So, you want to use Mailchimp to build onboarding emails that don’t suck. Good. This guide is for SaaS folks—especially product managers, marketers, or anyone who got handed “make onboarding better” without a clue where to start. We’ll walk through setting up personalized onboarding in Mailchimp Journeys, share what actually works, and flag where you can skip the fancy stuff.
Let’s get your new users to “aha!” faster, with less busywork.
Why bother with personalized onboarding?
If you’re reading this, you probably know that a generic welcome email just won’t cut it. SaaS users get bored fast, and if you don’t help them right away, they’ll ghost you. A good onboarding sequence does three things:
- Shows users how to get value, fast.
- Nudges them past common pitfalls.
- Feels like it was written for them—not a faceless “valued customer.”
Personalization isn’t just slapping a first name in the subject line. It’s about sending the right message at the right time, based on what your user actually does (or doesn’t do). Mailchimp Journeys makes this possible—if you set it up right.
Step 1: Get your list and data in order
Before you dream up clever onboarding flows, make sure your user data is clean and useful. Otherwise, you’ll send the wrong emails to the wrong people. Here’s what matters:
- Audience: In Mailchimp, your “Audience” is your master list. For SaaS, this should be every user who signs up (even if they never pay).
- Tags and custom fields: You’ll want to store info like signup date, plan type (free/trial/paid), and maybe what feature they tried first. Mailchimp calls these “merge tags” or “audience fields.”
- How to get this data in:
- If your app connects to Mailchimp via Zapier, Segment, or direct API, use that.
- At minimum, push over email address and signup date. More is better, but don’t wait forever to get perfect data.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over tracking 20 fields at launch. Start with 2–3 useful ones (plan type, signup date, maybe a key action). You can always add more later.
Step 2: Map out your user journey (on paper first)
Before you touch Mailchimp, sketch out the sequence. Seriously, use a whiteboard or a napkin. Ask:
- What’s the main thing new users need to do to “get it”? (e.g., create their first project, invite a teammate)
- Where do people usually get stuck?
- What’s different for free vs. trial vs. paid users?
Example mini-journey for a SaaS tool:
- Day 0 (signup): Welcome email, quick-start video.
- Day 1: Nudge to complete profile.
- Day 3: “Have you tried X?” (based on what they’ve done)
- Day 7: Customer story or feature highlight.
- Day 14: “Still need help?” + invite to webinar.
You don’t need a 12-email saga. Three to five is plenty to start.
Step 3: Build your Journey in Mailchimp
Now, head into Mailchimp and set up your first Journey. Here’s the process, minus the official jargon:
1. Create a new Journey
- In Mailchimp, go to Automations > Customer Journeys.
- Click “Create Journey.”
- Name it something you’ll recognize, like “Onboarding – New SaaS Users.”
2. Set your starting point
This is what triggers the journey. For SaaS onboarding, the usual triggers are:
- User joins Audience: (new signup)
- Tag is added: (e.g., “trial user”)
- Custom field changes: (e.g., plan type switches from “trial” to “paid”)
Pick the one that matches how your data flows in. If in doubt, “user joins Audience” works for most.
3. Add steps (emails, waits, conditions)
Here’s where you map your plan into Mailchimp:
- Send Email: Drag in an email, write your copy, use merge tags for names or other fields.
- Wait For: Add delays (e.g., “Wait 2 days”).
- If/Else Branch: Split based on tags or fields. Example: “If plan type is trial, send this. If paid, send that.”
Keep it simple: Don’t build a tree with 10 branches unless you have a huge user base and clear data. Start basic, then add complexity if you see results.
4. Personalize content
- Merge tags: Drop in
*|FNAME|*for first names, or use custom fields. - Dynamic content: Mailchimp lets you show/hide blocks in an email based on user data. Handy if you want to say “Upgrade now” to trials, but not to paid users.
What matters: Personalization should actually change the message. Don’t just say “Hi, Bob.” Instead, reference their plan, recent actions, or what they haven’t done yet.
5. Review and test
- Use Mailchimp’s “Preview and Test” to make sure emails look right for different user types.
- Enroll yourself (or a test email) in the Journey to see it live.
- Check timing—Mailchimp’s delays aren’t always exact to the minute.
Step 4: Track what works (and what flops)
Once your onboarding Journey is live, keep an eye on these:
- Open and click rates: Low? Your subject lines or timing may be off.
- Goal completion: Are more users finishing setup or hitting key features?
- Drop-off: If everyone ignores email #3, maybe it’s not needed.
Mailchimp gives you basic reporting, but if you want the real story, check your app analytics too. Did activation rates go up? Are trial-to-paid conversions better? That’s what matters.
Don’t chase vanity metrics: A high open rate is nice, but if users still churn, your emails might be all sizzle and no steak.
Step 5: Iterate. Don’t chase perfection.
You will not nail this on your first try. The best onboarding sequences are built over time. Here’s how to get better, faster:
- Cut what doesn’t work: If an email gets ignored, drop or rewrite it.
- Ask users: A simple one-question survey (“Was this helpful?”) can tell you more than 10 reports.
- Watch for tech hiccups: Sometimes Mailchimp’s triggers misfire, especially if your data sync is messy. Test changes before rolling out.
What to skip (for now)
You’ll see a lot of buzz about “hyper-personalization” and “AI-driven onboarding.” Most SaaS teams don’t need this. Here’s what you can safely ignore until you’ve nailed the basics:
- Behavioral triggers based on in-app events: Unless you have a tight product→Mailchimp integration, these are hard to do well.
- Dozens of micro-segments: Just focus on trial vs. paid, or maybe one more key factor.
- Heavy design: Clean, helpful emails beat pretty but confusing ones.
Real talk: What actually helps
- Write like a human. Skip the “Welcome to our platform!” nonsense.
- Show, don’t tell. Short videos or GIFs beat walls of text.
- Remind, but don’t nag. One gentle nudge is better than three “Did you forget…?” emails.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, tweak as you go
Personalized onboarding in Mailchimp Journeys isn’t rocket science, but it does take some real effort to get right. Start with a clear, basic flow. Use the data you have, not the data you wish you had. Watch what users do, trim what doesn’t work, and don’t let “perfect” slow you down.
Keep it simple. Iterate. Your future self (and your users) will thank you.