what would make it a 10
- Detractors (0-6): Personal outreach to understand issues

---

### Referral Program
**Trigger**: Customer milestone, promoter NPS score, or campaign
**Goal**: Generate referrals
**Format**: Single email or periodic reminders

**Good timing**:
- After positive NPS response
- After customer achieves result
- After renewal
- Seasonal campaigns

**Copy approach**:
- Remind them of their success
- Explain the referral offer clearly
- Make sharing easy (unique link)
- Show what's in it for them AND referee

---

## Billing Emails

### Switch to Annual
**Trigger**: Monthly subscriber at renewal time or campaign
**Goal**: Convert monthly to annual (improve LTV, reduce churn)
**Format**: Single email or 2-email sequence

**Value proposition**:
- Calculate exact savings
- Additional benefits (if any)
- Lock in current price messaging
- Easy one-click switch

**Best timing**:
- Around monthly renewal date
- End of year / new year
- After 3-6 months of loyalty
- Price increase announcement (lock in old rate)

---

### Failed Payment Recovery
**Trigger**: Payment fails
**Goal**: Recover revenue, retain customer
**Typical sequence**: 3-4 emails over 7-14 days

**Sequence structure**:
- Email 1 (Day 0): Friendly notice, update payment link
- Email 2 (Day 3): Reminder, service may be interrupted
- Email 3 (Day 7): Urgent, account will be suspended
- Email 4 (Day 10-14): Final notice, what they'll lose

**Copy approach**:
- Assume it's an accident (card expired, etc.)
- Clear, direct, no guilt
- Single CTA to update payment
- Explain what happens if not resolved

**Key metrics**: Recovery rate, time to recovery

---

### Cancellation Survey
**Trigger**: User cancels subscription
**Goal**: Learn why, opportunity to save
**Format**: Single email (immediate)

**Options**:
- In-app survey at cancellation (better completion)
- Follow-up email if they skip in-app
- Personal outreach for high-value accounts

**Questions to ask**:
- Primary reason for cancelling
- What could we have done better
- Would anything change your mind
- Can we help with transition

**Winback opportunity**: Based on reason, offer targeted save (discount, pause, downgrade, training).

---

### Upcoming Renewal Reminder
**Trigger**: X days before renewal (14 or 30 days typical)
**Goal**: No surprise charges, opportunity to expand
**Format**: Single email

**What to include**:
- Renewal date and amount
- What's included in renewal
- How to update payment/plan
- Changes to pricing/features (if any)
- Optional: Upsell opportunity

**Required for**: Annual subscriptions, high-value contracts

---

## Usage Emails

### Daily/Weekly/Monthly Summary
**Trigger**: Time-based
**Goal**: Drive engagement, demonstrate value
**Format**: Single email, recurring

**Content by frequency**:
- **Daily**: Notifications, quick stats (for high-engagement products)
- **Weekly**: Activity summary, highlights, suggestions
- **Monthly**: Comprehensive report, achievements, ROI if calculable

**Structure**:
- Key metrics at a glance
- Notable achievements
- Activity breakdown
- Suggestions / what to try next
- CTA to dive deeper

**Personalization**: Must be relevant to their actual usage. Empty reports are worse than no report.

---

### Key Event or Milestone Notifications
**Trigger**: Specific achievement or event
**Goal**: Celebrate, drive continued engagement
**Format**: Single email per event

**Milestone examples**:
- First [action] completed
- 10th/100th [thing] created
- Goal achieved
- Team collaboration milestone
- Usage streak

**Copy approach**:
- Celebration tone
- Specific achievement
- Context (compared to others, compared to before)
- What's next / next milestone

---

## Win-Back Emails

### Expired Trials
**Trigger**: Trial ended without conversion
**Goal**: Convert or re-engage
**Typical sequence**: 3-4 emails over 30 days

**Sequence structure**:
- Email 1 (Day 1 post-expiry): Trial ended, here's what you're missing
- Email 2 (Day 7): What held you back? (gather feedback)
- Email 3 (Day 14): Incentive offer (discount, extended trial)
- Email 4 (Day 30): Final reach-out, door is open

**Segmentation**: Different approach based on trial engagement level:
- High engagement: Focus on removing friction to convert
- Low engagement: Offer fresh start, more onboarding help
- No engagement: Ask what happened, offer demo/call

---

### Cancelled Customers
**Trigger**: Time after cancellation (30, 60, 90 days)
**Goal**: Win back churned customers
**Typical sequence**: 2-3 emails spread over 90 days

**Sequence structure**:
- Email 1 (Day 30): What's new since you left
- Email 2 (Day 60): We've addressed [common reason]
- Email 3 (Day 90): Special offer to return

**Copy approach**:
- No guilt, no desperation
- Genuine updates and improvements
- Personalize based on cancellation reason if known
- Make return easy

**Key point**: They're more likely to return if their reason was addressed.

---

## Campaign Emails

### Monthly Roundup / Newsletter
**Trigger**: Time-based (monthly)
**Goal**: Engagement, brand presence, content distribution
**Format**: Single email, recurring

**Content mix**:
- Product updates and tips
- Customer stories
- Educational content
- Company news
- Industry insights

**Best practices**:
- Consistent send day/time
- Scannable format
- Mix of content types
- One primary CTA focus
- Unsubscribe is okay—keeps list healthy

---

### Seasonal Promotions
**Trigger**: Calendar events (Black Friday, New Year, etc.)
**Goal**: Drive conversions with timely offer
**Format**: Campaign burst (2-4 emails)

**Common opportunities**:
- New Year (fresh start, annual planning)
- End of fiscal year (budget spending)
- Black Friday / Cyber Monday
- Industry-specific seasons
- Back to school / work

**Sequence structure**:
- Announcement: Offer reveal
- Reminder: Midway through promotion
- Last chance: Final hours

---

### Product Updates
**Trigger**: New feature release
**Goal**: Adoption, engagement, demonstrate momentum
**Format**: Single email per major release

**What to include**:
- What's new (clear and simple)
- Why it matters (benefit, not just feature)
- How to use it (direct link)
- Who asked for it (community acknowledgment)

**Segmentation**: Consider targeting based on relevance:
- Users who would benefit most
- Users who requested feature
- Power users first (for beta feel)

---

### Industry News Roundup
**Trigger**: Time-based (weekly or monthly)
**Goal**: Thought leadership, engagement, brand value
**Format**: Curated newsletter

**Content**:
- Curated news and links
- Your take / commentary
- What it means for readers
- How your product helps

**Best for**: B2B products where customers care about industry trends.

---

### Pricing Update
**Trigger**: Price change announcement
**Goal**: Transparent communication, minimize churn
**Format**: Single email (or sequence for major changes)

**Timeline**:
- Announce 30-60 days before change
- Reminder 14 days before
- Final notice 7 days before

**Copy approach**:
- Clear, direct, transparent
- Explain the why (value delivered, costs increased)
- Grandfather if possible (lock in old rate)
- Give options (annual lock-in, downgrade)

**Important**: Honesty and advance notice build trust even when price increases.

---

## Email Audit Checklist

Use this to audit your current email program:

### Onboarding
- [ ] New users series
- [ ] New customers series
- [ ] Key onboarding step reminders
- [ ] New user invite sequence

### Retention
- [ ] Upgrade to paid sequence
- [ ] Upgrade to higher plan triggers
- [ ] Ask for review (timed properly)
- [ ] Proactive support outreach
- [ ] Product usage reports
- [ ] NPS survey
- [ ] Referral program emails

### Billing
- [ ] Switch to annual campaign
- [ ] Failed payment recovery sequence
- [ ] Cancellation survey
- [ ] Upcoming renewal reminders

### Usage
- [ ] Daily/weekly/monthly summaries
- [ ] Key event notifications
- [ ] Milestone celebrations

### Win-Back
- [ ] Expired trial sequence
- [ ] Cancelled customer sequence

### Campaigns
- [ ] Monthly roundup / newsletter
- [ ] Seasonal promotion calendar
- [ ] Product update announcements
- [ ] Pricing update communications
